There was no big show, no band or bright lights. Just Toby Keith, a gentle grandfather, sitting in the middle of the living room and singing softly to his grandchildren. There was something sacred about that moment – when music was no longer a career, but the language of family. When was the last time you sang to someone you love? 🎵 Listen to “My List” again – a simple yet meaningful song, just like how Toby always puts family first.

“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.”

Introduction

I remember the first time I heard Toby Keith’s “My List” on the radio – I was sitting in weekend traffic, stressed over errands and deadlines. But then the chorus came on, and it felt like a reminder from the universe to breathe, to cherish the little things I was overlooking. There’s something timeless about a song that stops you in your tracks and makes you rethink your priorities.

About The Composition

Title: My List
Composer: Tim James and Rand Bishop
Premiere Date: January 2002
Album/Opus/Collection: Pull My Chain
Genre: Country

Background

“My List” was released as the third and final single from Toby Keith’s 2001 album Pull My Chain. Written by Tim James and Rand Bishop, the song quickly resonated with listeners across the country. It topped the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, marking Keith’s seventh Number One hit. The song stands out in Keith’s repertoire because, rather than focusing on humor or bravado, it delivers a heartfelt message about slowing down and focusing on what truly matters in life. Released in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the song’s message of appreciating family, love, and the simple joys of life found an even deeper resonance.

Musical Style

Musically, “My List” is built on a gentle, mid-tempo country arrangement. It features soft guitar strumming, understated percussion, and subtle steel guitar accents that support, rather than overpower, the vocal line. Keith’s delivery is restrained and sincere, letting the lyrics shine. The song relies on a classic verse-chorus structure, with an emotional build that culminates in the repeated reminder that life is about more than just ticking off tasks.

Lyrics/Libretto

The lyrics of “My List” tell the story of a man who realizes that, instead of being consumed by his to-do list, he should focus on the people and moments that give his life meaning. He vows to put aside chores and deadlines in favor of spending time with loved ones, watching his children, and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. The song’s central message – that we should prioritize what truly matters over the relentless busyness of daily life – is universal, and it continues to resonate with listeners across generations.

Performance History

“My List” was a major hit upon its release, reaching Number One on the country charts in 2002. It became a staple of Toby Keith’s live shows and a fan favorite, often eliciting emotional responses from audiences. The song has been included in numerous country music compilations and continues to receive airplay on country radio stations, particularly around reflective times of the year such as New Year’s or Thanksgiving.

Cultural Impact

Beyond its chart success, “My List” tapped into a cultural moment when many Americans were re-evaluating their priorities in the wake of national tragedy. It has been used in various media, including television and tribute videos, to underscore themes of family, remembrance, and the importance of personal connections. The song’s message has influenced countless listeners to slow down and appreciate the here and now, cementing its place as more than just another radio hit.

Legacy

“My List” remains one of Toby Keith’s most beloved ballads. Its relevance endures because its message is timeless: in a world that often pushes us to go faster and do more, sometimes the bravest and most meaningful thing we can do is to pause. Whether played at a live show or heard unexpectedly on the radio, the song continues to touch hearts and remind listeners to cherish the things that matter most.

Conclusion

Personally, “My List” always feels like a gentle nudge to re-center my life when I start to get caught up in the hustle. If you’ve never sat down and really listened to it, I encourage you to seek out a recording or a live performance – maybe even make it the first thing on your own list today. Toby Keith’s tender delivery, combined with the simple but profound message of the song, offers a musical reminder that some things are worth pausing for.

Video

Lyrics

Under an old brass paperweight
Is my list of things to do today
Go to the bank and the hardware store
Put a new lock on the cellar door
I cross ’em off as I get ’em done
But when the sun is settled
There’s still more than a few things left
I haven’t got to yet
Go for a walk, say a little prayer
Take a deep breath of mountain air
Put on my glove and play some catch
It’s time that I make time for that
Wade the shore and cast a line
Look up an old lost friend of mine
Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss
Start livin’, that’s the next thing on my list
Wouldn’t change the course of fate
The cutting the grass just had to wait
‘Cause I’ve got more important things
Like pushin’ my kid on the backyard swing
I won’t break my back for a million bucks
I can’t take to my grave
So why put off for tomorrow
What I could get done today
Like go for a walk, say a little prayer
Take a deep breath of mountain air
Put on my glove and play some catch
It’s time that I make time for that
Wade the shore, cast a line
Look up an old lost friend of mine
Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss
Start livin’, that’s the next thing on my list
Raise a little hell, laugh ’til it hurts
Put an extra five in the plate at church
Call up my folks just to chat
It’s time that I make time for that
Stay up late, and oversleep
Show her what she means to me
Catch up on all the things I’ve always missed
Just start livin’, that’s the next thing on my list
Under an old brass paperweight
Is my list of things to do today

Country Music

GLEN CAMPBELL HEARD “RHINESTONE COWBOY” ON THE RADIO AND DECIDED HE HAD TO RECORD IT. WHEN HE WALKED INTO CAPITOL RECORDS TO ASK ABOUT THE SONG, AN EXECUTIVE WAS ALREADY WAITING TO PLAY HIM THE VERY SAME RECORD. By 1974, Campbell knew what it felt like when the lights moved somewhere else. He had already lived through “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” television stardom and years as one of America’s most recognizable crossover singers. But the huge records had slowed, and his personal life was becoming increasingly unsettled. “Rhinestone Cowboy” reached him at exactly the kind of moment its story described: a veteran still trying to find the lights again. The song belonged to Larry Weiss. Weiss had written and recorded it himself for his 1974 album Black and Blue Suite. His version failed to become a significant U.S. hit. Campbell heard it on Los Angeles radio, remembered the title even though he could not remember the singer’s name, and became so taken with it that he learned the song while touring Australia. Then came the coincidence. Back in Los Angeles, Campbell walked into Capitol executive Al Coury’s office intending to pursue the song. Coury told him he had something Campbell needed to hear. He put on “Rhinestone Cowboy.” There was little left to debate. Campbell recorded it in early 1975 with producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. Before Capitol had even fully launched the single, Campbell performed it on a telethon. Los Angeles programmer Paul Drew saw the performance, obtained an acetate and began playing it across the RKO radio chain, helping force the label into an accelerated release. The result was bigger than a country comeback. “Rhinestone Cowboy” reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the country chart, giving Campbell his first solo Hot 100 No. 1 after more than a decade of hits. For one week in September 1975, it topped both charts simultaneously — something no song had done since Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John” in 1961. But Campbell was not the only career altered by the record. Larry Weiss had become so discouraged after his own album failed that he was considering leaving music and going into the furniture business. Then word arrived that Glen Campbell was cutting his song. So “Rhinestone Cowboy” ended up carrying two men at once. One was a star trying to find his way back toward the center of American radio. The other was a songwriter getting ready to walk away from music entirely. The same three-minute song gave both of them a reason not to disappear.

Country Music

BRAD PAISLEY WAS EIGHT WHEN HIS GRANDFATHER GAVE HIM HIS FIRST GUITAR. BY 13, HE WAS A REGULAR ON JAMBOREE USA. A WEEK AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION, NASHVILLE WAS ALREADY PAYING HIM TO WRITE SONGS. Brad Paisley grew up in Glen Dale, West Virginia, watching his maternal grandfather Warren Jarvis play the country guitar music he loved. On Christmas Day in 1980, when Brad was eight, Jarvis gave him a Sears Danelectro Silvertone guitar. With lessons and encouragement, Paisley progressed quickly. By ten he was performing, and at 13 he wrote his first song and began appearing regularly on WWVA’s Jamboree USA in Wheeling. That was more than a childhood novelty. Paisley would spend roughly eight years performing through the Jamboree world, getting comfortable in front of real country audiences while still in school. As a teenager, he also opened shows for established artists including Roy Clark, Jack Greene and Little Jimmy Dickens, along with other major country names who passed through the region. After high school and two years at West Liberty State College, Paisley received a fully funded ASCAP scholarship to Belmont University in Nashville, where he studied music business. Belmont put him inside the machinery he had been watching from a distance. During an internship, people around Paisley discovered that he was writing songs himself. Once they heard the material, they began helping him make the right introductions. Paisley later said that by graduation, it felt as though much of the path had already been laid out. The timing proved it. Just one week after graduating from Belmont, Paisley signed a songwriting deal with EMI Music Publishing. Before he had a record contract of his own, other singers began cutting his songs. David Kersh recorded “Another You,” which became a Top 5 country hit and gave the newly graduated Paisley his first significant royalties as a professional songwriter. Cuts by David Ball and Tracy Byrd followed before Arista Nashville eventually signed Paisley as a recording artist. His debut album, Who Needs Pictures, arrived in 1999 and produced the No. 1 hits “He Didn’t Have to Be” and “We Danced.” But Nashville’s first serious vote of confidence had come several years earlier. Before the record deal, the videos or the No. 1 singles, somebody in Music Row had already decided that Brad Paisley’s songs were worth buying. And only a week earlier, he had still been a college student.

Country Music

SAMMY KERSHAW HAD BEEN PLAYING MUSIC SINCE HE WAS 12. BY 1988, DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND YEARS OF CLUB WORK HAD WORN HIM DOWN SO BADLY THAT HE QUIT MUSIC AND TOOK A FULL-TIME JOB REMODELING WALMART STORES. THREE YEARS LATER, HIS FIRST MAJOR-LABEL SINGLE REACHED THE COUNTRY TOP 3. Raised in Kaplan, Louisiana, he began performing as a child and was opening shows for established country acts while still a teenager. But nearly two decades of bars, road work and unstable income took their toll. Kershaw later described years marked by failed marriages, drugs and alcohol, while supporting himself through jobs ranging from carpentry and welding to radio work. By 1988, he was finished. Trying to save his marriage and get his life under control, Kershaw quit drinking, quit drugs — and quit the music business with them. He took a full-time job supervising store remodeling for Walmart. In another interview, he remembered simply being tired of the business and deciding that chasing the dream was no longer practical. For a while, country music became the thing he used to do. Then songwriter Barry Jackson persuaded him to make another demo. That tape helped bring Kershaw to Mercury Records, which heard in his voice the traditional Louisiana-country sound that immediately drew comparisons to George Jones. Mercury signed him, and in 1991 released “Cadillac Style.” The single climbed to No. 3 on Billboard’s country chart. His debut album, Don’t Go Near the Water, followed and eventually went platinum. Two years later, Kershaw scored his first No. 1 with “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful.” By then, the man who had once decided music could no longer support a real life had become one of the recognizable traditional voices of the 1990s country boom. The strangest part was how little time separated those two lives. In the late 1980s, Sammy Kershaw was remodeling stores because he believed the sensible part of his music career was over. By the middle of the next decade, he had gone from that Walmart job to platinum records — without changing the George Jones-inspired country voice that Nashville had ignored for years.

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