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 Wish That I Could Tell You
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wish that I could tell you
But you're askin' me things that I don't know
I wish that I could tell you
Words that I would say
Sound as empty as the way you feel inside
While the silence in between
I don't know how to help you
I wish that I could tell you
How to tell me goodbye
I don't know how you leave it all behind
I wish that I could tell you
Is it true a heart heals itself with time
I wish that I could tell you
How do you choose?
Do you hurt 'em with the truth or with a lie?
Where do you go to find the courage
You know I could never find?
I don't know how to help you
I wish that I could tell you
How to tell me goodbye
Where do you turn, where do you go?
When you've finally reached the end of the road?
How do you say it, I just don't know
When it comes to leaving you're on your own
How do you tell someone you're letting go?
I wish that I could tell you
Oh, wish that I could tell you
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song "I Wish That I Could Tell You" are about the difficulties of breaking up with someone. The singer expresses the desire to communicate with their partner about their decision to let go, but finds themselves at a loss for words. The words they could say would seem empty, given the heaviness of the situation. The lyrics also touch on the struggle of deciding how to tell someone that you are leaving them.
The singer acknowledges the pain and confusion of their partner and wants to help them, but they do not know how to do so. The singer also recognizes that the process of moving on from a difficult relationship is complex and painful, and they question whether time is the only true healer of a broken heart. The lyrics convey a sense of helplessness, as if the singer wants to do more but is not sure how to navigate the intense emotions of ending a relationship.
Overall, "I Wish That I Could Tell You" is a thoughtful exploration of the complexities of breaking up with someone. The lyrics acknowledge the pain and confusion of both parties and speak to the difficulty of finding the right words to express oneself during a delicate and emotional time.
Line by Line Meaning
How do you tell someone you're letting go?
Expressing the difficulty in letting go of someone and the inability to find the right words to convey this message.
I wish that I could tell you
A recurring desire to find the proper way to communicate the pain of saying goodbye and finalizing the end of a relationship.
But you're askin' me things that I don't know
Acknowledging the challenges when asked for advice or guidance when one's own emotions are too complex or confusing to articulate.
Words that I would say
Potential statements that the artist has considered uttering but ultimately chose not to because they sounded hollow and lacked authenticity.
Sound as empty as the way you feel inside
The artist compares the shallowness of the words they might say with the sense of vacancy and numbness that the other person is experiencing.
While the silence in between
Highlighting the critical gaps in communication, where what isn't said can often hold more implications and significance than what is said.
Tells me everything that you deny
The importance of observing someone's silence when they cannot vocalize their true feelings and how their body language or lack of words can reveal everything they are hiding.
I don't know how to help you
Acknowledging that there is no straightforward answer or solution for someone who is struggling with letting go, and the sense of powerlessness this creates.
How to tell me goodbye
The feeling of wishing that the other person would take the initiative and be the first to say goodbye, sparing the artist the pain of initiating it.
I don't know how you leave it all behind
Admitting that the act of moving on and leaving a relationship behind is not easy, and expressing empathy for the other person doing so.
Is it true a heart heals itself with time
Reflecting on the common belief that time is a natural healer of emotional wounds and seeking reassurance that this applies to the other person.
How do you choose
Acknowledge the difficulty in making a choice between hurting someone with the truth or sparing their feelings with a lie.
Do you hurt 'em with the truth or with a lie?
A contemplation of the ethical dilemma of being honest about one's feelings and intentions, or leaving the other person with a false sense of hope or security.
Where do you go to find the courage
Expressing admiration for someone who is brave enough to acknowledge their true emotions, and questioning where they find the strength to do so.
You know I could never find?
The singer acknowledges their own inability to act with this kind of courage in similar situations, highlighting the personal growth they see in the other person.
Where do you turn, where do you go?
A reflection on the uncertainty of the future when a relationship is ending, and the question of where one will find comfort or direction.
When you've finally reached the end of the road?
Acknowledging the sense of finality that comes with the conclusion of a relationship and the search for a new path forward.
How do you say it, I just don't know
Conveying the sense of helplessness and being lost when faced with the challenge of articulating the end of a relationship.
When it comes to leaving you're on your own
A recognition that ultimately, the process of leaving and moving on from a relationship is deeply individual, subjective and must be navigated alone.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANTHONY JEROME MARTIN, REESE DANTON WILSON, VAN WESLEY STEPHENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind