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.
Chug-A-Lug
Toby Keith Lyrics
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Make ya wanna holla hidy hoe,
Burns your tummy don't you know
Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug
Grape wine in a mason jar
Homemade and brought to school
By a friend of mine at class
Decided that we'll drink up what's left
Chug-a-lug so I helped myself
First time for everything
Mmm my ears still ring
Chug-a-lug Chug-a-lug
Make u wanna holla hidy hoe,
Burns your tummy don't you know
Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug
4 H and an FFA
On a field trip to the farm
Me and friend sneak out behind
This big old barn
Where we uncovered a covered up
Moonshine still
And we thought we'd drink our fill
And I swallowed it with a smile
Bbbb I run ten mile
Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug
Make u wanna holla hidy hoe,
Burns your tummy don't you know
Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug
Jukebox and sawdust floor
Somthin' like I ain't never seen
Hell I'm just going on 15,
But with the help of my fanagalin' uncle
I get snuck in for my first taste of sin
I said let me have a big old sip
Bbbb I done a double back flip
Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug
Make u wanna holla hidy hoe,
Burns your tummy don't you know
Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug
Thank you!
The lyrics to Toby Keith's song "Chug-A-Lug" tell the story of a group of friends who enjoy drinking alcohol, specifically grape wine and moonshine. The song begins with the catchy refrain "Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug, make ya wanna holla hidy hoe, burns your tummy don't you know." This sets the tone for the drinking escapades that follow.
The first verse describes the singer and his friend deciding to drink the homemade grape wine that their classmate brought to school. They drink it all up, resulting in a memorable first experience with alcohol. In the second verse, the singer and his friend sneak out during a field trip and discover a moonshine still behind a barn. They drink to their hearts' content and the singer even runs ten miles afterwards.
The third and final verse takes place at a jukebox with a sawdust floor. The singer, only 15 years old, is able to sneak in with the help of his "fanagalin' uncle" and has his first sip of sin. He enjoys it so much that he does a double back flip. The song ends with one last chorus of "Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug."
Overall, the lyrics suggest a carefree attitude towards drinking and a desire for the thrill of breaking the rules. The emphasis on homemade alcohol and sneaking around adds a rebellious edge to the story.
Line by Line Meaning
Chug-a-lug chug-a-lug
Drinking alcohol in quick succession.
Make ya wanna holla hidy hoe,
Expressing excitement while drinking.
Burns your tummy don't you know
Alcohol can have a burning sensation on the stomach.
Grape wine in a mason jar
Wine made at home and stored in a jar.
Homemade and brought to school
Wine was made at home and brought to school.
By a friend of mine at class
A friend brought the wine to class.
Me and him and this other fool
The singer and two other classmates drank the wine.
Decided that we'll drink up what's left
They decided to finish the remaining wine.
Chug-a-lug so I helped myself
The singer drank the wine in quick succession.
First time for everything
The first time the singer drank alcohol at school.
Mmm my ears still ring
The singer experienced a ringing sound in their ears from drinking.
4 H and an FFA
The singer belonged to the 4-H and FFA organizations.
On a field trip to the farm
They were on a field trip to a farm.
Me and friend sneak out behind
The singer and their friend sneaked out behind a barn.
This big old barn
The barn was large in size.
Where we uncovered a covered up
They found a concealed moonshine still.
Moonshine still
An illegal still used to make moonshine.
And we thought we'd drink our fill
They wanted to drink as much as they could.
And I swallowed it with a smile
The singer drank the moonshine feeling happy and excited.
Bbbb I run ten mile
The singer ran ten miles afterward to burn off the alcohol.
Jukebox and sawdust floor
A place where country music is played and danced to.
Somthin' like I ain't never seen
It was a new experience for the singer.
Hell I'm just going on 15,
The singer was only fifteen years old.
But with the help of my fanagalin' uncle
The singer's uncle helped them sneak in.
I get snuck in for my first taste of sin
The singer drank alcohol for the first time with their uncle's help.
I said let me have a big old sip
The singer asked for a large amount of alcohol.
Bbbb I done a double back flip
The singer was so excited that they exaggerated their reaction to drinking.
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