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 That You Want
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The nights were long
Under the moonlight
I could do no wrong
You told me
I was everything you wanted me to be
Then summer was over
You got restless
And hard to hold
I tried to be
Everything you wanted me to be
Now you keep staring
At that open door
You got what you wanted
And you still want more
Well look at me
I'm everything you wanted me to be
[Chorus]
Well if I don't keep you satisfied
You can't say that I haven't tried
And if I'm not what you want by now
For the life of me I can't see how
I'll ever be
Everything that you want me to be
In the beginning
The nights were long
Under the moonlight
I could do no wrong
Remember me?
I was everything you wanted me to be
The song "Everything That You Want" by Reba McEntire explores the theme of a relationship that starts off strong and passionate, but eventually loses its spark as one partner becomes increasingly demanding and unsatisfied. The verses repeat the phrase "I was everything you wanted me to be," emphasizing the singer's effort to please their partner and meet their expectations. However, despite their efforts, the partner remains restless and discontented, always wanting more. The chorus expresses the singer's frustration and resignation, as she acknowledges that she has given her all but still cannot meet her partner's needs.
The opening lines of the song set the scene for a promising beginning, with long romantic nights under the moonlight. However, as the seasons change, so does the relationship. The nights grow cold and the partner becomes hard to hold, suggesting a distancing and deterioration of intimacy. The final verse brings the song full circle, returning to the beginning when the singer felt desired and successful in meeting their partner's needs. However, this time there is a sense of irony and resignation, as the singer knows that they can never aspire to be "everything" their partner wants.
Overall, "Everything That You Want" presents a poignant and relatable portrait of a struggle to maintain a relationship, even as one partner's demands become overwhelming and impossible to fulfill.
Line by Line Meaning
In the beginning
At the start of our relationship
The nights were long
Our evenings together felt endless
Under the moonlight
In the romantic glow of the moon
I could do no wrong
You always saw the best in me, even when I made mistakes
You told me
You expressed to me
I was everything you wanted me to be
That I met your expectations and desires in a partner
Then summer was over
As the relationship progressed and time passed
And the nights grew cold
Your feelings towards me started to cool
You got restless
You became dissatisfied
And hard to hold
It became difficult to keep your attention
I tried to be
I attempted to become
Everything you wanted me to be
Exactly what you hoped for in a partner
Now you keep staring
Lately, you've been looking at
At that open door
The possibility of leaving our relationship
You got what you wanted
I gave you what you desired
And you still want more
But you're still wanting more from me that I may not be able to give
Well look at me
Take a good look at who I am
I'm everything you wanted me to be
I have become everything you desired in a partner
[Chorus]
This is the repetitive part of the song that acts as a bridge between verses
Well if I don't keep you satisfied
If I can't continue to please and meet your needs
You can't say that I haven't tried
It's not because I didn't make an effort to make this relationship work
And if I'm not what you want by now
If after our time together I still don't fulfill your desires
For the life of me I can't see how
It's impossible for me to understand
I'll ever be
To become
Everything that you want me to be
The exact partner you desire
Remember me?
Do you recall
I was everything you wanted me to be
I once met all of your expectations and desires in a partner
Lyrics Ā© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JACK WESLEY ROUTH, RANDY L SHARP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind