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.
White Rose
Toby Keith Lyrics
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The day the paved the parking lot
Somebody hung a ribbon up
And then they cut it down
And that big white rose upon that sign
Put innocence in all our lives
We could see its neon light
Gas was 50 cents a gallon
They'd put it in for you
They'd bump your tires and check your oil
And wash your windows too
And we'd shine those cars bright as bright
We'd go park underneath that light
Stare out at the prairie sky
There was nothing else to do
And now there's plywood for glass
Where the windows all got smashed
And there's just a chunk a'concrete
Where those old pumps used to stand
There's a couple a'cars half outta the ground
And that old sign still spins 'round 'n 'round
I guess the White Rose fillin' station's just a memory now
And the girls would spend a couple of bucks
Just to meet the boys workin' at the pumps
And we'd pull up and fall in love
And they've all moved away
Strangers used to stop and ask
How far they've driven off the map
And then they built that overpass
And now they stay out on the highway
'Cause there's plywood for glass
Where the windows all got smashed
And there's just a chunk a'concrete
Where those old pumps used to stand
There's a couple a'cars half outta the ground
And that old sign still spins 'round 'n 'round
I guess the White Rose fillin' station's just a memory now
And that neon sign was the heart and soul
Of this ol' one horse town
And it's like it lost its will to live
The day they shut it down
And now there's plywood for glass
Where the windows all got smashed
And there's just a chunk a'concrete
Where those old pumps used to stand
There's a couple a'cars half outta the ground
And that old sign still spins 'round 'n 'round
I guess the White Rose fillin' station's just a memory now
Yeah that ol' White Rose fillin' station's just a memory now
The song "White Rose" by Toby Keith talks about the nostalgia and fond memories associated with a small town filling station, which has now become a mere memory. The lyrics are primarily about how a simple gas station became a central point of community life and how it was lost. The song's opening verses describe how people in the town congregated and watched when the parking lot was being paved, and how someone hung a ribbon up to commemorate the occasion. The White Rose filled station's big neon sign, in particular, caught people's attention from miles away, and it brought a sense of innocence to the town's lives. The lyrics reminisce about the 50 cent gas, full-service attendants who would check oil and wash windows, and how the gas station served as a social gathering spot in the town.
As the song progresses, it shifts from nostalgic to mournful as the lyrics describe the now-abandoned filling station. The windows that were once filled with glass became plywood, the old pumps were removed, and only a chunk of concrete remains. The lyrics talk about how the girls would come to the filling station to spend a couple of bucks and chat with the boys working at the pumps and how strangers would stop and ask for directions. However, with the arrival of an overpass and highway, people stopped coming into the town, the filling station lost its purpose, and is now only a memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, the whole town came out to watch
The whole town gathered to witness the event
The day they paved the parking lot
The day the parking lot was built
Somebody hung a ribbon up
A ribbon for decoration was hung
And then they cut it down
The ribbon was removed
And that big white rose upon that sign
The white rose on the signboard
Put innocence in all our lives
It was a symbol of innocence
We could see its neon light
The neon light of the signboard was visible
From half a mile out
It was visible from a great distance
Gas was 50 cents a gallon
The gas price was affordable
They'd put it in for you
They would pump the gas for you
They'd bump your tires and check your oil
They would check your tires and oil too
And wash your windows too
They would clean your car windows
And we'd shine those cars bright as bright
We would keep our cars shiny
We'd go park underneath that light
We would park under the signboard light
Stare out at the prairie sky
We would gaze at the open landscape
There was nothing else to do
There were no other activities
And now there's plywood for glass
Plywood is used to cover broken windows
Where the windows all got smashed
Broken windows are now the norm
And there's just a chunk a'concrete
Only concrete remains of the pumps
Where those old pumps used to stand
The location where the old pumps used to operate
There's a couple a'cars half outta the ground
Some cars are partially buried now
And that old sign still spins 'round 'n 'round
The signboard still rotates
I guess the White Rose fillin' station's just a memory now
The White Rose gas station is just a memory
And the girls would spend a couple of bucks
Girls would spend money on the gas station
Just to meet the boys workin' at the pumps
To get a chance to meet the boys who were operating the pumps
And we'd pull up and fall in love
We would pull up and fall in love with each other
And they've all moved away
They all have moved from the town
Strangers used to stop and ask
Unknown people used to stop and ask for direction
How far they've driven off the map
They were asking about the unknown location on the map
And then they built that overpass
Then, an overpass was constructed
And now they stay out on the highway
Now, people use the highway instead
And that neon sign was the heart and soul
The neon sign was a center of attraction
Of this ol' one horse town
Of this small town
And it's like it lost its will to live
As if it gave up on life
The day they shut it down
The day the gas station was closed down
Yeah that ol' White Rose fillin' station's just a memory now
The White Rose gas station is only a memory now
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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