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.
Get Drunk And Be Somebody
Toby Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't nothing but a number on his time card slip
I give him forty hours and a piece of my soul
Puts me somewhere at the bottom of his totem pole
Hell, I don't even think he knows my name
Well, all week long I'm a real nobody
But I just punched out and its paycheck Friday
I'm going to get drunk and be somebody
Yeah, yeah, yeah
My baby cuts hair at a beauty boutique
Just blowin' and goin' 'til she dead on her feet
They walk right in and sit right down
She gives them what they want and then she spins them around
Hey, I don't think they even know her name
All week long she's a real nobody
But I just picked her up and its paycheck Friday
Weekends here, good God almighty
Baby, let's get drunk and be somebody
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We're just average people, in an everyday bar
Driving from work in our ordinary cars
And I like to come here with the regular Joes
Drink all you want, be the star of the show
All week long bunch of real nobodies
But we just punched out and its paycheck Friday
Weekends here, good God almighty
People let's get drunk (let's get drunk)
All week long we're some real nobodies
But we just punched out, its paycheck Friday
Weekends here, good God almighty
People let's get drunk and be somebody
Yeah, yeah, yeah
In Toby Keith's song "Somebody", the lyrics explore the idea of the daily grind and the desire to break free of it. The singer is expressing their feelings of insignificance and anonymity at work, referring to themselves as "nothing but a number" on their boss's time card slip. The boss is depicted as a figure of control and dominance, cracking the whip on the employees and relegating them to the bottom of the totem pole. The singer does not even believe that the boss knows their name.
However, once the weekend comes around and payday arrives, the singer and their significant other are ready to let loose and be somebody. The lyrics portray the couple as hardworking individuals who deserve to have fun and enjoy their time off. The chorus suggests that they plan on getting drunk and rising to the level of the stars, even if only for one night.
The song celebrates the average, everyday people who work hard all week and then have the opportunity to let loose on the weekends. It recognizes the importance of taking a break from the daily grind and having fun with friends and loved ones. The lyrics also touch on the desire to be seen and recognized as somebody, even if only for a short time.
Overall, "Somebody" is a fun, upbeat song with relatable lyrics that capture the spirit of enjoying the weekend and letting go of the stresses of the workweek.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah the big boss man, he likes to crack that whip
The person in power at work is strict and likes being in control
I ain't nothing but a number on his time card slip,
My identity and worth are reduced to the hours I work
I give him forty hours and a piece of my soul,
I devote a significant amount of time and effort to my job
Puts me somewhere at the bottom of his totem pole,
I'm at the lowest level of importance in his mind and at work
Hell I don't even think he knows my name...
I feel completely unrecognized and insignificant to him
Well all week long I'm a real nobody,
I feel like I'm unimportant and unnoticeable all week at work
But I just punched out and its paycheck Friday,
Finally, the end of the workweek has come and payday has arrived
Weekends here, good God almighty,
Thank goodness the weekend is finally here
I'm going to get drunk and be somebody
I am going to let loose, have fun and feel important
My baby cuts hair at a beauty boutique,
My partner works at a salon
Just blowin' and goin' till she dead on her feet,
My partner is always busy and exhausted by the end of the day
They walk right in and sit right down,
Customers come in and sit immediately
She gives them what they want and then she spins them around,
My partner listens to what customers want for their hair and then follows through, impressing them with the results
Hey I don't think they even know her name...
Customers don't recognize her for her hard work and talent, even though she does her best for them every time
Well just average people, in an everyday bar,
We're just regular folks hanging out in a common hangout spot
Driving from work in our ordinary cars,
We don't have fancy or luxurious cars, just average ones
And I like to come here with the regular Joes,
I enjoy spending time with other ordinary folks like me
Drink all you want, be the star of the show
We can relax and have fun, feeling special and important
All week long bunch of real nobodies,
All week at work we feel unimportant and unrecognized
People lets get drunk (lets get drunk!)
Let's have fun and forget our workweek problems for a while
But we just punched out and its paycheck Friday,
Finally, the workweek is over and we've been paid for our time
Weekends here, good God almighty,
Thank goodness, the weekend has arrived!
People lets get drunk and be somebody
Let's have fun and feel important for a change
Lyrics © Tokeco Tunes, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Scott Emerick, Toby Keith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ToontownAndCpenguin
I came here because I heard the news on Toby Keith's passing & wanted to relive my very first concert. January 20th, 2006, Portland Oregon. A day prior to the concert, I was at Les Schwab for an event that 99.5 the Wolf did, they use to hold those a lot where you can win stuff from them. At this one, they gave out passes to get into the video shoot for Get Drunk & Be Somebody. Both my mom & I got one & since we had concert tickets, we decided to go early for the video shoot.
It was a ton of fun, we stood in line for hours, chatting it up with people & even made friends with those we were standing next to. After the shoot, we went to the Red Robin that's near the Oregon Convention Center with our line buddies for dinner before returning to attend the concert.
As for the shoot itself, we walked right in & were offered the mugs with paper in them then went to the floor & essentially were told to party & look like we're having a great time. While many of us had paper in them, there were people going by with pitchers of watered down soda that looks like beer, at least in a darkened venue it does. I decided to not get it because I didn't want to ruin my mug, I still have it to this day by the way. It was a lot of fun watching people with it, some were spilling it & others poured it over other people, that was great.
At the part where he says "be the star of the show" it showed stars on the screens, I think there's just a tiny glance of the screens where you can see it. I was there for hours hearing the same song on repeat so I can still recall seeing that part on the screens even 18 years later.
During the shoot, they only filled the floor but they got shots from the concert itself which is why you see people up in the stands. The little blinking red lights are courtesy of the Wolf, they use to hand those blinkers out at events but apparently, there's been complaints about it so they stopped. I believe I still have some of mine, I use to wear them to concerts back when it was allowed.
Sad that he passed, I hope the best for everyone from his life. I'm fortunate as a fan, that I got to see him in concert twice & my first time was when he shot this music video so I can always look back on the very first concert ever if I went to.
@user-hs5qb7hu1x
Country Hall of Fame for the Big Dog.miss ya Toby
@ianlewis5474
Heartbroken this morning RIP. One of my fondest memories was being present at this concert for shoot of this video.
@jackhime5628
I was heartbroken also I listened to all of his music and I saw him concert and I had a great time
@charleswojciechowski9459
Amazing tune and the video is out of this world.
@sandraselman5153
Great video
@sandraselman5153
An Awesome Awesome beyond talented Human Being!
@chadbridges4775
Toby you were always that somebody that we wanted to be or just be around RIP big guy
@charleswojciechowski9459
I NEVER get tired of watching this video. So much fun. What an entertainer was Mr. Toby Keith.
@ToontownAndCpenguin
I came here because I heard the news on Toby Keith's passing & wanted to relive my very first concert. January 20th, 2006, Portland Oregon. A day prior to the concert, I was at Les Schwab for an event that 99.5 the Wolf did, they use to hold those a lot where you can win stuff from them. At this one, they gave out passes to get into the video shoot for Get Drunk & Be Somebody. Both my mom & I got one & since we had concert tickets, we decided to go early for the video shoot.
It was a ton of fun, we stood in line for hours, chatting it up with people & even made friends with those we were standing next to. After the shoot, we went to the Red Robin that's near the Oregon Convention Center with our line buddies for dinner before returning to attend the concert.
As for the shoot itself, we walked right in & were offered the mugs with paper in them then went to the floor & essentially were told to party & look like we're having a great time. While many of us had paper in them, there were people going by with pitchers of watered down soda that looks like beer, at least in a darkened venue it does. I decided to not get it because I didn't want to ruin my mug, I still have it to this day by the way. It was a lot of fun watching people with it, some were spilling it & others poured it over other people, that was great.
At the part where he says "be the star of the show" it showed stars on the screens, I think there's just a tiny glance of the screens where you can see it. I was there for hours hearing the same song on repeat so I can still recall seeing that part on the screens even 18 years later.
During the shoot, they only filled the floor but they got shots from the concert itself which is why you see people up in the stands. The little blinking red lights are courtesy of the Wolf, they use to hand those blinkers out at events but apparently, there's been complaints about it so they stopped. I believe I still have some of mine, I use to wear them to concerts back when it was allowed.
Sad that he passed, I hope the best for everyone from his life. I'm fortunate as a fan, that I got to see him in concert twice & my first time was when he shot this music video so I can always look back on the very first concert ever if I went to.
@51gary51
Glad to hear that you have so many wonderful memories of Toby and his music. He was one in a million. Attending the filming of "Get Drunk And Be Somebody" is a chance of a lifetime which most fans could only dream of! Take care and love Toby's music forever!