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.
He's In Dallas
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he captured my Appalachian heart
I was so naive that I believed him
When he promised we'd never be apart
So we packed and pulled a you-Haul down to Dallas
A year went by and the baby came along
Then his old friends and the night life came between us
[Chorus]
I'm staring out the window through these teardrops
Holding on to the only dream that turned out right
We're on a Greyhound bus bound for West Virginia
He's in Dallas without us tonight
Oh, Lord I hate to break the news to mama
She's gettin' on in years and worries so
Maybe I should have stayed in Dallas
And gave him another chance right now I just don't know
[Chorus]
He said I'll make your dreams come true in Texas
He's in Dallas without us tonight
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song "He's In Dallas" tells the story of a young woman who was promised a brighter future with her lover in Texas. She believed him, so they packed up and moved to Dallas. However, things didn't turn out as she hoped. The man got caught up with his old friends and the nightlife in the city, ruining their relationship. The woman ends up alone, waiting for her dreams to come true, with a baby and without the man she loves. The chorus speaks of her feelings of defeat and regret as she stares out the window of a Greyhound bus, regretting her decision to move to Dallas and hoping that she made the right choice in leaving.
The song speaks to a broader theme that many people can relate to. It showcases the harsh reality of how people can promise us the world and leave us feeling betrayed and alone. It's a heartfelt reflection of the choices we make in life and the consequences that come with them, for better or for worse.
Line by Line Meaning
He said I'll make your dreams come true in Texas
He promised to fulfill all of my desires in Texas.
And he captured my Appalachian heart
He won my heart with his charm, despite our different backgrounds.
I was so naive that I believed him
I was foolish and gullible enough to trust and believe him.
When he promised we'd never be apart
He assured me that we would always be together, never separated.
So we packed and pulled a you-Haul down to Dallas
We moved to Dallas with all of our belongings in a U-Haul truck.
A year went by and the baby came along
After a year of living in Dallas, we had a baby.
Then his old friends and the night life came between us
He started spending time with his old friends and partying at nightclubs, causing problems in our relationship.
Dreams turned into sleepless nights waiting all alone
My aspirations and hopes turned into lonely, restless nights waiting for him to come home.
I'm staring out the window through these teardrops
I am crying while looking out the window.
Holding on to the only dream that turned out right
I am clinging to the only thing that went as planned in my life.
We're on a Greyhound bus bound for West Virginia
My child and I are traveling on a Greyhound bus to West Virginia.
He's in Dallas without us tonight
He is currently in Dallas without us.
Oh, Lord I hate to break the news to mama
I do not want to be the one to tell my mother.
She's gettin' on in years and worries so
My mother is aging and stresses easily.
Maybe I should have stayed in Dallas
Perhaps I should have remained in Dallas.
And gave him another chance right now I just don't know
I am unsure whether I should give him another chance or not.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONNY KEES, JOHNNY MACRAE, RICHARD ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind