DALLAS — The country music star Toby Keith died Monday after a battle with stomach cancer.
Keith, 62, racked up 20 No. 1 hits in his career, and off the stage he was largely known as an Oklahoma icon and diehard supporter of the University of Oklahoma. But he apparently also had a soft spot for the Dallas Cowboys, too.
Keith, a former semi-pro football player himself, performed at the team's 2003 Thanksgiving Day halftime show, and that wasn't his first foray with the Cowboys.
Back in 1993, when Keith released his debut album and the Cowboys' 90s dominance was at full tilt, Keith recorded a performance for the open of a Monday Night Football game at Texas Stadium.
The song was a spin on Keith's hit single, "Should've Been a Cowboy."
He should've been a Cowboys, he sang. A Dallas Cowboy.
Here's the clip from the broadcast, which quickly made the rounds on X after Keith's death was announced early Tuesday morning:
Pure 90s greatness.
To make the whole production even better, they kicked it off with Jimmy Johnson's iconic "How 'bout them Cowboys?!" locker room celebration.
Keith's revamped lyrics for the minute-long song might have been a bit mashed together...but they also kind of worked perfectly (almost).
Might have had an OT with a funny name (Mark Stepnoski, who actually played center)
Throwing downfield blocks, watching Emmitt's flames
Looking up through the roof at the Texas stars
A dream in my eye and a prayer in my heart
I should've been a Cowboy
I should've learned to play with pride
Wearing my silver star
Marching down the field on a TD drive
Stealing a young girl's heart
Just like Rodge and Troy
Playing for America's team
Oh. I should've been a Cowboy
And here's the original song, for comparison:
