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 Wants To Get Married
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He believes in the family unit
The union of man and wife
He believes that you stand before God
For better, for worse and beyond this life
He believes that a ring on his finger
For all of the world to witness
That he is committed to this love
He wants to get married
He'll build a house in the country
Where he'll watch his children grow
And teach them the values of something
That most people never even know
He wants to get married
I never thought I would be so blessed
To know a man like this
He's everything, everything I believe that a man should be
And when he is called to his maker
He wants to go to his grave
With his final remembrance of this earth
To be one last look at his wife's face
He wants to get married
He wants to get married
Oh, he wants to get married
But not to me
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song "He Wants to Get Married" speak to the desires of a man who values the concept of family and marriage. The song highlights his belief in the sacred union of man and wife and the vows that come with it. He believes that marriage is more than just a piece of jewelry, but rather a commitment that should be witnessed by the world. Furthermore, he wants to build a family and a life with his wife, teaching his children the values that he holds in such high regard.
The singer expresses gratitude that a man like this exists, but unfortunately, he doesn't want to marry her. The song ends with the heartbreaking realization that the man she admires so much wants to marry someone else. Despite this, the woman still holds a great deal of respect and admiration for this man and recognizes the beauty of his deep desire for marriage and family.
The lyrics of "He Wants to Get Married" are a testament to what many people might see as old-fashioned values. However, the song is also relevant today, as many people still consider marriage a cornerstone of family life. The song emphasizes the sacred commitment that comes with marriage and how it is not just a legal formality but something much more profound.
Line by Line Meaning
He believes in the family unit
He places a high value on the institution of family
The union of man and wife
He believes in the traditional union of a man and a woman in marriage
He believes that you stand before God
He recognizes and honors the spiritual aspect of marriage
For better, for worse and beyond this life
He is committed to a love that endures through all the trials and joys of life, and even beyond death
He believes that a ring on his finger
He considers a wedding ring a symbol of commitment and fidelity
Is something to be proud of
He takes pride in his commitment to his future spouse
For all of the world to witness
He wants his love and commitment to be known and recognized by others
That he is committed to this love
He is dedicated to this relationship and will work hard to make it last
He'll build a house in the country
He envisions a life in a peaceful and natural environment
Where he'll watch his children grow
He looks forward to being a father and raising his children with love and guidance
And teach them the values of something
He wants to instill in his children the importance of a particular set of values, likely related to family and commitment
That most people never even know
These values are not commonly held by society at large
I never thought I would be so blessed
The singer recognizes the rarity and goodness of a man with such strong character and values
To know a man like this
The singer is grateful for the opportunity to have this man in her life, even if they will not marry
He's everything, everything I believe that a man should be
The singer holds this man up as the epitome of what she values in a partner
And when he is called to his maker
The man recognizes the ultimate end of his life and the importance of his spiritual journey
He wants to go to his grave
His last wishes are important to him, even as he faces his own mortality
With his final remembrance of this earth
The last thing he wants to take with him are memories of his loved ones and the beauty of the world
To be one last look at his wife's face
Above all else, he wants to hold the memory of his wife close to his heart, even as he passes into the beyond
He wants to get married
The man holds marriage and the commitment it represents in very high regard
He wants to get married
The desire to build a life with a partner and family is strong within him
Oh, he wants to get married
This is a deep, passionate longing that the man feels deeply
But not to me
However, the singer cannot fulfill this desire, which is likely a source of pain and sadness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: ANTHONY ADRON LITTLE, SANDY KNOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind