County music master Toby Keith left us for the Grand Ole Opry in the sky. Mr. Keith was only sixty-two when he passed last month after a brave battle with cancer. It’s a sad loss, not just for America, but to the entire entertainment world. A brilliant singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and businessman is gone.
Toby Keith started his career in 1998 with his debut super-hit How Do You Like Me Now? Over the next twenty-six years, he recorded five albums that went gold or better. Outstanding are the songs he wrote: American Soldier, Should’ve Been a Cowboy, Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue, and I Love This Bar.
Of all the songs Mr. Keith wrote, played, and produced, there’s one I think is superb. Just transcendent. That’s Don’t Let The Old Man In.
Story goes is that Toby Keith met Clint Eastwood at an event. (Eastwood, now ninety-three, is currently directing and producing his newest upcoming movie titled Juror No. 2.) Keith asked Eastwood what the secret was for staying so active and healthy at his advanced age. This is what Clint Eastwood said:
“Every day when I wake up, I don’t let the old man in. My secret has been the same since 1959—staying busy. I never let the old man into the house. I’ve had to drag him out because he was already comfortably settled, bothering me all the time, leaving no space for anything other than nostalgia.
You have to stay active, alive, happy, strong, and capable. It’s in us, in our intelligence, attitude, and mentality. We are young, regardless of our ID. We must learn to fight to not let the old man in.
That old man awaits us, stationed and tired by the side of the road to discourage us. I don’t let the old, critical, hostile, envious spirit in—the one that scrutinizes our past to tie us up with complaints and distant anxieties, or relived traumas and waves of pain.
You have to turn your back on the old murmurer, full of rage and complaints, lacking courage, denying himself that old age can be creative, determined, and full of light and projection.
Aging can be pleasant and even fun if you know how to use your time if you’re satisfied with what you’ve achieved, and if you still maintain enthusiasm. That’s called not letting the old man into the house.”
These words immensely resonated with Toby Keith. They inspired him to write Don’t Let The Old Man In which is dedicated to the legend who is Clint Eastwood. Here are the lyrics:
Don’t let the old man in
I wanna live me some more
Can’t leave it up to him
He’s knocking on my door
And I knew all of my life
That someday it would end
Get up and go outside
Don’t let the old man in
Yeah, many moons I have lived
My body’s weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old would you be
If you didn’t know the day you were born
Try to love on your wife
And stay close to your friends
Toast each sundown with wine
Don’t let the old man in
Yeah, many moons I have lived
My body’s weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old would you be
If you didn’t know the day you were born
When he rides up on his horse
And you feel that cold bitter wind
Look out your window and smile
Don’t let the old man in
Look out your window and smile
But don’t let the old man in
This story—the lyrics, the music, and the video—resonates with me. I’m sixty-seven, and to some, I’m an old man. But I don’t see myself that way. To me, I’m more productive/busy than I was in my thirties and forties. And my productivity/busyness keeps increasing.
I’m blessed with longevity genes. I lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle. I eat somewhat carefully. I don’t smoke—a guaranteed early death sentence. I’m a sociable drinker until I’ve been drinking (sometimes not much, other times a wee bit too much vacation juice). And I’ve never done drugs in my life.
I’m active. My wife of forty-one years and I stick-walk. We try for 4-5K steps per day. On an ambitious one, Rita and I’ll do 10-12K, but that’s pushing it. I have a proportionate weight-to-height ratio and get proper sleep. My stress level doesn’t exist, and at my last medical checkup Doc Schulson said I was operating like a 30-year-old.
And I have a purpose. A definite purpose with a burning desire to achieve that definite purpose. That’s to create content and complete the 26-episode City Of Danger netstreaming series.
I never gave much thought to why I’m like this. Not ’til I heard Don’t Let The Old Man In and understood the lyrics. I guess I’m this way because I won’t let the old man in.
I’ve seen too many retirees die early—no purpose—succumbed to nostalgia—the coffee shop glide—the rocking chair ride—they let the old man in, and he up & choked them to death from behind.
Watch Toby Keith perform Don’t Let The Old Man In at the People’s Choice Country Awards. It was recorded several months before he died, and knew he was dying, and he knew this might be his last public performance. Watch his signal at the end. It might make you cry.
