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.
I'll Go On
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't love me and I don't hate you
Or maybe I did, but just for a minute
'Cause you wanted me to live my life without you in it
But I forgave you
Oh, I hope you know it's true
And I don't blame you
For not feeling like I do
I'm pretty sure it's not the end of the world tonight
Even though down deep in my soul it feels like it might
I'm pretty sure I'll wake up tomorrow still breaking inside
And I'll go on missing you
I'll go on wanting you
I'll go on with or without you
I'll go on
I'll carry what's left of us with me always
Remember last summer, those were the good days
I wouldn't trade 'em not to hurt now
If I could've told myself not to love you so
I'd still love you
Oh, I hope you know it's true
But letting go of you
Is so much harder to do
I'm pretty sure it's not the end of the world tonight
Even though down deep in my soul it feels like it might
I'm pretty sure I'll wake up tomorrow still breaking inside
And I'll go on missing you
I'll go on loving you
I'll go on with or without you
I'll go on
I'll go on
Ooh, I'll go on
So go on, go on
The lyrics to "I'll Go On" by Reba McEntire speak about the difficulty of moving on from a past love. The singer gave everything to their partner, but they do not love them in return. Despite this, the singer does not hate them and forgave them for their actions. They acknowledge that they will continue to miss and want their former partner, but they will carry the memories of their relationship with them always, regardless of the pain it brings. The singer acknowledges that letting go of their former partner is hard, but they will continue to search for happiness without them and move on with their life.
The song is a powerful representation of a common human experience - that of struggling to move on from a past love while still carrying the memories of that relationship. Reba's emotive delivery and the raw lyrics make it a relatable song for many people who have experienced similar emotions. The repetition of the phrase "I'll go on" reinforces the singer's determination to move forward, despite the heartbreak they feel.
Line by Line Meaning
You were everything and that's what I gave you
I gave you my all in our relationship
But you don't love me and I don't hate you
You don't reciprocate my feelings but I don't harbor resentment towards you
Or maybe I did, but just for a minute
Perhaps I felt anger towards you for a brief moment
'Cause you wanted me to live my life without you in it
You wanted me to move on from you and live my life without you in it
But I forgave you
I have forgiven you
Oh, I hope you know it's true
I genuinely hope that you know I have no ill feelings towards you
And I don't blame you
I don't hold you accountable for not loving me in the same way
For not feeling like I do
For not reciprocating my feelings
I'm pretty sure it's not the end of the world tonight
Although it may feel like the end of the world to me, I am aware that it isn't really
Even though down deep in my soul it feels like it might
My feelings are so intense that it seems like the world is ending for me
I'm pretty sure I'll wake up tomorrow still breaking inside
I know that I will still be in pain tomorrow
And I'll go on missing you
I will continue to miss you
I'll go on wanting you
I will continue to desire you
I'll go on with or without you
I will continue living my life, whether or not you are a part of it
I'll carry what's left of us with me always
I will always hold on to what is left of our relationship
Remember last summer, those were the good days
I cherish the memories of the good times we had together last summer
I wouldn't trade 'em not to hurt now
I wouldn't give up those memories just to ease the pain I am feeling now
If I could've told myself not to love you so
If I could go back in time, I would advise myself to not fall so deeply in love with you
I'd still love you
Even with the knowledge that loving you would cause me pain, I would still love you
But letting go of you
The act of moving on from you
Is so much harder to do
It is very difficult for me to let go and move on from you
Ooh, I'll go on
I will continue to move forward
So go on, go on
I encourage you to move on with your life as well
Lyrics © ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: TOMMY LEE JAMES, ELLA MAE BOWEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind