Just a few months before he left this world, Toby Keith walked onto a stage in Tulsa — a little slower than before, his voice carrying the weight of time, but his spirit still unbreakable. That night, there was one song he refused to leave out: “Love Me If You Can.” It wasn’t chosen for the charts or the cheers. It was chosen because it said everything he believed in. Those words became his message — the voice of a man who never backed down from who he was. When he sang, “I’m a man of my convictions, call me wrong or right,” it didn’t feel like a farewell. It felt like a reminder of the honesty he lived by. Toby never tried to be perfect or to win everyone over. He tried to be real — to stand tall in his truth and follow the compass of his own heart. That performance became more than a song. It was the last, powerful echo of a life defined by courage, sincerity, and a soul that stayed true until the very end.

Introduction

THE FINAL MESSAGE TOBY KEITH LEFT US — AND WHY ONE SONG MATTERED MORE THAN ANY OTHER

Just a few months before he left this world, Toby Keith stepped onto a stage in Tulsa — moving a little slower than years past, his voice carrying the weight of battles fought, but his spirit still as unshakable as ever. That night, there was one song he refused to leave off the setlist.

“Love Me If You Can.”

He didn’t choose it for applause.
He didn’t choose it for nostalgia.
He chose it because it held every piece of what he believed.

When Toby sang, “I’m a man of my convictions, call me wrong or right,” it didn’t land like a goodbye. It landed like a declaration — a reminder of the honesty he lived by from his first bar gig to his final breath.

Toby Keith never tried to be polished.
He never tried to please everyone.
He tried to be real.

A man who stood tall in his truth, who followed his own compass, who wasn’t afraid to speak from the gut — even when the world didn’t always agree.

That Tulsa performance became more than a moment.
More than a concert.
More than a song.

It became the final, powerful echo of a life lived with courage, sincerity, and a soul that stayed true until the very end.

And that is why “Love Me If You Can” will forever feel like the message he left for all of us.

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Lyrics

Sometimes I think that war is necessary
Every night I pray for peace on Earth
I hand out my dollars to the homeless
But believe that every able soul should work
My father gave me my shotgun
That I’ll hand down to my son
Try to teach him everything it means
I’m a man of my convictions
Call me wrong, call me right
But I bring my better angels to every fight
You may not like where I’m going
But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to
Love me if you can
I stand by my right to speak freely
But I worry ’bout what kids learn from TV
And before all of debatin’ turns to angry words and hate
Sometimes we should just agree to disagree
And I believe that Jesus looks down here and sees us
And if you ask him he would say
I’m a man of my convictions
Call me wrong, call me right
But I bring my better angels to every fight
You may not like where I’m going
But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to
Love me if you can
I’m a man of my convictions
Call me wrong, call me right
But I bring my better angels to every fight
You may not like where I’m going
But you sure know where I stand
Hate me if you want to
Love me if you canGift baskets