An associate from high school texted this morning, “Well, [expletive], Toby Keith died!”

It’s possible he did not use commas to set apart his expletive, nor did he write, “[expletive],” but he presented a strong point.

Since he died, a lot of people have been posting about “Red Solo Cup,” but I feel like that’s not the seminal work by Toby Keith. This led to a discussion among several associates about his opus.

One gentleman suggested, “Beer for My Horses,” explaining Red Solo Cup strayed dangerously close to bro country, and Beer for My Horses included important topics:

1.) Today’s news does sensationalize stories.

2.) Many people convicted of a crime will just return to the same environment, leading to more recidivism because they don’t learn how to become self-sufficient. Although Toby Keith and Willie Nelson explain it in much more interesting terms.

Another suggested, since it’s possible high school and college were a while ago, “As Good As I Once Was” is now a better match for those of us who still enjoy winding it up but less frequently. A group of us saw him in concert in Indianapolis, and we had great memories of the show, but then the night gets hazier for some reason. None of us now can remember minor details, like what year this occurred. We did narrow it down to a couple though.

These are important pieces of American art, and Red Solo Cup was not mentioned.

But “How Do You Like Me, Now?!” introduced me to country and western music. I was about to head off to college and this anthem about stickin’ it to people what done you wrong spoke to me.

Our group from high school would still get together during the summer and at the holidays. The associate who texted was just discovering hip hop and the rap music at the time, but when we started comparing the genres, we learned they’re not so different. No matter your background, you want to stick to people what done you wrong.

Toby Keith introduced me to some of the harder country, written back when the songs meant something. They talked about actual issues, like what it’s like spending a week inside a little country jail, ladies who get trampy, what happens when the frost is gone from the pumpkin, or where the devil should stick it.

Toby Keith didn’t get along with his corporate overlords and launched his own record label. That desire to do something unique even helped spark Taylor Swift’s career.

Even Wheel of Fortune is paying homage to Keith, even though I suspect this was filmed several weeks ago and those fancy Hollywood puzzle writers don’t understand how country and western music addresses real problems.

In his honor, I may follow through on the action my first boss has been telling me to take for years [even though he still, technically, works in radio himself]: abandon radio and start my own business. Meantime, in Keith’s memory, I’ll work to become more insubordinate to my own corporate overlords.

For now, though, I’m still living in your radio, so much like the end of How Do You Like Me Now?!, I will preach on.