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.
Everything I'll Ever Own
Reba McEntire Lyrics
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And never cause you're afraid to play
And you can feel your dreams
Softly slipping through your fingers
Till they're so far away
Sitting there surrounded
By your many life's possessions
You realized you've learned one more
Of living's many lessons
Love's worth more than all you'll ever own
[Chorus]
What I'd give if you were here beside me
We could spend forever here alone
Oh what I'd give what would I give
Just that moment
Just everything I'll ever own
Funny when I really had it all
I never knew
Cause I just couldn't see
The wealth I hoped to find
Couldn't even hold a candle
To the love you gave to me
I've taken love for granted
And I've taken love for pleasure
Never taking time to understand
Now I know that loving you
Has been my greatest treasure
And I let it slip right through my hands
[Chorus]
The song "Everything I'll Ever Own" by Reba McEntire talks about the value of love and how it is worth more than all the possessions one can accumulate in their lifetime. In the first verse, Reba talks about the fear of playing with the things one owns, as it may cause damage to it. She then goes on to explain how dreams slip away so easily, despite the fact that one holds it in their hands. The second verse talks about the realization that occurs when someone is surrounded by all the things they've accumulated throughout their life. The person begins to understand that love is worth more than everything they have, and it's one of the most important lessons of life.
The chorus is about what Reba would give if her loved one were with her. She wishes to spend a moment alone with her loved one, and she is ready to give up everything she owns for this moment. In the second verse, Reba talks about how she took love for granted, and how she saw love as a form of pleasure rather than a treasure. She admits that she never took the time to understand love and truly appreciate her loved ones. She now understands that loving someone is the greatest treasure one can have and should never let it slip away.
In summary, the lyrics of the song make a beautiful metaphor to convey the message that love is worth more than any material possessions one may own. The song encourages us to appreciate the people in our lives and be grateful for their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Funny you can hold it in your hand
It's ironic how something that seems so tangible and real can actually be elusive and intangible.
And never cause you're afraid to play
You might never get to experience the true joy of owning something if you're too afraid to take a chance and use it.
And you can feel your dreams
Dreams are something that you can feel within your heart and soul.
Softly slipping through your fingers
Just as sand slips through your fingers, it's easy for dreams to slip away from you if you're not careful.
Till they're so far away
If you don't hold your dreams tightly and pursue them with determination, they may become impossible to reach.
Sitting there surrounded
When you're surrounded by all your material possessions, you might start to feel burdened by their weight.
By your many life's possessions
There are countless material things that you can accumulate in a lifetime, but they may not bring true happiness or fulfillment.
Feeling so much more than all the load
The weight of your possessions can be more than just physical; it can also weigh on your mind and spirit.
You realized you've learned one more
Through your experiences and contemplation, you've come to understand another valuable lesson in life.
Of living's many lessons
Life has many lessons to teach, and you'll keep learning until the day you die.
Love's worth more than all you'll ever own
No matter how many possessions you have, they will never be worth as much as true love and connection with another person.
What I'd give if you were here beside me
The artist longs for the presence of the one they love more than anything else in the world.
We could spend forever here alone
Being with the one you love is enough to make everything else fade away, and you could happily spend the rest of eternity together.
Oh what I'd give what would I give
The singer is willing to give anything and everything to be with the one they love.
Just that moment
All they want is to be with their loved one in the present moment and cherish that time together.
Just everything I'll ever own
The artist realizes that the most valuable thing they could ever possess is the love of their significant other.
Funny when I really had it all
The artist had amassed many possessions and material wealth, but it wasn't until they lost it that they realized it wasn't truly fulfilling.
I never knew
The singer didn't understand what they were missing until they experienced the true love of their significant other.
Cause I just couldn't see
The singer was blinded to the true value of love because of their focus on material wealth.
The wealth I hoped to find
The artist was searching for a certain kind of happiness and fulfillment in material possessions, but it didn't bring the desired result.
Couldn't even hold a candle
The love that the artist received from their significant other was so much more valuable and fulfilling than all of the possessions they had accumulated.
To the love you gave to me
The love that the artist received from their significant other was the greatest gift of all, and it brought them true happiness and fulfillment.
I've taken love for granted
The singer realizes that they didn't fully appreciate or understand the value of the love they had until it was almost too late.
And I've taken love for pleasure
The artist had used love as a means of finding temporary pleasure or satisfaction, without understanding its true value.
Never taking time to understand
The singer didn't take the time to truly understand or appreciate what they had until it almost slipped away.
Now I know that loving you
Through their experiences, the singer has come to understand that the love they have for their significant other is the most valuable thing in the world.
Has been my greatest treasure
The love that the singer has received from their significant other is the greatest gift they could have ever received, and it is more valuable than any material possessions.
And I let it slip right through my hands
The artist almost lost the greatest gift of all because they didn't understand or appreciate its true worth.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind