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.
Don't Forget Your Way Home
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are some new things you must try
No matter where it is you go
Oh whoa don't forget your way home
I see the leaving in your eyes
I see no reason I should try
To hold you back
Oh whoa don't forget your way home
[Chorus]
Many roads may lead you back this way
And you may change your mind someday
And when you've missed this life we've known
Oh whoa don't forget your way home
I guess I'll always feel the same
I'll always be the keeper of this flame
And it will burn long after you're gone
Oh whoa don't forget your way home
[Chorus]
Darling have you ever cheated on me
And I said only in my mind
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song Don't Forget Your Way Home is a poignant reminder of the inevitability of change and how it affects relationships. The opening lines of the song, "Now you spread your wings to fly, there are some new things you must try" connotes a sense of freedom and excitement about the future. However, the singer feels the bittersweet pangs of letting go, as she watches her loved one prepare to leave. She acknowledges their need to explore the world and try new things, but she also reminds them not to forget their way back home. The song carries a message of hopefulness and tenderness towards a loved one leaving.
The second verse of the song reveals the heart of the singer as she says, "I see the leaving in your eyes, I see no reason I should try, to hold you back and keep you for my own." She expresses acceptance and unwillingness to hold on to someone who is ready to move on. However, she still wants the person to remember the warmth and love that awaits them back home. The chorus echoes this sentiment and encourages the person to keep the homecoming in mind even as they journey through different roads and experiences.
The final verse of the song reveals a hint of insecurity as the singer asks, "Darling, have you ever cheated on me?" and then answers, "And I said only in my mind." This line adds emotional depth to the song, and the listener can sense that the singer still worries about losing her loved one despite the reassurance that they will always be welcome home.
Overall, Don't Forget Your Way Home is a beautifully crafted song that speaks of the complexities of love and relationships. The lyrics carry a message of acceptance, hope, and tenderness towards a loved one departing, with a gentle reminder to return home.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you spread your wings to fly
You're moving on to new things.
There are some new things you must try
You need to explore and try new things in life.
No matter where it is you go
Wherever you go in life, remember where you came from.
Oh whoa don't forget your way home
Don't forget your roots and where you come from.
I see the leaving in your eyes
I can tell that you're ready to move on and leave.
I see no reason I should try
I won't try to stop you from leaving.
To hold you back
I won't hold you back from chasing your dreams.
And keep you for my own
I won't keep you from living your own life.
Oh whoa don't forget your way home
Remember where you come from, and don't forget it.
Many roads may lead you back this way
Many paths in life may lead you back home someday.
And you may change your mind someday
You may one day decide that you want to come back home.
And when you've missed this life we've known
You may miss the life you once had here.
I guess I'll always feel the same
I'll always feel the way I do about you.
I'll always be the keeper of this flame
I'll always remember our time together fondly.
And it will burn long after you're gone
My love for you will always remain.
Oh whoa don't forget your way home
Don't forget where you came from, and come back home someday.
Darling have you ever cheated on me
Have you ever done something to hurt me?
And I said only in my mind
No, I've never actually done anything to hurt you.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind