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 You Believe Him
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He can make you forget other loves that you had known
He has two lips and two arms that thrill you as very few do
And if you want him to give them to you just ask and he will
[Chorus]
Don't you believe him
I did and soon he'll be leaving me
Then soon he'll be leaving you too
He can tell you a lie you believe if he has to
And you'll trust me till time and the tide both stand still
He can cry on your shoulder and swear to the things that he won't do
But be careful for when you're not looking he will
[Chorus]
The song Don't You Believe Him by Reba McEntire is a warning to women regarding a manipulative man who has a way of making them feel like he is the only one who truly understands and cares for them. The lyrics emphasize that this man can make a woman forget about past loves and can give her a reason to live if he wants to. He is described as having two lips and two arms that can thrill her like nobody else can, and he is willing to give her all of himself if she asks for it. However, the chorus warns the listener not to believe in him because he will eventually leave her, as he did with the singer herself. The man in question can lie and deceive when necessary, and he can make a woman believe in him until the end of time. He can even cry on a woman's shoulder and swear he will change, but the listener is told to be careful because when she's not looking, he will break her heart and leave her just like the singer.
The song is written from a personal perspective, and it is believed to be inspired by the real-life experiences of multiple women who had been taken in by a charming man who later betrayed and abandoned them. The lyrics emphasize that women need to be aware of the manipulative powers some men possess and to avoid falling for them. The song contains a strong message about the importance of self-respect, trust, and caution when entering into a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
He can give you a reason to live if he wants to
He has the ability to make you happy and fulfilled if he chooses to do so
He can make you forget other loves that you had known
His love and attention can make you forget about past relationships
He has two lips and two arms that thrill you as very few do
His physical touch and affection make you feel special like very few others can
And if you want him to give them to you just ask and he will
If you express a desire for his physical affection, he will gladly give it to you
Don't you believe him
Don't trust him completely
I did and soon he'll be leaving me
I trusted him but he will soon leave me
No don't believe him if you do
If you trust him completely, he will also leave you
Then soon he'll be leaving you too
If you trust him completely, he will eventually leave you as well
He can tell you a lie you believe if he has to
He has the ability to deceive you and make you believe his lies
And you'll trust me till time and the tide both stand still
You will continue to trust him and believe his lies for a long time
He can cry on your shoulder and swear to the things that he won't do
He can show vulnerability and make promises he has no intention of keeping
But be careful for when you're not looking he will
He will betray your trust when you least expect it
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind