The Story Behind Toby Keith’s ‘Don’t Let The Old Man In’ and Its Resurgence
The track is dominating the digital sales charts.
Toby Keith; Photo by: Mickey Bernal/NBC
Sales of Toby Keith’s song “Don’t Let The Old Man In” continue to surge following his emotional People’s Choice Country Awards performance late last month.
According to a release, the song topped Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart for the second consecutive week. Additionally, the poignant tune placed in the Top 3 on the all-genre sales chart.
Sales Surged After PCCAs Performance
The sales were prompted by Keith’s first major awards show performance in six years, which took place at the People’s Choice Country Awards. During the broadcast, he was honored with the first-ever Country Music Icon Award in a presentation from Blake Shelton.
“Y’all never thought you’d see me in skinny jeans. I want to thank the Almighty for allowing me to be here tonight. You’ve been riding shotgun with me for a little while. Want to thank my beautiful family [is] here,” Keith said from the stage. “A lot of people go in and make it a big career like this of 30 years, my manager, TK Kimbrell, Brian O’Connell, Elaine Schock, the band and the crew and everybody that’s all behind this thing, all the great musicians that have played on all of these albums in the studios, they’ve poured their heart and soul into what I do. And most of all, I want to thank the fans for still allowing us to do what we do. So God bless you. Thank you.”
Emotional Moment
Moments later, he delivered his buzzed-about comeback performance.
“Many moons I have lived/ My body’s weathered and worn/ Ask yourself how would you be/ If you didn’t know the day you were born,” Keith sang while his wife, Tricia Lucus, could be seen shedding tears from the front of the audience. This heartwrenching moment touched the hearts of millions.
Story Behind The Song
“Don’t Let The Old Man In” was written solely by Toby Keith in 2018. It was inspired by a conversation the country superstar had with the legendary Clint Eastwood while participating in the Pebble Beach Gold Pro-Am. That year, they were teamed up as partners and Keith had the opportunity to get to know Eastwood on a more personal level.
“He was turning 88 that Monday, and this was Saturday,” Keith explained in a video shared to his official social media accounts. “And I said, ‘What are you going to do to celebrate?’ And he said, ‘I’m going to go shoot a movie called The Mule.’”
Inspired By Conversation With Clint Eastwood
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer went on to ask Eastwood, “What keeps you going.”
His response, according to Keith, was: “I try not to let the old man in.”
This led to the creation of the song. Without seeing a script or knowing virtually anything about The Mule, Keith wrote “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” sent it to Eastwood, and it was eventually featured in the film.
Toby Keith’s powerful performance came amid his ongoing battle with stomach cancer. Ahead of the PCCAs, Keith provided fans with an update on his battle against stomach cancer while chatting with E! News.
“I feel pretty good,” Keith shared on the red carpet. “It’s a little bit of a roller coaster. You get good days and, you know, you’re up and down, up and gown. It’s always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today.”
The 62-year-old will release a new project, dubbed 100% Songwriter, on November 3. The 13-track collection celebrates Keith’s most legendary solo-written songs, all assembled into one collection.
Among the track list is Keith’s breakout hit, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” which was just certified triple platinum from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Released in 1993, the song marked the beginning of a wildly successful career for the Oklahoma native, which went on to include 52 top 10 hits, 32 No. 1s, more than 40 million albums sold, 100 million airplay performances (BMI) and more than 10 billion streams.
Other notable tracks included on 100% Songwriter include fan-favorites such as “He Ain’t Worth Missin’,” Wish I Didn’t Know Now,” and “Big Ol’ Truck.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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