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 Don't Need Nothin' You Ain't Got
Reba McEntire Lyrics
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Or a flat up on park avenue
I don't need riches or treasures
All those high priced pleasures darling
All I need is you
[Chorus]
I know I don't need nothing you ain't got
Well I'd drink that whole pot
Cause you got everything all them others do not
Darling I don't need nothing you ain't got
Now Lord knows you ain't a saint
Robert Redford you ain't
But you got a heart of gold through and through
And when it comes to loving
All that kissing and hugging
Ain't nobody else ever gonna do
[Chorus]
Well now who thought I'd be satisfied
With just one guy by my side
Oh Lordy, Lordy look at me
But hon you're different from the rest
I'm here to confess
That love from you is all I'm ever gonna need
Well I don't need a caddy to make me happy
Or a flat up on park avenue
I don't need riches or treasures
All those high priced pleasures darling
All I need is you
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's "I Don't Need Nothin' You Ain't Got" express the idea that material possessions and wealth do not equate to happiness. The singer explains that she does not need a luxurious car or an expensive home to be content with her life. Rather, all she needs is her partner's love and affection. She declares that if her partner were something as simple as a pot of coffee in the morning, she would happily drink it all up.
The chorus is particularly powerful as it emphasizes the point that the singer does not need anything that her partner does not possess. This is underscored by the line "If you were coffee in the morning, well I'd drink that whole pot." The comparison to coffee makes the point that the singer's partner is something she cannot live without, much like how some people cannot go without their daily dose of caffeine.
The second verse, where the singer acknowledges that her partner is not perfect, further highlights the idea that the material things do not matter as much as genuine love and affection. The comparison to Robert Redford, an iconic Hollywood star known for his good looks and charm, underscores this point as it implies that the singer's partner may not be conventionally attractive, but he makes up for it with his kind heart and loving ways.
Overall, "I Don't Need Nothin' You Ain't Got" is a love song that celebrates the simple pleasures in life and the value of true love over material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I don't need a caddy to make me happy
I don't require an expensive car to feel content
Or a flat up on park avenue
I don't need a luxurious apartment in an upscale neighborhood
I don't need riches or treasures
Material possessions are not essential for my happiness
All those high priced pleasures darling
I don't crave expensive forms of entertainment or indulgence
All I need is you
My happiness and contentment come from being with you
I know I don't need nothing you ain't got
I am aware that everything I need is already present in the qualities you possess
If you were coffee in the morning
If you were a beverage that I consumed first thing in the day
Well I'd drink that whole pot
I would consume as much of that beverage as necessary to feel satisfied
Cause you got everything all them others do not
You possess qualities that are unique and different from anyone else I have encountered
Darling I don't need nothing you ain't got
I don't desire or require anything that you don't already have or embody
Now Lord knows you ain't a saint
I am aware that you are not a perfect, flawless individual
Robert Redford you ain't
You are not a famous movie star and heartthrob like Robert Redford
But you got a heart of gold through and through
However, you possess a kind, generous, and loving heart
And when it comes to loving
When it comes to showing affection and caring
All that kissing and hugging
The physical expressions of love like kissing and hugging
Ain't nobody else ever gonna do
No one else can provide the type of love and affection that you can offer
Well now who thought I'd be satisfied
I never imagined I would feel content with so little
With just one guy by my side
With only one person to share my life with
Oh Lordy, Lordy look at me
I am surprised by my own contentment and satisfaction
But hon you're different from the rest
However, you are unique and stand out from others I have known
I'm here to confess
I want to admit or confess something to you
That love from you is all I'm ever gonna need
All I require for my happiness and contentment is love and affection from you
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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