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.
Myself Without You
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was so sure my world had ended
So sure I'd never get over you
On that first night alone
I cried so many tears it scared me
So many dreams that I had to let go
But now I know
That the world still turns and the sun still burns
And that's what I've learned without you
And the days roll on and my heart gets stronger too
Don't think I didn't love you
Just because I made it through
But I learned to love myself
Without you
I take myself to dinner
And I go to the movies solo
That's something I never did before
You may not understand this
But I don't' wait on invitations
I'm not afraid of the great unknown
Of being alone cause the
The world still turns and the sun still burns
And that's what I've learned without you
And the days roll on and my heart gets stronger too
Don't think I didn't love you
Just because I made it through
But I learned to love myself
Without you
I can even see myself
Falling in love with somebody else
Ready to take that chance again
Cause I know now
What I didn't know then
That the world still turns and the sun still burns
And that's what I've learned without you
And the days roll on and my heart gets stronger too
Don't think I didn't love you
Just because I made it through
But I learned to love myself
Without you
The song "Myself Without You" by Reba McEntire is all about finding oneself after a break-up. The singer of the song describes how devastated she was when her partner left, but over time she learned to cope with her pain and ultimately rediscovered her self-worth. The lyrics start with the singer reminiscing about her initial reaction when her partner walked out of the door. She felt like her world had come to an end and that she would never be able to get over the break-up. She cried many tears, and she had to let go of many dreams that she had shared with her partner.
But as time passed, the singer learns that she can move on without her former partner. She realizes that the world still turns, and the sun still burns, with or without her partner. The transition is not easy, but she grows stronger with each passing day. The singer confidently declares that she learned to love herself again and discovers a new sense of freedom, independence, and self-love. She's not afraid to go out on her own, and she's ready to take a chance on finding love again.
Overall, the song emphasizes the idea that even when we feel like we can't survive without someone, life goes on. We have to learn to stand on our own two feet and find happiness within ourselves. The song's empowering message has resonated with many individuals who have gone through a difficult break-up or loss.
Line by Line Meaning
When you walked out that door
From the moment you left, I was convinced that my world had ended.
I was so sure my world had ended
I felt like my whole world had fallen apart and I didn't know how to deal with it.
So sure I'd never get over you
I was convinced that I could never move on from the pain you caused me.
On that first night alone
The first night without you felt like an eternity and it was unbearable.
I cried so many tears it scared me
I cried so much that it started to frighten me and I realized I needed to find a way to heal and move on.
So many dreams that I had to let go
I had to let go of all the dreams and hopes I had for us in order to move on and start anew.
But now I know
Now, after some time and healing, I understand some important things that have helped me move forward.
That the world still turns and the sun still burns
Life goes on even after a heartbreak and the world keeps spinning.
And that's what I've learned without you
One of the lessons I've learned since you walked out is that life goes on even after the worst pain imaginable.
And the days roll on and my heart gets stronger too
As life goes on, I have learned to gradually heal and grow stronger on my own.
Don't think I didn't love you
Despite everything that happened, I want you to know that I did, in fact, love you deeply.
Just because I made it through
But the fact that I've managed to survive without you doesn't mean that it was easy.
But I learned to love myself
Through this difficult journey, I realized that I had to learn to love and accept myself in order to move on.
I take myself to dinner
I started doing things for myself that I never used to do, like treating myself to dinner or going to movies by myself.
And I go to the movies solo
I don't wait around for anyone anymore, I can enjoy my own company just fine.
You may not understand this
I understand that this is perhaps difficult to grasp when you haven't been through something similar.
But I don't wait on invitations
I don't depend on others to make plans for me anymore; I take charge of my own life.
I'm not afraid of the great unknown
I've come to accept the unknown and the possibility of being alone, it no longer scares me.
Of being alone cause the
Being alone doesn't scare me anymore because of the following reasons..
I can even see myself
I have even come to imagine myself in a future relationship.
Falling in love with somebody else
I can finally see the possibility of falling in love with someone else and starting a new chapter of my life.
Ready to take that chance again
I am now willing to take the risk of opening myself up to someone new again.
Cause I know now
Because I have learned now from the past experiences.
What I didn't know then
I have learned and grown so much that I now know things I didn't before.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Round Hill Music Big Loud Songs
Written by: BOB DIPIERO, VICTORIA SHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind