Toby Keith Wrote “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” In 20 Minutes

January 10, 2024 8:45 am Published by

“Should’ve Been a Cowboy” is one of Toby Keith’s most enduring songs, so it might be a surprise to learn how quickly it came together.

Toby wrote it during a pheasant hunting trip to Dodge City, Kansas, which he says was, quote, “staged for the old ‘Gunsmoke’ series” at the time.

One day after the hunt, he and his friends went to a bar. One of the guys, still in his hunting clothes, asked a girl at another table to dance, and she turned him down.

“On the way back to the table, we were laughing, and one of the guys hollered, ‘John, you should’ve been a cowboy.'”

That night, Toby shut himself in his motel bathroom, sat on the edge of the tub, and wrote “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” in 20 minutes.

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This post was written by Cheryl Johnstone