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.
The Taliban Song
Toby Keith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got a little two bedroom cave here in north Afghanistan
Things used to be real nice and they got outta hand
Since they moved in
They call themselves the Taliban
Ooo, ooo the Taliban, baby
I ain't seen my wife's face since they came here
They make her wear a scarf over her head that covers her from ear to ear
Man she just like me
She can't stand the Taliban
Ooo, ooo the Taliban, baby
But you know someday soon we're both gonna saddle up and it'll be
Ride camel, ride
My ol' lady she'll be here with me
Just smilin' ride by my side
We should do just fine out around Palestine
Or maybe Turkministan
We'll bid a fair adieu and flip the finger to the Taliban
Now they attacked New York City 'cause they thought they could win
Said they would stand and fight until the very bloody end
Mr. Bush got on the phone with Iraq and Iran he said now
You sons a' bitches, you better not be doin' any business with the Taliban
Ooo, ooo the Taliban, baby
Now we prayed to Allah with all of our might
Until those big U.S. jets came flyin' in one night
They dropped little bombs all over the holy land
Man you should've seen 'em run, like rabbits they ran, the Taliban
Ooo, ooo the Taliban, baby
But you know someday soon we're both gonna saddle up and it'll be
Ride camel, ride
My ol' lady she'll be here with me
Just smilin' ride by my side
We should do just fine out around Palestine
Or maybe Turkministan
We'll bid a fair adieu and flip a couple fingers to the Taliban
We'll bid a fair adieu and give a big boner to the Taliban
The lyrics of the song, "The Taliban Song" by Toby Keith, describe the life of a middle-aged Middle-Eastern camel herding man, who has a two bedroom cave in North Afghanistan. The man's life used to be good until the Taliban moved in and took over his land. His wife is no longer free to roam around with her face uncovered but is forced to wear a scarf that covers her face from ear to ear. The singer expresses his dislike for the Taliban and his desire to leave with his wife to Palestine or Turkministan, and flip a finger to the Taliban as a sign of defiance.
The song also makes a reference to the 9/11 terror attack on New York City by the Taliban and the subsequent response by President Bush. The singer accentuates the pain caused by the terrorist attack, and how the U.S. government sought to fight back by bombing the Taliban. The song ends with the singer expressing his desire to leave Afghanistan and also gives a metaphorical "big boner" to the Taliban.
Overall, the song is a satirical tale that speaks of the atrocities and the struggles that the residents of Afghanistan faced under the Taliban regime. It highlights the harsh realities of living under extremist ideologies and the desire of Afghan people to live a life of peace and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a middle-aged middle-eastern camel herdin' man
I am an ordinary man who is in my middle age and I live in the middle-east. I earn my living by herding camels.
I've got a little two bedroom cave here in north Afghanistan
My house has two bedrooms and is located in the northern part of Afghanistan. It is a cave.
Things used to be real nice and they got outta hand
In the past, everything was going well but later things went out of control.
Since they moved in
Ever since the Taliban group took over, things have not been the same.
They call themselves the Taliban
This is what the group who took over our land calls themselves. They are known as the Taliban.
I ain't seen my wife's face since they came here
I have not seen my wife's face since the Taliban came into our land. They make her cover it with a scarf.
They make her wear a scarf over her head that covers her from ear to ear
The Taliban made my wife wear a veil that covers her whole face from ear to ear.
She loves the desert and the hot, white sand but now
My wife loves the desert and the hot, white sand, but now she is unhappy due to the Taliban rule.
Man she just like me
She is just like me: unhappy and frustrated with our current situation.
She can't stand the Taliban
My wife does not like the Taliban group and their strict rules.
But you know someday soon we're both gonna saddle up and it'll be
One day soon, my wife and I will leave this place by riding on our camels.
Ride camel, ride
We will leave by riding our camels out of here.
My ol' lady she'll be here with me
My wife will be with me during our journey to leave our land.
Just smilin' ride by my side
We will ride together with smiles on our faces as we leave this place.
We should do just fine out around Palestine
We plan to go to Palestine and we think we will be okay there.
Or maybe Turkministan
Alternatively, we might go to Turkministan to start our new life.
We'll bid a fair adieu and flip the finger to the Taliban
As we leave, we will say goodbye to the Taliban and show them our displeasure by flipping them off.
Now they attacked New York City 'cause they thought they could win
The Taliban once attacked New York City because they believed they could win the war against the US.
Said they would stand and fight until the very bloody end
They were determined to fight the US until the end, even if it meant they would lose many lives.
Mr. Bush got on the phone with Iraq and Iran he said now
President Bush called the leaders of Iraq and Iran on the phone and said...
You sons a' bitches, you better not be doin' any business with the Taliban
President Bush told Iraq and Iran to stop doing business with the Taliban.
Now we prayed to Allah with all of our might
We prayed to Allah with great determination and sincerity.
Until those big U.S. jets came flyin' in one night
One night, we saw big US jets flying in.
They dropped little bombs all over the holy land
The US jets dropped bombs all over our land, which we consider to be holy.
Man you should've seen 'em run, like rabbits they ran, the Taliban
The Taliban ran from the bombs dropped by the US jets like scared rabbits.
We'll bid a fair adieu and give a big boner to the Taliban
As we leave, we will say goodbye to the Taliban and show them our contempt by giving them the middle finger.
Lyrics © Tokeco Tunes, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Scott Emerick, Toby Keith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind