About The Song
Yet another #1 Country hit for Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick, “Beer for my Horses” packed another surprise with the addition of Willie Nelson to the voice track, which was all Toby’s idea.
It was the first time Toby and Willie had done a duet together, and Scotty Emerick, Toby’s co-writer of the song, tells this story about their first meeting:
“We got on his bus and played him ‘Beer For My Horses.’ That’s the first time we ever met him. And we told him we had an idea, we had a song we wanted to do a duet with him. So we just met him on his bus and hung out all night, and played him songs. And he’s so nice, he said, ‘Sure.’ Then it just all fell into place. They recorded it, and it’s great. I wrote “I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again” after that first experience, too.”
“Beer for My Horses” received mixed reviews from music critics. The single reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Keith’s highest charting song of his career at the time. The song also peaked at #1 for six weeks in the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs (one of two songs to stay that long at #1 for Toby Keith). Becoming Keith’s 11th #1 hit and Nelson’s 23rd and his first since “Nothing I Can Do About It Now” in 1989. “Beer for My Horses” was certified Platinum once by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“Beer for My Horses” also made Willie Nelson the oldest artist to top the country charts at age 70. Further, the phrase, “Whisky for me beer for my horse.” is said in the 1975 film, Bite the Bullet, by Jan Michael Vincent.
Video
Lyrics
Willie, man, come on the 6 o’clock news
Said somebody’s been shot, somebody’s been abused
Somebody blew up a building, somebody stole a car
Somebody got away, somebody didn’t get too far, yeah
They didn’t get too far
Grandpappy told my pappy, back in my day, son
A man had to answer for the wicked that he done
Take all the rope in Texas find a tall oak tree
Round up all them bad boys, hang them high in the street
For all the people to see
That justice is the one thing you should always find
You got to saddle up your boys, you got to draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune
And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon
We’ll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing
Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses
We got too many gangsters doing dirty deeds
Too much corruption, and crime in the streets
It’s time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground
Send ’em all to their maker and he’ll settle ’em down
You can bet he’ll set ’em down
‘Cause justice is the one thing you should always find
You got to saddle up your boys, you got to draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune
We’ll all meet back at the local saloon
And we’ll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing
Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses
Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses
You know justice is the one thing you should always find
You got to saddle up your boys, you got to draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune
And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon
And we’ll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing
Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses
Singing whiskey for my men, beer for my horses