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.
Every Other Weekend
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's toys and clothes in backpacks
Is everybody in okay?
Let's go see dad
Same time in the same spot
Corner of the same old parking lot
Half the hugs and kisses there are always sad
We trade a couple words and looks
Every other weekend
Every other weekend
Very few exceptions
I pick up the love we made in both my arms
It's movies on the sofa
Grilled cheese and cut the crust off
But that's not the way mom makes it, Daddy breaks my heart
I miss everything we used to have with her again
Every other weekend
I can't tell her I love her
I can't tell him I love him
Cause there's too many questions and ears in the car
So, I don't tell him I miss him
I don't tell her I need her
She's over me that's where we are
He's over me that's where we are
We're as close as we might ever be again
Every other weekend
Every other Saturday
First thing in the morning
I turn the TV on to make the quiet go away
I know why but I don't know why
We ever let this happen
Fallin' for forever was a big mistake
There's so much not to do and all day not do it in
Every other weekend
Every other Sunday
I empty out my backseat
While my children hug their mother in the parking lot
We don't touch, we don't talk much
Maybe goodbye to each other
As she drives away with every piece of heart I've got
I re-convince myself we did the right thing
Every other weekend
I can't tell her I love her
I can't tell him I love him
Cause there's too many questions and ears in the car
So, I don't tell him I miss him
I don't tell her I need her
She's over me that's where we are
He's over me that's where we are
We're as close as we might ever be again
Every other weekend
Yeah, for fifteen minutes, we're a family again
God I wish that he was still with me again
Every other weekend
"Every Other Weekend" is a song about the struggles faced by children whose parents are separated or divorced. The song deals with the conflicting emotions that children experience when spending time with both parents every other weekend. The lyrics describe the routine of the separation, the pain that both the children and the parents experience, and the awkwardness of trying to navigate the complex family dynamics.
The song opens with the singer describing the logistics of the separation, including the arrangement for the children to spend every other weekend with their father. The singer notes that the handover is always bittersweet, with half-hearted hugs and kisses. The second verse depicts the cosy atmosphere the children enjoy at their father's house, including movies on the sofa and simple pleasures like grilled cheese sandwiches. However, the children's time with their father is tainted by the fact that things are no longer the way they used to be with their mother. The third verse is about the difficulties of maintaining healthy communication between the two parents, with too many ears in the car to express their true feelings.
Overall, this song sensitively explores the anguish and tension experienced by children and parents in family separations. Every Other Weekend is a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by families who are no longer together, and the need to maintain open communication and support for children caught in the middle.
Line by Line Meaning
Every other Friday
On alternate Fridays
It's toys and clothes in backpacks
The children pack their toys and clothes in backpacks
Is everybody in okay?
Everyone's doing fine, right?
Let's go see dad
Let's go visit their father
Same time in the same spot
Meeting at the same time and location
Corner of the same old parking lot
Meeting at the corner of the same parking lot
Half the hugs and kisses there are always sad
Half the hugs and kisses exchanged are always sad and emotional
We trade a couple words and looks
We exchange a few words and glances
And kids again
And we become kids again
Every other weekend
Meeting like this happens every other weekend
Very few exceptions
There are very few instances where this does not happen
I pick up the love we made in both my arms
I hug my children, who are the embodiment of our love
It's movies on the sofa
We watch movies on the couch
Grilled cheese and cut the crust off
We eat grilled cheese, cut the crusts off
But that's not the way mom makes it, Daddy breaks my heart
Daddy's grilled cheese is not like Mom's, and it breaks the child's heart
I miss everything we used to have with her again
I miss everything we had with her when we were still together
Every other weekend
This happens every other weekend
I can't tell her I love her
I can't tell my ex-spouse that I love them
I can't tell him I love him
I can't tell my child that I love them
Cause there's too many questions and ears in the car
Because there are too many listening ears in the car
So, I don't tell him I miss him
I don't tell my child that I miss them
I don't tell her I need her
I don't tell my ex-spouse that I need them
She's over me that's where we are
My ex-spouse has moved on from our relationship
He's over me that's where we are
My child has moved on from our old family dynamics
We're as close as we might ever be again
We'll never be as close as we used to be again
Every other weekend
This happens every other weekend
Every other Saturday
On alternate Saturdays
First thing in the morning
Very early in the morning
I turn the TV on to make the quiet go away
I turn on the TV to fill the silence and loneliness
I know why but I don't know why
I understand what's happening, but I don't comprehend why
We ever let this happen
We allowed this situation to occur
Fallin' for forever was a big mistake
Our idea of forever was a grave error
There's so much not to do and all day not do it in
We have so much time on our hands and nothing to do with it
Every other weekend
Every other weekend, this happens
Every other Sunday
Every alternate Sunday
I empty out my backseat
I remove everything from the backseat
While my children hug their mother in the parking lot
My children embrace their mother in the parking lot
We don't touch, we don't talk much
We don't touch or talk much with each other
Maybe goodbye to each other
Perhaps we'll say goodbye to each other
As she drives away with every piece of heart I've got
As she drives away, she takes every bit of my heart with her
I re-convince myself we did the right thing
I remind myself that separating was the right decision
Every other weekend
This occurs every other weekend
Yeah, for fifteen minutes, we're a family again
For fifteen minutes, we're a family once more
God I wish that he was still with me again
I wish that my ex-spouse was still with me
Every other weekend
Every other weekend, this happens
Lyrics © WRITE! MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CONNIE HARRINGTON, CONNIE RAE HARRINGTON, SKIP EWING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
K
I had no idea that their voices would blend so darn well like THIS. 😮 Woah.
And Kenny sounds great as usual and Reba looks (and with her incredible voice!) fabulous as always. She's never really aged and as she gets older, she is one of the VERY few that actually look better. ☺️😎😌
Bryce Blevins
Tfdo
Reba McEntire
Thanks great I appreciate and I made a community chat for all my fan I will be happy if you join
Tracy Davis
@Reba McEntirebeautiful video
Gwen Mcneal
@Reba McEntire I'd love to join your chat group as I love you and everything you do 😊
steptasticable
One of my absolute favourite Reba duets...this and The Heart Won't Lie with Vince Gill. This is so heartbreaking and so true for a lot of families (including mine). Beautiful lyrics and stunning vocals and harmonies from Reba and Kenny (shame he's not in the video though).
Reba McEntire
Thanks great I appreciate and I made a community chat for all my fan I will be happy if you join
autumn melody elledge
These broken hearts is another good duet with Vince Gill
steptasticable
@autumn melody elledge I agree...it is brilliant as well.
Cody Smutny
I forgot I knew this song, found it by accident tonight... Never thought that this song would apply to me and hit me in the heart.... 😢