"Stays in Mexico" is a song written and recorded by country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist Toby Keith

Toby Keith

Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...

. It was a newly recorded single from his 2004 compilation album Greatest Hits 2

Greatest Hits 2 (Toby Keith album)

Greatest Hits 2 is the title of a greatest hits package released in 2004 by American country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith. The second greatest hits package of his career, it was released by DreamWorks Records Nashville; with sales of two million copies in the United States, it has been...

, where it was released as a single. It peaked at #3 in the United States, and #2 in Canada.

Content

The song features a man named Steve, who was an insurance salesman from Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...

, and a woman named Gina, who was a first-grade school teacher from Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

. Both are in Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...

 without their spouses and meet in the Cabo Wabo Cantina. Steve and Gina engage in a tequila fueled weekend affair. The songs chorus repeats that "what happens down in Mexico, stays in Mexico."

Reception

Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a mixed rating. He stated that the song is "great until you process the depth of its immorality; then, you’re just sick to your stomach."

Music video

The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and premiered on CMT

Country Music Television

Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...

 on August 19, 2004. The video was filmed in July 2004 and featured Oklahoma Sooners football

Oklahoma Sooners football

The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...

administrative coordinator, Matt McMillen. It was filmed entirely in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Chart positions

"Stays in Mexico" debuted at #27 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of August 14, 2004.

Chart (2004)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	51