As Good as I Once Was

"As Good as I Once Was"
Single by Toby Keith
from the album Honkytonk University
Released	May 9, 2005
Recorded	2004-2005
Genre	Country
Length	3:49
Label	DreamWorks
Writer(s)	Toby Keith Scotty Emerick
Producer	James Stroud Toby Keith
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Toby Keith singles chronology
"Honkytonk U" (2005) "As Good as I Once Was" (2005) "Big Blue Note" (2005)

"As Good as I Once Was" is a single by American country music singer Toby Keith that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. This song and his 2003 single "Beer for My Horses" are both his longest-running Number One hits, each having spent six weeks at Number One. "As Good As I Once Was" was the second single from Keith's 2005 album Honkytonk University.

The song appears on the game Karaoke Revolution Country.

The song was named BMI's song of the Year for 2006.

Content

The narrator is put into situations that test his masculinity, including a bar fight. He claims that he is not "as good as [he] once was", but that he can still hold his own occasionally.

Music video

The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and premiered on May 16, 2005.

We see Toby in a tavern with his best friend, Dave. A couple of rednecks grab him and start a riot in the tavern. At one point, one of the people in the tavern bump into Toby and his beer starts sloshing. He starts yelling in slow-motion. Near the end, Toby comes face-to-face with a taller man, who punches him. We then see Toby being carried to an ambulance with the people at the tavern waving good-bye at him. The video ends with the ambulance driving off into the night.

Reception

Matt Bjorke writing for About.com stated "the song is a good one, so good that it rivals anything off of Toby's "How Do You Like Me Now?!" album. It's a fun track about getting older, and how we don't have as much "energy" as we once had."^[1] Sputnik Music called it "a testament to how much old age sucks"^[2] while Allmusic declared the song was "wonderfully self-depreciating".^[3]

Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a negative rating. He said that "does anybody believe, unless they knew the size of his bank account, that two hot twins would approach Toby in a crowded bar and request a threesome?" ^[4]

Chart performance

"As Good as I Once Was" debuted at #37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of May 21, 2005.

Chart (2005)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	28

Preceded by "Fast Cars and Freedom" by Rascal Flatts

Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one single July 23-August 27, 2005

Succeeded by "Mississippi Girl" by Faith Hill

References

1. ^ Bjroke, Matt. "Toby Keith – Honky Tonk University". About.com - Country Music. http://countrymusic.about.com/od/cdreviewsal/gr/blhonkytonku.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-13. 
2. ^ "Toby Keith Honkytonk University". Sputnik Music. 2005-08-15. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=3216. Retrieved 2010-07-13. 
3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Honkytonk University Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r735622. Retrieved 2010-07-13. 
4. ^ Coyne, Kevin John (2005-05-21). "Toby keith - "As Good as I Once Was"". Country Universe. http://www.countryuniverse.net/2005/05/21/single-reviews-may-21-2005/. Retrieved 2010-06-17.