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.
Secret
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sends her husband off to work with a kiss goodbye
Unlocks that old diary, turns to the third of May
Adds another tear to the page
And it's lonely being the only one who knows the truth
[Chorus]
She has a secret that she can never tell
Does he miss her, did he forgive her
The love that they shared will always be a secret
Only she knows she still loves him, and she hates the choice she made
Wishes she could find him, tell him why she walked away
Every day gets harder livin' with herself
But she knew he'd be better off raised by someone else
God, it's lonely being the only one that knows the truth
[Chorus]
She unlocks that old diary, turns to the third of May
Adds another tear to the page.
The lyrics of Reba McEntire's song "Secret" reflect the emotional turmoil of a woman who is carrying a secret that has made her life miserable. The song portrays the loneliness that comes with keeping a secret and the regret for a past decision that cannot be undone. The woman has locked away her emotions from the rest of the world and keeps her secret in an old diary, which she revisits on the anniversary of the day she made her painful choice.
The lyrics suggest that the woman is haunted by the memories of a man that she still loves and may have walked away from because she felt that it is what is best for him. The chorus of the song emphasizes the weight of her secret and how it continues to affect her. She wishes she could express herself and tell him about her feelings, but the fear of the consequences of her choice prevents her from sharing her emotions.
In essence, Reba McEntire's song "Secret" is a powerful message about the consequences of keeping secrets and living with regret. It is a song that resonates with people who can relate to the pain of a past decision or the fear of revealing their true selves.
Line by Line Meaning
She's quiet this morning, she can't say why
The singer is feeling introspective. She is unable to articulate what's on her mind.
Sends her husband off to work with a kiss goodbye
She is feigning normalcy, maintaining a facade of happiness with her husband.
Unlocks that old diary, turns to the third of May
The singer has a private place where she records her innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences. She turns to a specific page, indicating that her diary has been her confidant for a while.
Adds another tear to the page
Her diary serves as an outlet for her emotions. The tear symbolizes her sadness and frustration.
And it's lonely being the only one who knows the truth
She is weighed down by a secret that she cannot share with anyone. This secrecy makes her feel isolated and alone.
She has a secret that she can never tell
The secret is something so deeply shameful or painful that the singer will never be able to divulge it to anyone, even those closest to her.
One wrong decision still puts her heart through hell
The singer's past decision haunts her, causing her emotional pain and distress in the present.
Does he miss her, did he forgive her
The artist wonders if her husband still harbours any feelings for her and if he could ever forgive her for what she did.
The love that they shared will always be a secret
Whatever happened between the artist and her husband will always be a secret. Their love will forever be a private affair hidden from the world.
Only she knows she still loves him, and she hates the choice she made
The artist is still in love with her husband, even though she walked away from the relationship. She deeply regrets the decision.
Wishes she could find him, tell him why she walked away
She yearns for an opportunity to explain her actions to her husband, hoping that he could understand and maybe forgive her.
Every day gets harder livin' with herself
The artist finds it increasingly difficult to live with her guilt and the consequences of her actions.
But she knew he'd be better off raised by someone else
The singer believes that her husband and their child will have a better life without her in it. She made the ultimate sacrifice for their happiness.
God, it's lonely being the only one that knows the truth
She is consumed by her secret and the emotional burden it carries, causing her to feel isolated and alone.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: CYRIL RAWSON, LISA BROKOP, RONALD STEVEN HARBIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind