Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1998, Keith released his breakthrough single "How Do You Like Me Now?!" in late 1999. This song, the title track to his 1999 album of the same name, was the #1 country song of 2000, and one of several chart-toppers during his tenure on DreamWorks Nashville. His next three albums, Pull My Chain, Unleashed, and Shock'n Y'all, produced three more #1's each, and all of the albums were certified 4× Platinum. A second Greatest Hits package followed in 2004, and after that, he released Honkytonk University.
When DreamWorks closed in 2005, Keith founded the label Show Dog Nashville, which merged with Universal South Records to become Show Dog-Universal Music in December 2009. He has released ten studio albums through Show Dog/Show Dog-Universal: 2006's White Trash with Money, 2007's Big Dog Daddy, 2008's That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy, 2009's American Ride, 2010's Bullets in the Gun, 2011's Clancy's Tavern, 2012's Hope on the Rocks, 2013's Drinks After Work, 2015's 35 MPH Town, 2017's The Bus Songs, and 2021's Peso in My Pocket, as well as the compilation 35 Biggest Hits in 2008. Keith also made his acting debut in 2006, starring in the film Broken Bridges, and co-starred with comedian Rodney Carrington in the 2008 film Beer for My Horses, inspired by his song of the same name. On February 5th, 2024, Toby passed away from a 3 year battle with Stomach Cancer.
11 Months And 29 Days
Toby Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walkin' around in a daze
Man, I'm sittin' in the slammer
Lookin' out through the bars 'cross a haze
It'll all clear up
In 11 months and 29 days
The dance floor hot while I'm gone
Keep the Lone Star cold
The dance floor hot while I'm gone
While I'm gone
Keep your hands off my baby
I ain't gonna be gone that long
Incognito bandito
Well that old judge put a sledgehammer
Put it in my hand when he said
I'm gonna send you down to Huntsville
And I'm gonna shave your face
And I'm gonna shave your head
Doin' 11/29
Cement floor for my bed
When I busted in Austin
Walkin' around in a daze
Now I'm sittin' in this slammer
Lookin' out through the bars 'cross a haze
It'll all clear up
In 11 months and 29 days
In Toby Keith’s “11 Months and 29 Days,” the singer tells a story of being in jail, sentenced to 11 months and 29 days, in Huntsville, Texas. The song begins, "When I busted in Austin/Walkin' around in a daze/Man, I'm sittin' in the slammer/Lookin' out through the bars 'cross a haze." The singer’s state of confusion and disorientation is palpable as he recounts his time in jail.
Keith uses figurative language to convey the singer’s despair: "It'll all clear up/In 11 months and 29 days." The repetition of this line emphasizes the long duration of his sentence and the hopelessness he feels.
The singer also worries about his girlfriend while he is in jail, saying, "Keep your hands off my baby/I ain't gonna be gone that long/Incognito bandito." He fears that someone will take his place or that his girlfriend will move on while he is behind bars.
Overall, "11 Months and 29 Days" is a poignant narrative about the harsh realities of imprisonment and the weight of time on those left behind/inside.
Line by Line Meaning
When I busted in Austin
I got arrested in Austin
Walkin' around in a daze
I was confused and didn't know what was happening
Man, I'm sittin' in the slammer
I'm in jail
Lookin' out through the bars 'cross a haze
Looking out through the bars, I can barely see because of the haze
It'll all clear up
Things will get better
In 11 months and 29 days
When I finish serving my sentence
Keep that Lone Star cold
Make sure the beer is cold
The dance floor hot while I'm gone
Have fun partying, even though I'm not there
While I'm gone
While I'm serving my sentence
Keep your hands off my baby
Don't touch my girl
I ain't gonna be gone that long
I won't be away for too long
Incognito bandito
I won't be recognized when I get out
Well that old judge put a sledgehammer
The judge gave me a harsh sentence
Put it in my hand when he said
He made sure I knew the severity of my sentence
I'm gonna send you down to Huntsville
I'm going to prison in Huntsville
And I'm gonna shave your face
They will shave my face so I look like everyone else in prison
And I'm gonna shave your head
They will shave my head to humiliate me
Doin' 11/29
Serving 11 months and 29 days
Cement floor for my bed
I'll be sleeping on a cement floor
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY SHERRILL, JOHNNY PAYCHECK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind