Introduction:
Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith released the single “I Wanna Talk About Me” in August 2001. The song became a signature hit for Keith, showcasing his brash and often humorous lyrical style. “I Wanna Talk About Me” is included on Keith’s 2001 album Pull My Chain.
“I Wanna Talk About Me” was co-written by Keith alongside Scotty Emerick and Chris Stapleton. Stapleton, who would go on to achieve his own significant country music success in the later 2010s, was a rising songwriter at the time “I Wanna Talk About Me” was written. Keith also took production credit for the track.
Thematically, “I Wanna Talk About Me” is a lighthearted and playful song about acknowledging the tendency to focus on conversations with others rather than oneself. The song’s narrator playfully admits to enjoying listening about other people’s lives, but also feels the need to shift the focus to his own interests and experiences —”We talk about your dreams and your schemes/Your high school team and your moisturizer cream/We talk about your Nana up in Muncie Indiana/We talk about your grandma down in Alabama” — before declaring —”You know talkin’ about you makes me smile/Whatever once in a while/I Wanna Talk About Me.”
“I Wanna Talk About Me” was a massive commercial success. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart, solidifying Keith’s status as a top country music artist. “I Wanna Talk About Me” also achieved crossover success, peaking at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, demonstrating the song’s broader appeal.
The success of “I Wanna Talk About Me” helped propel Pull My Chain to platinum-selling status in the United States. The music video for the song, featuring Keith performing with his band in front of a backdrop of classic cars, received significant airplay on country music channels.
“I Wanna Talk About Me” continues to be a popular choice for Keith’s live shows and a recognizable song in his vast catalogue. The song’s enduring popularity lies in its relatable theme and Keith’s signature ability to blend humor and self-awareness.
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Lyrics:
Yeah, yeahThat’s rightWe talk about your work, how your boss is a jerkWe talk about your church, and your head when it hurtsWe talk about the troubles you been having with your brotherAbout your daddy and your mother and your crazy ex-loverWe talk about your friends, and the places that you’ve beenWe talk about your skin and the devils on your chinThe polish on your toes and the run in your hoseAnd god knows we’re gonna talk about your clothesYou know talking about you makes me smileBut every once in a whileI wanna talk about me, wanna talk about iWanna talk about number one, oh my, me myWhat I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I seeI like talking about you, you, you, you usuallyBut occasionally, I wanna talk about me (me, me, me, me)I wanna talk about me (me, me)We talk about your dreams, and we talk about your schemesYour high school team and your moisturizing creamWe talk about your nanny up in Muncie, IndianaWe talk about your grandma down in AlabamaWe talk about your guys of every shape and sizeThe ones that you despise and the ones you idolizeWe talk about your heart, ’bout your brain and your smartsAnd your medical charts and when you startYou know talking about you makes me grinBut every now and thenI wanna talk about me, wanna talk about iWanna talk about number one, oh my, me myWhat I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I seeI like talking about you, you, you, you usuallyBut occasionally, I wanna talk about me (me, me, me, me)I wanna talk about me (me, me)I wanna talk about me (me, me, me, me, me)I wanna talk about me (me, me, me, me, me)You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, youI wanna talk about meI wanna talk about me, wanna talk about iWanna talk about number one, oh my, me myWhat I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I seeI like talking about you, you, you, you usuallyBut occasionally, I wanna talk about me (me, me, me, me)I wanna talk about me (me, me)I wanna talk about me (me, me, me, me)Oh, me (me, me, me, me)