"Honkytonk U" is a song written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

artist

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (July 8, 1961 – February 5, 2024) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman. Keith released his chart-topping debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy", in 1993. During the 1990s ...

. It was released on February 7, 2005, as the lead-off single and title track from his 2005 album '' Honkytonk University''. The song peaked at number 8 in the United States, and it reached number 6 in Canada.

Content

The song describes Keith's past and early career stages, and when he used to go to his grandmother's nightclub every summer and work until late at night when he got to sit with the band.

Critical reception

Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a negative rating. He summed up his review by stating that this song is an example of why Keith doesn't win

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

Music video

The music video was directed by Michael Salomon, and premiered on CMT on February 12, 2005. The video begins in 1972, where Keith works at his grandmother's nightclub in

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when he was a child, and the nightclub was called Billie's. Then, it cuts to Keith performing in the present day (2005), showing photographs of Keith in his younger days, and showing footage of Keith in

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. This video is dedicated to Keith's grandmother, who died in 2005.

Chart positions

"Honkytonk U" debuted at number 30 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of February 12, 2005.

Year-end charts

References

2005 songs Toby Keith songs 2005 singles Songs written by Toby Keith Song recordings produced by James Stroud DreamWorks Records singles Music videos directed by Michael Salomon {{2000s-country-song-stub