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.
Night Life
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sun goes down
You can find me
Hangin' around
Oh the night life
Ain't no good life
But it's my life
Just like me
Dreaming of
Old used to be's
Oh the night life
It ain't no good life
But it's my life
Oh listen to the blues they're playin'
Oh listen to what the blues are sayin'
Mine is just
Another scheme
In a world
Of broken dreams
Oh the night life
It ain't no good life
But it's my life
(Play me some blues boys)
Oh listen to the blues they're playin'
Oh listen to what the blues are sayin'
When the evenin'
Sun goes down
You can find me
Hangin' around
Oh the night life
It ain't no good life
But it's my life
The night life
Ain't no good life
But it's my life
The lyrics of "Night Life" by Reba McEntire sketch a picture of a person who finds solace in the nightlife. The singer of the song is someone searching for companionship, spending time in bars and clubs, listening to blues music. The lyrics describe a person who is trying to forget the past, dreaming of 'old used to be's' - a reference to past relationships or situations in their life that they want to escape from. The lyrics imply that the nightlife is not a 'good' life, but it is the only life that the singer knows, and they are dedicated to it.
The song is an ode to the night culture and is considered a classic country song. Its lyrics have been interpreted in many ways, from a person seeking entertainment and a good time to someone escaping from their past failures. The song has been covered by many artists, including Willie Nelson, B.B. King, and Ray Charles. McEntire's soulful performance adds a depth of emotion to the lyrics, making it one of her greatest hits.
Line by Line Meaning
When the evenin', Sun goes down
As the sun sets in the evening, it marks the beginning of my night life
You can find me, Hangin' around
I spend my nights loitering and passing time by doing nothing in particular
Oh the night life, Ain't no good life, But it's my life
Although the night life is not necessarily the best way to spend one's time, it's the way I choose to live
Many people, Just like me
There are many others out there who are also leading a similar life to me
Dreaming of, Old used to be's
We all reminisce about the past and the things that used to be
Oh listen to the blues they're playin', Oh listen to what the blues are sayin'
The soulful sound of the blues reminds us of the hardships we face and the struggles we go through
Mine is just, Another scheme
My way of living is just another way of getting by and passing time
In a world, Of broken dreams
Our world might be full of shattered dreams and unfulfilled aspirations
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind