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.
One Honest Heart
Reba McEntire Lyrics
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People don't follow through with what they start.
Lyin' eyes looking at me up and down.
Makin' talk that's only cheap.
Makin' promises they never keep.
But I keep lookin' for what I still haven't found.
[Chorus]
That I can believe in.
Two lovin' arms that will never let me go.
One good man that I can count on.
It shouldn't be so hard.
Findin' one honest heart.
Now I've been close a time or two.
I thought I saw my dream comin' true.
But I was just livin' in a fairy tale.
I won't play the fool again.
I won't play a game that I can't win.
But I still have faith and keep tellin' myself.
There's
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song "One Honest Heart" describe the struggles of finding true love in a world where people often don't keep their promises and may have ulterior motives. The song opens with the lines "Times are tough on an honest heart. People don't follow through with what they start," which sets the tone for the rest of the song as the singer admits that it isn't easy finding someone to trust. The following lines describe the disappointment that can come from encountering individuals who are insincere and only interested in superficial things -- "Lyin' eyes looking at me up and down. Makin' talk that's only cheap. Makin' promises they never keep." Despite these obstacles, the singer remains determined to find true love, singling out the qualities they're seeking in a partner: "One honest heart. That I can believe in. Two lovin' arms that will never let me go. One good man that I can count on."
Throughout the song, the singer admits to having had their hopes dashed in the past -- "Now I've been close a time or two. I thought I saw my dream comin' true. But I was just livin' in a fairy tale" -- but they refuse to give up on finding someone to love. The song ends on an optimistic note as the singer assures themselves that they will eventually find the one honest heart they're looking for.
Overall, "One Honest Heart" is a song that explores universal themes of love, trust, and the struggle to find a partner who is genuine and reliable. It speaks to the innermost desires of anyone who has ever felt lonely or longed for a meaningful connection with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Times are tough on an honest heart.
It's difficult to be truthful and sincere in this world.
People don't follow through with what they start.
Individuals often make promises, but they don't keep them.
Lyin' eyes looking at me up and down.
People often judge others at first sight without really knowing them.
Makin' talk that's only cheap.
People often engage in empty talk without any substance.
Makin' promises they never keep.
People often make commitments or promises that they have no intention of fulfilling.
But I keep lookin' for what I still haven't found.
Despite these challenges, the singer continues to search for sincere people and genuine connections.
One honest heart.
The singer is seeking a sincere and truthful person.
That I can believe in.
Someone that she can trust and rely on.
Two lovin' arms that will never let me go.
Someone who will embrace her and never leave her side.
One good man that I can count on.
A reliable and trustworthy companion.
It shouldn't be so hard.
The singer questions why it's challenging to find someone who is truthful and loving.
Findin' one honest heart.
She is still searching for a genuinely sincere person.
Now I've been close a time or two.
The singer has been in relationships where she thought she found true love.
I thought I saw my dream comin' true.
She believed that her wishes were finally coming true.
But I was just livin' in a fairy tale.
However, it turned out that she was only living in a fantasy.
I won't play the fool again.
The singer has learned from her past experiences and won't make the same mistakes again.
I won't play a game that I can't win.
She is not going to engage in a relationship that is not genuine.
But I still have faith and keep tellin' myself.
Despite her experiences, the singer still believes in finding true love.
There's
There is still hope.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANK MYERS, GARY B. BAKER, DAVID MALLOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind