THIS IS HOW HIS GRANDKIDS WILL REMEMBER HIM. Rare Footage of Toby Keith Gently Singing to His Grandkids Goes Viral — In a profoundly moving home video, Toby Keith is seen softly serenading his grandchildren with pure love and tenderness—showing a side of the country legend that fans rarely had the chance to witness. The intimate moment has now touched hearts around the world, leaving many in tears as they remember the man beyond the stage lights.

“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

TRAVIS TRITT COULDN’T AFFORD A DEMO, SO AN ELECTRICIAN FRIEND SNUCK HIM INTO A STUDIO FOR A FEW FREE MINUTES. THE OWNER HEARD HIM—AND THAT ACCIDENTAL SESSION EVENTUALLY LED TO WARNER BROS., A NO. 1 HIT, AND A PLATINUM DEBUT. He married young, worked ordinary jobs around Georgia and played music whenever he could. By his early twenties, two marriages had already ended, and his parents still doubted country music could provide a living. Tritt kept playing clubs anyway. Money was so tight he later remembered surviving on Vienna sausage sandwiches. Then, in 1982, he wanted to enter a music contest but could not afford the studio time needed for a demo. A friend found a way around it. The friend was an electrician wiring a studio owned by Danny Davenport, a Warner Bros. promotion man. Because he was working there, he slipped Tritt inside for a few free minutes. The deal was simple: record quickly and leave. Tritt cut three original songs. But Davenport heard him. Instead of throwing him out, he invited him back. One rushed session became several. Over the next few years, they built recordings while Tritt continued working honky-tonks and sharpening the mix of country, Southern rock and blues that would become his identity. Eventually Davenport took the material to Warner Bros. in California. It reached the Nashville division, leading to a development arrangement and then a recording deal. Even then, nothing was guaranteed. Tritt’s early deal called for six recordings, with three intended as singles. A full album depended on one proving itself. The first test was “Country Club.” Released in 1989, it reached the country Top 10. That was enough. The album Country Club followed in 1990. “Help Me Hold On” became Tritt’s first No. 1, “I’m Gonna Be Somebody” reached No. 2, and the album eventually went platinum. A year later, It’s All About to Change pushed him further. “Anymore” went No. 1, the album eventually reached triple platinum, and Tritt became one of the major new male stars of early-’90s country. Success did not erase what had made him different. Tritt kept the Southern-rock edge, recorded with Marty Stuart and resisted becoming another interchangeable new-country act. In 1992, the Grand Ole Opry made him a member. By then, the contest that required that cheap little demo no longer mattered. Danny Davenport had heard something more valuable in that unfinished studio: a singer whose rough edges were exactly the part Nashville eventually learned not to remove.

Country Music

CLINT BLACK’S FIRST No. 1 CAME FROM THE WOMAN WHO LEFT HIM. HE CALLED THE SONG “A BETTER MAN” — AND THANKED THE FAILED RELATIONSHIP FOR MAKING HIM ONE. Before Killin’ Time made Clint Black one of the faces of country’s Class of ’89, he was still working Texas clubs and trying to turn songs into a career. One of those songs came from a relationship that had already ended. Black later explained that “A Better Man,” written with longtime collaborator Hayden Nicholas, grew from a real breakup. But instead of writing the woman as a villain, they built the song around a more complicated admission: losing the relationship hurt, yet he could leave it knowing he had become a better man because of her. RCA released “A Better Man” as Black’s debut single in February 1989. Then the record began climbing. By June, it had reached No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart, making Black the first male country artist in roughly fourteen years to take his debut chart single all the way to the top. And he already had another song waiting. Black and Nicholas had written “Killin’ Time” during the long period when Black was still playing clubs and waiting for his career to move. Black later recalled complaining that all the waiting—“this killing time”—was killing him. They heard the title inside the complaint. “Killin’ Time” became his second single. It also went to No. 1. By the end of 1989, what had begun as two songs written during an uncertain period had produced an extraordinary result: Billboard ranked “A Better Man” as the year’s No. 1 country single and “Killin’ Time” at No. 2. Black was no longer waiting for Nashville. The debut album kept moving. “Nobody’s Home” and “Walkin’ Away” followed to No. 1, giving Black four consecutive Billboard chart-toppers to begin his career. Killin’ Time eventually went triple platinum, while Black collected the CMA Horizon Award and, the following year, CMA Male Vocalist of the Year. But another number shows that the opening run was more than one spectacular debut year. After “A Better Man” topped Billboard’s year-end country ranking for 1989, “Nobody’s Home” finished as Billboard’s top country song for 1990. For two consecutive years, the biggest country single on Billboard’s year-end chart carried the name of the same songwriter and singer who, shortly before all of it began, was still working Texas clubs with Hayden Nicholas and wondering when the waiting would end.

Country Music

MARK CHESNUTT SPENT NEARLY A DECADE SINGING IN TEXAS HONKY-TONKS WHILE NASHVILLE PASSED HIM BY. THEN MUSIC ROW EXECUTIVES CAME TO BEAUMONT TO HEAR HIM THEMSELVES. INSIDE HIS BAND WAS ANOTHER FUTURE COUNTRY STAR: TRACY BYRD. Mark Chesnutt grew up only a few miles, culturally and geographically, from the world that had produced George Jones. His father, Bob Chesnutt, was a local singer and serious country-record collector who never achieved national success. Mark absorbed his father’s records, began playing clubs with him as a teenager and even left high school for a period because music had become more important. At seventeen, Bob began taking his son to Nashville to record. Nothing exploded. Instead, Mark returned to southeast Texas and spent much of the 1980s doing it the old way: small regional labels, long nights and honky-tonks. Eventually he became the house headliner at Cutter’s in Beaumont. And there was another young Beaumont singer nearby. Tracy Byrd sometimes performed in Chesnutt’s band before either man became nationally famous. By the end of the decade, Chesnutt had built enough of a following that the normal audition process effectively reversed itself. Instead of Mark repeatedly going to Nashville, Music Row executives came to Texas to watch him work in his own room. In 1989, MCA Nashville signed him. His major-label debut arrived the following year. “Too Cold at Home” reached No.3. Then came “Brother Jukebox.” That song had already traveled through some remarkable hands. Don Everly recorded it years earlier, and Keith Whitley included his version on I Wonder Do You Think of Me. Neither turned it into the hit Chesnutt did. His recording reached No.1 in 1991. Too Cold at Home ultimately produced five Top 10 singles and went platinum. Chesnutt went on to become one of the decade’s most dependable traditional-country singers. But success arrived with one absence that mattered more than the chart numbers. Bob Chesnutt—the father who supplied the records, put Mark onstage as a teenager and drove him to Nashville before anyone there cared—died in 1990, just as his son’s national career was beginning. Mark later said he had expected his father to be part of what was finally happening. The Beaumont circuit kept producing another story anyway. Tracy Byrd subsequently signed his own MCA deal and broke through in the early 1990s. The two singers who had once shared the same local honky-tonk world were suddenly occupying country radio at the same time. Cutter’s had not been a waiting room for Nashville. For Chesnutt and Byrd, it had been the training ground.

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