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.
She's Callin' It Love
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She keeps lettin' him treat her that way
He's older and he's wild
She's such a pretty child
He must be thinkin' 'bout one thing
But there are stars in her eyes
'Cause she's thinkin' he might
Give her that class ring
[Chorus]
She's got his picture in a frame
A heart untamed
Callin' his house three times a day
She thinks it's all she'll ever dream of
And she's callin' it love
She's callin' it love
Daddy knows his baby's headed for a heartache
And that part of growin' up is learnin' from mistakes
But he can't let her go
Cause he knows
That boy's nothin' but bad news
But daddy can't control her
She's getting older
There's nothin' anyone can do
She might get hurt along the way
But she's gettin' older
There's nothin' anyone can do
She might get hurt along the way
But she's gonna find true love someday
She's callin' it love
She's callin' it love
She's callin' it love
She's callin' it love
In Reba McEntire's song "She's Callin' It Love", the lyrics explore the naivety of a young woman who has fallen for an older man who isn't treating her very well. Despite what others may say about him and the red flags he's waving, she's convinced that what they have between them is true love. Everyone else can see that he's bad news, except for her. She's determined to pursue him and has convinced herself that the attention she's getting from him is worth more than anything else. The chorus details how she's got his picture in a frame and calls his house three times a day. She thinks that this is all she'll ever dream of and she's calling it love.
The lyrics of the song highlight the struggles that come with parenting a grown child. The father in the song knows that his daughter is making a mistake, but he can't control her or the choices she makes. He's aware that she might get hurt and that this relationship will only lead her to heartache. However, he's also aware that part of growing up is learning from mistakes. You can sense that he's torn between protecting his daughter and letting her make her own decisions. Ultimately, he has to trust that she'll find true love someday.
The song resonates with many people because it explores the idea of how love and infatuation can be blurred. It also touches on the difficulty of letting go of someone you love but know isn't right for you. It's a reminder that when it comes to matters of the heart, people aren't always rational and that making choices based on emotions alone can have negative consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's callin' it a real big shame
Everyone who knows about their situation considers it a terrible shame.
She keeps lettin' him treat her that way
She continues to allow him to treat her poorly.
He's older and he's wild
He is an older and more reckless person.
She's such a pretty child
She is a young and attractive girl who is naive.
He must be thinkin' 'bout one thing
He is likely only interested in one thing (sex).
But there are stars in her eyes
She is infatuated and has romanticized the situation.
'Cause she's thinkin' he might
She optimistically thinks he could.
Give her that class ring
He might give her a ring indicating a higher level of commitment.
She's got his picture in a frame
She has a picture of him that she cherishes.
A heart untamed
She has a wild and uncontrolled heart.
Callin' his house three times a day
She is calling him excessively, likely in an attempt to gain attention or affection from him.
She thinks it's all she'll ever dream of
She believes that this relationship is the pinnacle of what she could achieve in life.
And she's callin' it love
She is labeling this relationship as love.
Daddy knows his baby's headed for a heartache
Her father is aware that she will likely experience a painful situation.
And that part of growin' up is learnin' from mistakes
Mistakes are an inherent part of the growing up process and can lead to valuable lessons.
But he can't let her go
As her father, he feels responsible for her well-being and cannot easily detach from the situation.
Cause he knows
He is aware.
That boy's nothin' but bad news
The boy she is involved with is a negative influence.
But daddy can't control her
Despite his efforts, he cannot monitor or restrain her choices.
She's getting older
As time progresses, she is maturing.
There's nothin' anyone can do
There is no way to prevent her from experiencing pain and making her own choices.
She might get hurt along the way
It is possible that she will experience hurt feelings or emotional pain as a result of her actions.
But she's gonna find true love someday
Despite the potential hardship, she will ultimately find genuine and fulfilling love in her life.
She's callin' it love
She persists in categorizing this relationship as love.
She's callin' it love
She continues to misidentify this relationship as love.
She's callin' it love
She refuses to acknowledge the true nature of this relationship.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUNNY RUSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind