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 Single Again
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wish I was guessing but I know that I'm right
She walked in the place with a smile on her face
And I wondered why she was alone
Every man watched her as she swayed on by
The way she was looking every woman could cry
Then I saw her sit down with a lawyer
[Chorus]
She's single again
Hold on to your man
She'll make us worry and cry
And bring us broken lives
And heartaches that never end
She's single again
She's no woman's friend
She's making her move
She's got nothing to lose
Oh look out
She's single again
Is this number 4
Is this number 5
How many husbands has she buried alive
She uses the favors that the good Lord gave her
With the devil's desire
Well I bet she's thinking
She's on top of the world
And I've seen her working
So I'm warning you girls
She's single again
She's got a way with men
But she better get away from mine
'Cause
[Chorus]
Yeah she's making her move
She's got nothing to lose
Oh look out
She's single again
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's "She's Single Again" paint a picture of a woman who frequents bars and clubs, looking for her next conquest. The singer recounts seeing her at a club, where every man's eyes were on her as she made her way through the room. However, she ends up sitting down with a lawyer, indicating that she's likely getting ready to go through yet another divorce.
The chorus serves as a warning to women and men alike to hold tight to their own relationships, as this woman is known to bring heartache and broken lives wherever she goes. The song also suggests that this isn't the first time she's been single, with the line "Is this number 4, is this number 5, how many husbands has she buried alive?". The singer warns other women to steer clear of her, as she's likely to be after their man as well.
Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of not taking relationships seriously and treating people as disposable. The woman in question is portrayed as a seductress who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even if it means breaking hearts and ruining lives along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I just got to tell you what I saw last night
I need to share what I witnessed last night
I wish I was guessing but I know that I'm right
I would prefer to be wrong, but I am certain my observation is correct
She walked in the place with a smile on her face
She entered the venue looking happy
And I wondered why she was alone
This led me to ponder why she was unaccompanied
Every man watched her as she swayed on by
Every male gazed at her as she walked by, captivated by her presence
The way she was looking every woman could cry
The manner in which she appeared made any female feel upset
Then I saw her sit down with a lawyer
I noticed her taking a seat next to an attorney
And I knew what was going on
I deduced the reason for her presence
She's single again
She is no longer in a romantic relationship
Hold on to your man
Be cautious, as she may attempt to seduce your partner
She'll make us worry and cry
She will cause anxiety and emotional distress
And bring us broken lives
She will ruin relationships and cause heartache
And heartaches that never end
The emotional pain she inflicts will not fade easily
She's no woman's friend
She is not someone other women should trust or befriend
She's making her move
She is attempting to attract someone's attention or interest
She's got nothing to lose
There is no risk for her as she is not in a committed relationship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLIE CRAIG, PETER MC CANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind