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.
Jolene
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jolene, Jolene
I'm beggin' of you
Please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene
Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin
And eyes of emerald green
He talks about you in his sleep
There's nothing I can do to keep from cryin'
When he calls your name Jolene
Well you can have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me Jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do Jolene
Jolene
Jolene
Jolene
Ya know I've met Dolly Parton
And I'm glad to say that we're pretty good friends
I've met Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, Brenda Lee
A lot of people who have influenced me
Other folks like Merle Haggard George Jones and
Ray Price It really upsets me cause I didn't get to meet a lot of the
People who did influence me, like I never got to meet Bob Wills
And I never got to meet this next lady I'm gonna tell you about
The only way I can tell you about her now,
Is the way I learned about her the best is through her songs
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song "Jolene" tell the story of a woman who is pleading with another woman named Jolene to not take her man. The singer tells Jolene that she is beautiful with "flaming locks of auburn hair" and "eyes of emerald green," and that her husband talks about her in his sleep. The singer reveals that Jolene can have her choice of men, but that her happiness depends on her not taking her husband. The song ends with the repetition of Jolene's name, emphasizing the singer's desperation and fear of losing her husband.
The song, originally written and performed by Dolly Parton, was released in 1973 and became a hit, reaching number one on the country charts. Reba McEntire's cover of the song, released in 1984, also became a hit, reaching number seven on the country charts. The song has since become a country music classic, covered by numerous artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Jolene, Jolene
The singer is addressing Jolene.
Jolene, Jolene
Repeating her name for emphasis.
I'm beggin' of you
The singer is making a plea.
Please don't take my man
The plea is to not take the singer's man away from her.
Jolene, Jolene
Repeating Jolene's name again.
Jolene, Jolene
Repeating Jolene's name again.
Please don't take him
The singer is requesting Jolene not to take away her man.
Even though you can
Jolene has the power to take the man, but the singer is pleading to not exercise it.
Your beauty is beyond compare
The singer is commenting on Jolene's beauty.
With flaming locks of auburn hair
Commenting on the color of Jolene's hair, which is a vibrant auburn color.
With ivory skin
Describing Jolene's skin as pale and smooth.
And eyes of emerald green
Commenting on the color of Jolene's eyes which are green like emeralds.
He talks about you in his sleep
The singer's man talks about Jolene even in his dreams.
There's nothing I can do to keep from cryin'
The singer is helpless and can't stop herself from crying.
When he calls your name Jolene
The singer can't bear the pain she feels when her man calls Jolene's name.
Well you can have your choice of men
Jolene has many choices of men to choose from.
But I could never love again
The singer could never love another man if her man is taken away.
He's the only one for me Jolene
The singer's man is the only one for her and she pleads with Jolene not to take him away.
I had to have this talk with you
The singer is having a heart-to-heart talk with Jolene.
My happiness depends on you
The singer's happiness is tied to Jolene's decision.
And whatever you decide to do Jolene
The singer leaves the decision to Jolene and hopes she will make the right one.
Jolene
Repeating Jolene's name one last time.
Jolene
Repeating Jolene's name one last time.
Jolene
Repeating Jolene's name one last time.
Ya know I've met Dolly Parton
The singer is shifting the topic to talking about meeting Dolly Parton.
And I'm glad to say that we're pretty good friends
The singer is happy to have a good relationship with Dolly Parton.
I've met Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, Brenda Lee
The singer has also met other famous female country singers.
A lot of people who have influenced me
The singer has met many people who have had a great impact on her life and music.
Other folks like Merle Haggard George Jones and Ray Price
The singer has also met other famous male country singers.
It really upsets me cause I didn't get to meet a lot of the People who did influence me, like I never got to meet Bob Wills
The singer is disappointed that she didn't get to meet some of the people who have had a great impact on her career.
And I never got to meet this next lady I'm gonna tell you about
The singer is going to talk about another famous female country singer she never had the opportunity to meet.
The only way I can tell you about her now, Is the way I learned about her the best is through her songs
The singer only knows about this next female country singer through her songs and she's going to talk about her now.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dolly Parton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind