Riley Green pays tribute to his hero Toby Keith with a new song called “Think As You Drunk.” The honky-tonker’s lyrics were more than just inspired by the late Hall of Famer.
Keith actually sings the final few lyrics of this new song.
- Toby Keith died on Feb. 5, 2024.
- Green has often covered songs from Keith’s catalog in concert.
- This new song borrows heavily from Keith’s 2005 hit, “As Good As I Once Was.”
Related: 25 Toby Keith Songs That Show Why He’s a Legend
Sonically, “Think As You Drunk” rides similar guitar lines as “As Good As I Once Was” but lyrically, Green’s song is much, much drunker. Erik Dylan, Jessi Alexander and Wyatt McCubbin joined Green for the new lyrics. Their story finds a man trying to convince a bartender he’s sober enough for one more round.
Spoiler alert: he’s not convincing.
“I can’t say CBAs / But I can sing you every song that jukebox plays,” Green sings midway through the chorus.
Keith and Scotty Emerick are also listed as co-writers because they wrote “As Good As I Once Was.” At the very end of Green’s song, Keith sings the final line of his song: “I may not be as good as I once was / But I’m as good once, as I ever was.”
Nashville Harbor Records
Watch for this to become the start of a trend in country music. Contemporary artists worked through the early ’90s and then late ’90s when choosing covers and interpolations. Green’s decision to pick a 2005 hit from Keith could signal artists are ready to start recognizing some of the great early 2000s hitmakers.
Read More: 14 Riley Green Facts That Reveal This Mystery Man’s Heart
Riley Green, “Think As You Drunk” Lyrics:
Just who the hell do you think you are / I pay the light bill in this bar / Hey what you mean you’re gonna cut me off / Just shut up and give me that beer I bought / I got no idea who took my keys / Who put this lipstick on my cheek / I know I might come on whiskey bent / You’re probably thinking three sheets to the wind.
Chorus:
But I ain’t as think as you drunk I am / Don’t pay no mind to this mountain of crushed up cans / I can’t say CBAs / But I can sing you every song that jukebox plays / I know I can’t stand or sit / But if I was hammered could I dance like this / I’d have a cold one in each hand / I ain’t as think as you drunk I am.
Honey to be honest I’ve had me a few / I might have danced with a cowgirl or two / I might have left my left boot at the bar / You might have seen me laying out in the yard.
Repeat Chorus
Well I might have start drinking at noon / But this honkytonk don’t close till two.
Repeat Chorus
I ain’t as good as I once was / But I’m as good once as I ever was.
14 Riley Green Facts That Reveal This Mystery Man’s Heart
This Riley Green Facts list was made from original interviews with Taste of Country and (as noted) other media outlets. Boilerplate information like name, age and hometown are covered on Wikipedia so we focused on trivia that truly tells his story.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Remembering the Country Stars Who Died in 2026
So far in 2026, country fans have mourned the deaths of a few of their favorite musicians and other large-looming figures of pop culture. Keep reading to remember the singers, musicians, actors and other notable figures we’ve lost so far this year.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
