With a contract to Mercury Records (1975), McEntire began her professional career singing heavily pop-influenced ballads, a far cry from the neotraditionalist movement she would help lead a few years later.
"I Don't Want To Be A One Night Stand" became her first charting single in 1976. Her first Top 10 hit "(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven" followed four years later, and in 1982 she scored her first #1 hit with "Can't Even Get The Blues."
Frustrated at her limited commercial success, McEntire left Mercury and signed with MCA Records in 1984. 1984's "Just A Little Love" wasn't much different form her Mercury material and was only moderately successful. However, another album followed later that same year, titled "My Kind of Country." This was a return-to-roots record, complete with fiddles and steel. It was comprised largely of covers of classic country songs, as well as original songs such as "How Blue" and the Harlan Howard-penned "Somebody Should Leave", both of which reached #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
In the early 1990s McEntire expanded her audience by adopting a softer, more pop-oriented sound. She became one of the best-selling country artists of all time, releasing three volumes of greatest hits collections.
Since that first #1 hit in 1982, she's forked out 21 more chartbusters, which are all recapped on "Reba #1s" released on November 22nd, 2005. The 2-disc compilation features all 22 number one singles (according to Billboard magazine) in chronological order, including two new tracks "You're Gonna Be" and "Love Needs A Holiday." "Reba #1s" also contains 11 singles that reached the #1 spot in publications other than Billboard.
She won the Female Vocalist of the Year award from the Country Music Association four times in a row (a record she holds with Martina McBride), and had dozens of Top Ten hits during the 80s. For her contribution to the recording industry, Reba McEntire has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. In 1995, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
She is one of only six solo women (others include Shania Twain, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Taylor Swift), to win the Country Music Association's highest honor, "Entertainer Of The Year". McEntire continued to hit the charts through the 2000s, as well as appearing in television and film, most notably Tremors, a cult horror movie series, Forever Love, and One Night at McCool's. She also starred as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway, receiving critical acclaim.
From 2001 to 2007, Reba starred in the hit WB television show, Reba (with Texan actor Christopher Rich as her philandering ex-husband), even getting a visit from fellow country star Dolly Parton who played Reba's character's supervisor at a real estate firm.
Bobby
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As they led him from the courtroom, a young voice turned his head
A little boy, dressed in blue, was standing at the rail
He said "I hope they kill you, I hope you go to hell"
They put Bobby in a jail with forty other men
They all knew what he had done, they were glad to take him in
They'd all seen the headlines about Bobby and his wife
How they loved each other, and how he took her life
Night after night, they'd hear him sing his song (he'd sing)
[Chorus]
Baby, I'll take care of you, I'll never let you down
No harm will ever come to you as long as I'm around
I am not afraid of what people say or do
The only thing I fear is being here...without you
The little boy dressed up in blue grew up to be a man
When he fell in love himself, he came to understand
How it was that Bobby took the life they both adored
Cause Bobby couldn't stand to see her suffer anymore
He took out the papers from the trunk beneath his bed
And all the years just disappeared as through his tears he read
The stories of the accident that robbed his mama's mind
And the man who held her in his arms and chose to cut the line
And the one about the man who sits alone
Year after year, singing his song (he'd sing)
[Chorus]
The young man drove his car up, and parked outside the gate
They led him to a cold gray room, the guard told him to wait
When the guard brought Bobby in, the young man finally knew
He still missed his mama, but he'd missed his daddy too
And when the guard left the two of them alone
He took Bobby in his arms, and the young man sang the song
Daddy, I'll take care of you, I'll never let you down
No harm will ever come to you as long as I'm around
You have taught me not to fear what people say or do
The only thing I fear is being here...without you
The song "Bobby" by Reba McEntire is a heart-wrenching story about a man named Bobby who is sent to jail after taking his wife's life. As he sits in jail, he sings a song to his wife promising to take care of her. The lyrics explore themes of love, loss, guilt, and forgiveness.
The song begins with Bobby being led out of a courtroom after pleading guilty to the charges read against him. A little boy dressed in blue stands at the rail and says he hopes Bobby goes to hell. Bobby is put in a jail with other men who know what he has done and are glad to take him in. However, Bobby is never alone as he sings his song promising to take care of his wife and never let her down.
Years later, the little boy in blue grows up and falls in love himself. He comes to understand why Bobby took his wife's life and finds papers that reveal the accident that robbed his mother's mind and the man who held her in his arms and chose to cut the line. When the young man finally meets Bobby, he takes him in his arms and sings the same song back to him.
The song is heartbreaking as it explores the consequences of a tragic event but highlights the power of forgiveness and the enduring love between family members. It is a reminder that even in our darkest times, we can find hope, redemption, and a new family.
Line by Line Meaning
Bobby pleaded guilty to the charges that they read
Bobby admitted to being guilty for the accused crimes that he committed.
As they led him from the courtroom, a young voice turned his head
While leaving the courtroom, Bobby heard a young boy's voice that caught his attention.
A little boy, dressed in blue, was standing at the rail
Bobby saw a young boy wearing blue clothing standing close to where he was being taken.
He said 'I hope they kill you, I hope you go to hell'
The little boy expressed his anger and hatred towards Bobby for his actions.
They put Bobby in a jail with forty other men
Bobby was imprisoned with forty other male inmates.
They all knew what he had done, they were glad to take him in
All the inmates were aware of Bobby's crimes, and they felt no sympathy for him.
They'd all seen the headlines about Bobby and his wife
The inmates had read news articles about Bobby and his wife.
How they loved each other, and how he took her life
The articles highlighted the love shared between Bobby and his wife along with his action of killing her.
Day after day, he sat alone
Bobby had to spend his days in complete solitude.
Night after night, they'd hear him sing his song (he'd sing)
The fellow inmates would often hear Bobby singing a song during the night.
[Chorus]
The repeated chorus of a song Bobby would sing.
Baby, I'll take care of you, I'll never let you down
In his song, Bobby pledges to take care of and never disappoint his beloved which, in this case, is likely his deceased wife.
No harm will ever come to you as long as I'm around
He promises to protect her memories and do his best to ensure her legacy is not disturbed.
I am not afraid of what people say or do
Bobby declares to be immune to people's opinion or actions towards the acts he has committed.
The only thing I fear is being here... without you
The only thing Bobby is afraid of is living without his wife.
The little boy dressed up in blue grew up to be a man
The little boy that wished Bobby to hell is now an adult.
When he fell in love himself, he came to understand
The man understood what it was like to love someone as Bobby loved his wife after having falling in love himself.
How it was that Bobby took the life they both adored
The man found out how Bobby ended the life of someone he loved; something he himself could not fathom doing.
Cause Bobby couldn't stand to see her suffer anymore
Bobby killed his wife because he could not bear to see her in any more pain.
He took out the papers from the trunk beneath his bed
The man retrieved some papers from the under his bed.
And all the years just disappeared as through his tears he read
As he read the papers, he was lost in emotion and thus all those years just faded away for the time being.
The stories of the accident that robbed his mama's mind
The papers contained a story of an incident that stole his mother's mind.
And the man who held her in his arms and chose to cut the line
The paper described a person who held his mother and chose to end her life.
And the one about the man who sits alone
The papers carried a story about Bobby who spends all his time alone.
Year after year, singing his song (he'd sing)
Bobby's habit of singing the same song every year had become a part of his now mundane routine.
[Chorus]
A repeated chorus of a song Bobby would sing.
The young man drove his car up, and parked outside the gate
The grown-up boy drove his car and parked near the prison gate.
They led him to a cold gray room, the guard told him to wait
The guards led him to a room that was grey and cold and told him to wait.
When the guard brought Bobby in, the young man finally knew
Upon the guard bringing Bobby in the room, the young man finally recognized him.
He still missed his mama, but he'd missed his daddy too
The young man still misses his mother, but he also missed his father.
And when the guard left the two of them alone
When the guard exited the room, the two of them were left alone
He took Bobby in his arms, and the young man sang the song
The grown-up boy embraced Bobby and sang the song which had once been Bobby's.
Daddy, I'll take care of you, I'll never let you down
This time, the grown-up boy sings the lyrics, promising to take care of his father and never let him down.
No harm will ever come to you as long as I'm around
He promises to protect his dad from any harm while he is around.
You have taught me not to fear what people say or do
The grown-up boy was not scared of people's opinions or their actions, and this he attributes to his father.
The only thing I fear is being here...without you
The grown-up boy is only afraid of one thing, and that is being without his father.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON SCHLITZ, REBA MCENTIRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind