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.
New Fool At A Old Game
Reba McEntire Lyrics
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And I'll go where you lead me
Anywhere you say.
You've got me where you want me.
So darling please be kind.
Before you take it all, and I
make that final fall.
a new fool at an old game.
A kid out of school, trying to find my way.
But I don't know the rules, teach me how to play.
I'm just a new fool at an old game.
Maybe I'm a dreamer, or maybe I'm naive.
But when you say you love me I start to believe
That coal can turn to diamonds.
And this night will never end.
But if it isn't so, and I cry when you go.
You've got to understand that
I'm a new fool at an old game.
A kid out of school, trying to find my way.
But I don't know the rules, teach me how to play.
I'm just a new fool at an old game
The lyrics of Reba McEntire's song New Fool At An Old Game talks about a person who is inexperienced in love and relationships, being in a vulnerable state with their new partner. They are captivated by their partner, following their lead, and willing to go anywhere they say. The singer is fully aware of their vulnerability and hopes that their partner will treat them kindly before they get too invested and make a final fall. The chorus reveals the singer's realization of their naivete and inexperience in love, describing themselves as a new fool at an old game. They are like a kid out of school, trying to find their way, unaware of the rules of love and relationships. They ask their partner to teach them how to play, hoping to learn and grow with them.
The second verse continues with the singer's hopeful and optimistic outlook on love, despite their lack of expertise. They describe themselves as a dreamer or naive, but when their partner says they love them, they start to believe it. They are open to the possibility of something beautiful and transformative happening between them, like coal turning into diamonds. However, they are also aware that it could all be too good to be true and end up in heartbreak. Again, they reiterate their status as a new fool at an old game, hoping to learn from their partner to avoid getting hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
You sure know what you're doing holding me this way.
You have a lot of experience and know exactly how to make me feel secure in your arms.
And I'll go where you lead me anywhere you say.
I trust you completely and will follow your lead no matter where it takes me.
You've got me where you want me so darling please be kind.
You have complete control over my heart and I pray you treat it gently.
Before you take it all, and I make that final fall.
Please don't break my heart or lead me on, because I may not be able to recover from the inevitable heartbreak.
You've got to keep in mind I'm a new fool at an old game.
I may be inexperienced, but I'm willing to learn the game of love.
A kid out of school, trying to find my way.
I'm young and inexperienced in love and need guidance.
But I don't know the rules, teach me how to play.
I need someone to show me the ropes and guide me through the ups and downs of a relationship.
I'm just a new fool at an old game.
I'm a beginner in love, trying to navigate a game that many have played before me.
Maybe I'm a dreamer or maybe I'm naive.
I may be idealistic or gullible when it comes to love, but I can't help how I feel.
But when you say you love me I start to believe that coal can turn to diamonds.
When you express your love for me, I start to believe that anything is possible and that our love can transform into something beautiful.
And this night will never end.
I want this moment with you to last forever, and I never want to say goodbye.
But if it isn't so and I cry when you go.
If our love doesn't last or you leave me, I'll be devastated and heartbroken.
You've got to understand that I'm a new fool at an old game.
I need someone who is patient and understanding of my inexperience in love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVE BOGARD, RICHARD C. GILES, SHEILA STEPHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind