19 Years Ago: Toby Keith & Willie Nelson’s “Beer For My Horses” Goes #1
Toby Keith is known for his love of slinging a beer or two back, almost as much as he’s known for being unapologetically patriotic.
In 2003, Keith released his first-ever music video where he does not actually sing, and it eventually won him an ACM Award for Video of the Year! Titled “Beer For My Horses,” Keith teamed up with outlaw country legend Willie Nelson for the catchy drinking song.
The video starts at a crime scene, where Keith’s character calls up his retired detective father, played by Nelson, to help him with an unsolvable case. Keith and his police partner bring all their files to Nelson’s house in the country to try to solve the case together.
They all work tirelessly to assemble a sting operation, but it goes awry when Keith’s character chases after the perpetrator and fights with him. The knife-wielding criminal had Keith cornered until Nelson showed up to save the day.
The three men toast their victory with shots from a flask, saying the titular lyrics, “Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.”
“Beer For My Horses” Goes #1
“Beer For My Horses” was the fourth and final single from Keith’s 2002 album Unleashed. On June 14, 2003, the single took over the top spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and stayed there for six weeks. It was Keith’s eleventh number one and Nelson’s twenty-third, but his first in 14 years. When “Beer For My Horses” topped the chart, Nelson became the oldest country artist at the top of the country charts at the age of 70.
The song inspired a film of the same name, which was released in 2008.
Keith co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the movie. Rodney Carrington, Claire Forlani, Ted Nugent, Greg Serano, Barry Corbin, and Willie Nelson co-starred in the film, which was released in 450 theaters. It made a total of $895,000 at the box office.
