Chris LeDoux was riding high by the mid-'90's. He'd gone from 20 years of self-released albums to a spot on the Capitol Records roster, thanks in large part to label mate Garth Brooks' ringing endorsements. Heck, it's not too much of a stretch to liken Brooks' LeDoux namedrop in "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" to when Kurt Cobain put over his favorite obscure bands in interviews and liner notes. The latter resulted in such surprises as the Raincoats being on the Geffen roster at the same time as Nirvana.
But you're probably here to read about Toby Keith and not the Raincoats. Keith went from "Should've Been a Cowboy," a hit from 1993 known by grandparents, parents and children whenever it plays in the car, to collaborating with someone who lived and sung rodeo songs on a 1995 remake of LeDoux's "Copenhagen."
"If you don't use this stuff, don't start; but if you're hopelessly addicted, I guess you've got to find something good to say about a bad habit," begins a swinging tune featuring a sense of humor comparable to that of Jerry Jeff Walker, Jerry Reed or even Hank Williams Jr., with the latter comparison based mostly on 1984's "Attitude Adjustment." Another example of LeDoux's jokier material is the similarly-titled yet very different "Copenhagen Angel."
Keith's another artist with a knack for being hilarious during a song without detracting from his God-given vocal talent, so in retrospect, he was the right person to join LeDoux for this wacky song about chewing tobaccy.
Read More: 8 Legendary Heroes of the Rodeo
LeDoux and Keith's duet appeared on the 1995 compilation Rodeo Rock and Roll Collection. The original version dates back to LeDoux's debut album from the early '70's, Songs of Rodeo Life.
Fittingly, LeDoux's biggest hit came not with Keith but with a more visible fan. LeDoux and Brooks' 1992 duet "Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy" reached no. 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
"Copenhagen" Lyrics
Copenhagen it makes me feel so good
Copenhagen the way I know it should
I put a little chew in my mouth
Go spittin' and a-slobberin'
All around the house, that
Copenhagen, it makes me feel so good
I took a chew just the other night-
It made me feel so fine
I grabbed my honey baby
And I pinched her ol' behind
She said, "you better spit out that
Chewin' tobaccer if you wanna kiss
Me on the big ol' smacker
That Copenhagen, it makes me feel so good
Copenhagen it makes me feel so good
Copenhagen the way I know it should
I put a little chew in my mouth
Go spittin' and a-slobberin'
All around the house, that
Copenhagen, it makes me feel so good
I was sittin' in a bar room
And I took a little dip—
Drinkin' beer and talkin'
But I had no place to spit
So I spit a stream out on the floor
And that bouncer flung me out the door
That Copenhagen, it makes me feel so good
Copenhagen it makes me feel so good
Copenhagen the way I know it should
I put a little chew in my mouth
Go spittin' and a-slobberin'
All around the house, that
Copenhagen, it makes me feel so good
It's a cure all too-
It cures fits, warts, freckles, coughs
Colds, runny nose
Guaranteed not to rip, run or snag
Makes conception a wonder and
Child birth a pleasure...
That's Copenhagen, makes me feel so good!
