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.
Love By Love
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hurting bad from his memory
And I thought love and I were really through
But you reached out
And touched my heart so tenderly
You gave me life
Gave me hope
[Chorus]
Touch by touch
You're taking the hurt away
Smile by smile
A little more everyday
Heart to heart
You're helping me find a way
To what I once dreamed of
Kiss by kiss
You're making love sweet again
Step by Step
Back on my feet again
Thanks to you
Feeling complete again
Yes you filled me up
Love by love
We're lying here
Loving the feeling morning brings
His memory's fading more with every dawn
Cause like the sun
Your love's so warm and gentle thing
Drives my tears
Lights my way
Leaves me up
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song Love By Love speak about finding love and hope again after experiencing heartbreak. The song describes how the singer meets someone who also experienced a broken heart and was able to help her heal. The first verse describes how the singer was hurt by her previous relationship, and she thought she would never love again. But then, someone reached out and touched her heart tenderly, giving her hope and the strength to keep going. The chorus describes how the new love interest is helping her move on from the hurt and pain she once felt, step by step, touch by touch, and kiss by kiss. The lyrics describe how the love interest is helping her get back on her feet again and feel complete.
The second verse of the song speaks about how the new love interest's love is so warm and gentle and is slowly replacing the memories of the past. The singer is lying with her new love, feeling the joy of the morning as the painful memories of the past are slowly fading away. They are sharing a beautiful feeling, and the tears are being driven away as they light the way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
You found me down
I was feeling low and broken before I met you
Hurting bad from his memory
I was hurting because of the memories of my past relationship
And I thought love and I were really through
I had given up on finding love after all the pain
But you reached out
You extended your hand to me
And touched my heart so tenderly
You showed me love and affection gently
You gave me life
You brought back the joy and happiness in my life
Gave me hope
You made me see a bright future
Made me blue
You made me feel emotional but in a good way
Touch by touch
Gradually and slowly
You're taking the hurt away
You are easing my pain and making me feel better
Smile by smile
With every smile you give me
A little more everyday
I feel a little better and happier each day
Heart to heart
Our connection is growing stronger
You're helping me find a way
You are helping me discover the way to love again
To what I once dreamed of
To the kind of love I always pictured in my dreams
Kiss by kiss
With every kiss we share
You're making love sweet again
Our love is becoming sweeter and more enjoyable every day
Step by Step
Slowly and steadily
Back on my feet again
I am finding my feet and standing up again
Thanks to you
I am grateful to you for everything
Feeling complete again
I feel whole and complete once again
Yes you filled me up
You have filled my life with love and joy
We're lying here
We are here together
Loving the feeling morning brings
We are enjoying the feeling of the morning
His memory's fading more with every dawn
I am forgetting my past with every new day
Cause like the sun
Just like the sun
Your love's so warm and gentle thing
Your love is warm and gentle
Drives my tears
It makes me cry tears of happiness
Lights my way
It shows me the way to happiness and fulfillment
Leaves me up
It lifts me up and gives me strength
[Chorus: x2]
These are the words of the chorus
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jeff j
Nothing like early Reba... unspoiled. Emotional without over production. Thanks for sharing.