The Greatest (Kenny Rogers song)


"The Greatest" is a song written by Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in April 1999 as the first single from the album She Rides Wild Horses. The song reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Content

In the song, a little boy is outside playing baseball by himself, saying, "I'm the greatest player," and tosses the ball up in the air to hit the ball and swings and misses. The boy repeats this two more times, striking himself out, and as his mother calls him inside for supper, he sees himself as the greatest pitcher, instead of the greatest hitter.

In popular culture

The context of the song is played out in a commercial by The Foundation for a Better Life, promoting the value of Optimism.

Chart performance

Year-end charts