She Thinks His Name Was John
Reba McEntire Lyrics
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Where they are now, who they married, how many kids they have
She knew their backgrounds, family and friends
A few she even talks to now and then
But there is one
She can't put her finger on
There is one who never leaves her thoughts
His name was John
A chance meeting, a party a few years back
Broad shoulders and blue eyes, his hair was so black
He was a friend of a friend you could say
She let his smile just sweep her away
And in her heart though she knew that it was wrong
But too much wine and she left his bed at dawn
And she thinks
His name was John
Now each day is one day that's left in her life
She won't know love, have a marriage or sing lullabies
She lays all alone and cries herself to sleep
'Cause she let a stranger kill her hopes and her dreams
And all her friends say, "What a pity, what a loss"
And in the end when she was barely hanging on
All she could say is she thinks
His name was John
She thinks
His name was John
In this poignant ballad, Reba McEntire sings about a woman who reflects on her past relationships and realizes that she can remember everything about them except for one man she had a brief encounter with. She remembers the man's charming look, black hair, and blue eyes, but his name has eluded her. Through the lyrics, we understand that the singer had a one-night stand with this man - one that filled her with regret, sorrow, and confusion. She acknowledges that it wasn't right, but the loneliness and search for love pushed her into his arms. Now older and consumed by regrets, she realizes the gravity of her actions and that this single decision impacted her entire life. She lays alone and feeling sorry for herself because she let a stranger kill her hopes and her dreams, and her friends sympathize with her.
The song speaks to the many women all over the world who battle with loneliness, low self-esteem, and finding love. For some, it only takes one bad decision that haunts them for the rest of their lives, and they're left to wonder what could have been if they had taken a different path. The story of the song is touching and heartbreaking, and the message is clear - we must take responsibility for our decisions because they shape our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
She can account for all of the men in her past
She remembers every man she has ever been with.
Where they are now, who they married, how many kids they have
She knows their current status, their spouse and the number of kids they have.
She knew their backgrounds, family and friends
She was familiar with their background, their family and friends.
A few she even talks to now and then
She even talks to a few of them occasionally.
But there is one she can't put her finger on
There is one man whom she can't remember properly.
There is one who never leaves her thoughts
She can't stop thinking about that certain man.
And she thinks his name was John
She believes that his name was John.
A chance meeting, a party a few years back
Years ago, she met a man at a party by chance.
Broad shoulders and blue eyes, his hair was so black
He had broad shoulders, blue eyes and black hair.
He was a friend of a friend you could say
He was an acquaintance through a friend.
She let his smile just sweep her away
She was stunned by his smile and was swept away by it.
And in her heart she knew it was wrong
She knew that sleeping with him was not right.
But too much wine and she left his bed at dawn
She was drunk, and she left his bed in the morning.
And she thinks his name was John
She still can't forget him and assumes that his name was John.
Now each day is one day that's left in her life
She feels like there's not much time left in her life.
She won't know love, have a marriage or sing lullabies
She won't experience love, marriage or motherhood.
She lays all alone and cries herself to sleep
She lies alone in bed and cries herself to sleep every night.
Cause she let a stranger kill her hopes and her dreams
She let a stranger shatter her dreams and hopes forever.
And all her friends say what a pity what a loss
Her friends feel sorry for her and her life choices.
And in the end when she was barely hanging on
Toward the end of her life when she was barely holding on.
All she could say is she thinks his name was John
All she could say was to remember the man she slept with and his name which may have been John.
Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Sandy Knox, Steve Rosen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CajunMan77
The kids today will never know how controversial this song was, how important it was, and how many radio stations refused to play Reba songs after she released this. It is still one of my favorite songs!
@scottybroker
SCREW the RADIO STATIONS, THE "Correctness". It MASKS/COVERS/HIDES THE TRUTH. HOMOSEXUALITY IS A CURSE AND A SCOURGE. It destroys the family. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE C O W A R D S. Speak Out.
@NikB331
You’re right.. They will never know! Now they have HIV/AIDS commercials with gay men in them! I’m just saying that would not have happened in 1994! I have a family member that passed from it n the poor girl suffered like a dog dying. Now we have a pill. Very sad
@dannybost
I 1st heard this at a Reba concert in Charlotte n.c. this lady gave one of the greatest concerts I've ever seen.
@kirkcather3670
We owe Reba a big thank you for recording this song. She was the ONLY one with the gravitas to get a song like this on the radio.
@YeahRightInc
Indeed. Very few if any other female country artists would have been offered this song and taken on the challenge. But when you're a giant and you have a heart like Reba, you do it because it was/is a message that needs to be conveyed. Kudos to her. I knew what it was about the first time I heard it and was very moved by the song.
@ninamartinez5171
@@YeahRightInc I wish to God almighty i knew what this song is about. She thinks his name was John ? Obviously someone was cheating?
@YeahRightInc
@@ninamartinez5171 It is about a woman who is single and has a one night stand with a stranger. Sadly, she contracts AIDS from her tryst. She knew the name and details of all the men she'd ever been with except him...but she thinks his name was John.
@jfrizell665
@@ninamartinez5171 She met a hot guy named John, they had sex, and she got AIDS from him.
@MsMeme1976
@@ninamartinez5171 No one is cheating. It’s about a woman who has a one night stand with a man she met at a party, and ended up contracting & dying from HIV/AIDS. She thinks his name was John…