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.
Just Looking For Him
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until her work is done
She can hold a conversation
As well as anyone
She'll fool you with sincerity
And if you didn't know her well
You would never see it
You could never tell
[Chorus]
She's just looking for him
She's only rememberin'
She might look like she's ready
To fall in love again
But she's just looking for him
She keeps one eye on the road
And one on the other lane
Lookin' for his car
His memory's re-played
She searches other faces
Tryin' to find that spark
But no one new can reach her
Or fill her hollow heart
[Chorus]
Oh you'd better keep your distance
Don't let her reel you in
She's not quite herself now
How could she be when
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Reba McEntire's "Just Looking for Him" are about a woman who seems to be open to love but is, in reality, still stuck on a past relationship. The song describes how the woman appears to be normal and functional from an outsider's perspective. She can hold a conversation and concentrate on her work, but her mind and heart are elsewhere. She is constantly searching for traces of her ex-lover in other people, whether it's on the road, at the grocery store, or any other place. The song warns the listener not to get too close to her because she is not over her former relationship and is therefore not looking for a new one.
The lyrics of the song capture the struggle of moving on from a past relationship, which can be challenging, especially if the person left a deep impression on one's heart. The woman in the song is portrayed as someone who is trying to move on but is unable to because she is holding onto the past. Looking for traces of the past lover in others is an action that reflects the hopelessness and confusion that losing a partner can create.
In conclusion, Reba McEntire's "Just Looking for Him" provides a powerful commentary on the difficulty of letting go of past relationships and moving on. It is a relatable and moving song that speaks to anyone who has experienced heartbreak or loss.
Line by Line Meaning
She can concentrate on workin'
She can focus on her work without getting distracted.
Until her work is done
She is a perfectionist who won't stop until her work is completed.
She can hold a conversation
She is a good communicator who can talk to anyone with ease.
As well as anyone
She is as good a conversationalist as anyone else out there.
She'll fool you with sincerity
She can appear genuine and sincere, even when she's not feeling that way.
And if you didn't know her well
If you didn't know her closely, you couldn't see through her facade.
You would never see it
Her true emotional state would not be visible to strangers.
You could never tell
It's impossible to know what's going on with her just by looking at her.
She's just looking for him
She's searching for someone specific.
She's only rememberin'
She's reminiscing about the past.
She might look like she's ready
She might appear to be open to love again.
To fall in love again
To find love again.
But she's just looking for him
But deep down, her heart is set on finding one particular person.
She keeps one eye on the road
She is driving but also keeping an eye out for something.
And one on the other lane
She's scanning the cars on the other side of the highway too.
Lookin' for his car
She's searching for a specific car that belongs to him.
His memory's re-played
She's replaying memories of him in her mind.
She searches other faces
She's looking at other people's faces, hoping to see him in them.
Tryin' to find that spark
She's looking for a familiar feeling she had with him.
But no one new can reach her
Other people she meets can't connect with her like he did.
Or fill her hollow heart
No one else can fill the void left by him in her heart.
Oh you'd better keep your distance
You should avoid getting too close to her.
Don't let her reel you in
Don't let her pull you into her emotional turmoil.
She's not quite herself now
She's not in a healthy emotional state at the moment.
How could she be when
It's difficult for her to be herself when she's still pining for him.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUNNY RUSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind