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Riley Green nods to late legend Toby Keith in his new cleverly-written, honky tonk-worthy anthem.
Green, 37, delivered “Think As You Drunk” on Thursday (May 28). The award-winning artist is credited as a writer of the lighthearted, energetic song with Jessi Alexander, Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin, Scott Emerick and Keith, and Dann Huff produced it. “Think As You Drunk” spotlights Green’s traditional, timeless country sound in a “playful,” “rowdy” way. It’s “a high-energy summer anthem that blends Riley’s sharp humor with an infectious, barroom-ready energy, the song is both a rowdy drinking anthem and a tribute to Toby Keith, whose music made audiences laugh, raise a glass, and sing every word back,” states a press release issued Thursday. The release notes that a portion of the proceeds from Green’s newest single will support the Toby Keith Foundation, an Oklahoma-based nonprofit organization that helps pediatric cancer patients and their families.
“I ain’t as think as you drunk I am / Don’t pay no mind to this mountain of crushed up cans / No, I can’t say my C B A’s / But I can sing ya every song that jukebox plays / And I know I can’t stand or sit / But if I was hammered, could I dance like this / Might have a cold one in each hand / But I ain’t as think as you drunk I am”
“The best compliment I can give a song is ‘Man, this feels like a Toby Keith song,’” Green said in a new interview with Billboard, which notes that the singer-songwriter often covers songs by the late legend during his concerts. “Especially as a songwriter, I don’t know if there was a bigger influence on me.” Green said “it’s really a full-circle moment for me to have Toby’s vocal on that song,” particularly because Green’s father used to jokingly say “As Good As I Once Was” was written about him, per Billboard.
“Think As You Drunk” is the second track to release from Green’s upcoming fourth studio record, That’s Just Me. The 19-track project will also include “My Way,” which Green performed during his acting debut on Yellowstone spinoff Marshals. That’s Just Me will arrive on September 18. Listen to “Think As You Drunk” here: