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 Want A Cowboy
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Picture perfect like he stepped right off the silver screen
Said that he would sweep me off my feet
But I'm still standing no he didn't do it for me
'cause I don't go for all that wine and dine
With the ray ban fake tan never mind
I want a down home up with the sun rise man
I want the wranglers stetson and all that stuff
I want the real McCoy
I want a cowboy
I'm tired of talking 'bout it wasting my time
On all the cheap talkers needing me feeding me lines
Give me somebody who's tender but tough
Simple and honest knows a thing or two about love
I've seen enough to know I know what I like
It's the hard working head turning rugged type
I want a down home up with the sun rise man
A pick-up truck driving bull riding strong steady hand
I want the wranglers stetson and all that stuff
I want the real McCoy
I want a cowboy
I've seen enough to know you know what I mean
Ride me off into the sunset that's my thing
I want a down home up with the sun rise man
A pick-up truck driving bull riding strong steady hand
I want the wranglers stetson and all that stuff
I want the real McCoy
I want the real McCoy
I want a cowboy
I want a cowboy a cowboy
The song "I Want A Cowboy" by Reba McEntire is about a woman who is tired of men who are all talk and no action. Everybody tells her that she deserves a man who is perfect, but she doesn't want that. She wants a down-home cowboy who is tough and hardworking. The woman is not interested in men who try to impress her with fake tans and expensive wine. She wants someone who is genuine and honest, and who knows how to love.
The lyrics in the first verse suggest that the woman has been disappointed in her search for the perfect man. Many people have told her that they know someone who is perfect for her, but none of them have lived up to her expectations. She is tired of the same old lines, and she wants a man who can prove his worth through his actions. In the chorus, she expresses what she truly wants - a cowboy who wears wranglers and stetsons, who has a strong steady hand and drives a pickup truck. She wants a man who is authentic and real, someone who is not afraid to get his hands dirty.
The second verse of the song describes the type of man that the woman is looking for. She wants someone who is tender but tough, someone who can appreciate the simple things in life. She has seen enough of the world to know what she likes, and what she likes is a rugged cowboy who can turn heads. In the final chorus, she is confident that she will find the man of her dreams. She knows what she wants, and she won't settle for anything less.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody told me he was a dream
People talked about this man as if he were too good to be true.
Picture perfect like he stepped right off the silver screen
This man was visually appealing and seemed like a Hollywood heartthrob.
Said that he would sweep me off my feet
People promised that this man would make her feel hopelessly in love.
But I'm still standing no he didn't do it for me
Despite the hype, this man failed to impress her.
'cause I don't go for all that wine and dine
She isn't interested in fancy dates and expensive gifts.
With the ray ban fake tan never mind
She's not impressed by overly groomed men with branded sunglasses and fake tans.
I want a down home up with the sun rise man
She wants a man who enjoys a simple, rural lifestyle and wakes up early.
A pick-up truck driving bull riding strong steady hand
She wants a man who can handle a bull and is skilled with his hands.
I want the wranglers stetson and all that stuff
She wants a man who dresses in cowboy attire and owns typical cowboy accessories.
I want the real McCoy
She wants a genuine cowboy, not someone pretending to be one.
I'm tired of talking 'bout it wasting my time
She's tired of discussing what she wants in a man, as it feels like a waste of time.
On all the cheap talkers needing me feeding me lines
She's not interested in men who use cheesy pick-up lines and flattery to impress her.
Give me somebody who's tender but tough
She wants a man who can be both gentle and strong.
Simple and honest knows a thing or two about love
She wants a man with common sense and integrity who understands what it means to be in a loving relationship.
I've seen enough to know I know what I like
She's had her fair share of relationships and knows exactly what qualities she's looking for in a man.
It's the hard working head turning rugged type
Her ideal man is someone who works hard, catches her attention, and has a rough exterior.
I've seen enough to know you know what I mean
She's confident that others understand what she's looking for in a partner because of her past experiences.
Ride me off into the sunset that's my thing
She wants to ride off into the sunset with her ideal man and live happily ever after.
I want a cowboy
She's looking for a man who embodies the traditional cowboy lifestyle.
I want a cowboy a cowboy
She's emphasizing that she wants a real cowboy, not just a man who looks the part.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KATRINA ELAM, WAYNE KIRKPATRICK, JIMMIE LEE SLOAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind