AT 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Toby Keith is a big man you wouldn’t want to cross.That’s a mistake Peter Jennings made – booting the country singer off his July 4th ABC special because Keith wanted to perform his chart-topping tune, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” – a clenched-fist reaction to 9/11 that revels in the Taliban getting bombed out of Afghanistan.
Jennings objected to lyrics like, “Justice will be served and the battle will rage//This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage//And you’ll be sorry that you messed with the US of A//’Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass//It’s the American way.”
But the public feud between the Canadian newscaster and the country singer only helped boost sales of Keith’s new album, “Unleashed,” which went on to top the charts, while Jennings’ special sank in the ratings.
“It’s clear Jennings is out of touch with the American people,” Keith told The Post, speaking from his ranch in Norman, Okla.
The 41-year-old singer brings his brand of patriotism to Jones Beach Theater tomorrow night.
Post: Here in New York, we don’t get a lot of country music. For those who don’t know you, what’s the difference between Toby Keith and some of the other big names out of Nashville?
Keith: Well, I write most of my music. The guys who just sing have to buy the best songs they can. Nashville is the home to the finest songwriters in the country, but I don’t rely on them. I make my own.
Post: What do you think about a singer who does that?
Keith: I take pride in the writing. It doesn’t matter to me if you sell 10 million copies of an album if none of it’s your music. What kind of legacy is that?
Post: One of your songs has caused a real commotion – “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” What’s the story behind that one?
Keith: The reason I wrote that was my dad was a GI, and I lost him six months before 9/11 in a (hit-and-run) car accident. He was my best friend in the world. He was adamant that you show respect to veterans and your country. He flew a flag 365 days a year.
Post: So you wrote it for your dad?
Keith: No, I promised my dad that one day I would play a USO tour. He served in the military so I wouldn’t have to. So after 9/11, I wrote that song as a gift to our military. I wrote it to raise their spirits in a difficult time.
Post: Did it?
Keith: Yes. It’s a kick-their-ass-song, and they loved it at the Naval Academy. A few weeks later, I did it at the Pentagon, and there are people who say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Post: The other song on the album that really stands out is “Beer for My Horses.” Where did that title come from?
Keith: When I was a kid, my after-school job was working for a rodeo company, and I would hear the old-timers say, “Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.” I’d always imagine a posse of riders at the saloon after stringing up a horse thief – that would be the toast they’d use.
Post: How did you get Willie Nelson involved?
Keith: It was meant to be. I remember thinking when I wrote it that the second verse would be perfect for Willie. We even started imitating his nasal voice.
Post: Did you know Willie at the time?
Keith: No, but I met him at a restaurant in Nashville a few months later. He came over to my table and said, “You and me have a lot of mutual friends. We should get together sometime.” I took the opportunity to ask him for a huge favor, to sing with me. He asked what the song was called, and I told him. The title hooked him – he laughed and said he’d do it.
Post: You don’t just wear a cowboy hat – you actually have a horse farm.
Keith: It is strictly a hobby, but we do a little of everything. We have 100 horses, more or less. We have mares that we breed, we go to yearling sales and we race the thoroughbreds.
Post: Do you have a personal horse?
Keith: My favorite is this big old black bay quarter horse named Mack. He’s a great ride. He’s the kind of horse you’d want on a long cattle drive.
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