As Good as I Once Was

"As Good as I Once Was" is a song co-written and recorded 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 released in May 2005 as the second single from Keith's album Honkytonk University. Keith wrote the song with Scotty Emerick.

"As Good as I Once Was"
Single by Toby Keith
from the album Honkytonk University
ReleasedMay 9, 2005
Recorded2004–2005
GenreCountry
Length3:49
LabelDreamWorks Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Toby Keith singles chronology
"Honkytonk U"
(2005)		 "As Good as I Once Was"
(2005)		 "Big Blue Note"
(2005)

The song was named BMI's Song of the Year for 2006. It has since become one of Keith's signature songs, as well as one of his most successful.

Content

The narrator, a man approaching or in middle age and apparently sitting in a bar, is put into situations that test his masculinity. Having outlived his glory days, he insists he now is no longer "as good as [he] once was" in his younger days, but although he no longer has the stamina to do what he used to do all the time, he can still be "as good, once, as [he] ever was." Examples given include a set of twins who want to draw him into a threesome and a fight against two rednecks and a "big fat biker man" to bail his buddy, Dave, out of a botched pool hustle.

Music video

The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and premiered on CMT on May 16, 2005. It follows the narrative of the song and features Annie Sorrell and Alicia Loren as the frisky twins. At the beginning of the video, Keith is sat at the bar where he meets Bobbie Jo who invites him "for a rodeo" with her twin sister Betty Lou. Then, in another bar, Keith's best friend Dave gets into a fight with a "couple of redneck boys", the beer starts sloshing, causing the music to fail, Keith yells in slow motion before the chorus resumes. As he goes to help Dave, Keith gets punched in the face by a tall bouncer. In the next shot, Keith was in an ambulance with a broken nose, as well as an intravenous drip. At the end of video, the ambulance drives off into the night.

Critical 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]

Chart performance

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

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Canada Country (Radio & Records)[4] 2
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 28

Year-end charts
Chart (2005) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 84
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 2

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Bjroke, Matt. "Toby Keith – Honky Tonk University". About.com - Country Music. Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  2. "Toby Keith Honkytonk University". Sputnik Music. 2005-08-15. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Honkytonk University Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  4. Radio & Records: August 5, 2005, page 46 worldradiohistory.com
  5. "Toby Keith Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  6. "Toby Keith Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  7. "Hot 100 Songs Music Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2005. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  8. "Best of 2005: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  9. "American single certifications – Toby Keith – As Good As I Once Was". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
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