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.
Sleeping With The Telephone
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I took his name
But somehow knowin'
Is just not the same late at night
He knows the danger
But he does what he does
He calls it duty
But I call it love
While he's gone
To some foreign land
And I cry
'Cause I'm all alone
And the nights get so cold and long
And I try not to think he won't come home
But I'm sleeping with the telephone
The yellow ribbon on my neighbor's gate
Always reminds me that someone's awake
Just like me
I hear the sirens
And I watch the news
He laughs and leaves with his gun
And his blue uniform
And I pray God keeps him safe from harm
And I cry
'Cause I'm all alone
And the nights get so cold and long
And I try not to think he won't come home
But I'm sleeping with the telephone
I loose him in my darkest dreams
And my blood runs cold and my heart skips a beat
So I get up, I can't take anymore
Sometimes I hate how much I love him
But everyday I love him more
And I try not to think he won't come home
But I'm sleeping with the telephone
Something awakes me from where he should be
I reach for him, the telephone rings
In Sleeping with the Telephone, Reba McEntire and Faith Hill sing about the emotional impact of being in a relationship with someone who is serving in the military. The song reflects the inner turmoil that the singer goes through as a result of knowing that their partner is facing danger every day, and how they struggle with the fear of losing them. The opening lines "I knew who he was/When I took his name/But somehow knowin'/Is just not the same late at night" suggest that while the singer may have known what she was signing up for, the reality of her partner's job hits her the hardest during the late, lonely hours of the night.
The lyrics depict the difficult cycle of fear, hope, and helplessness that many military spouses and partners experience when they send their loved ones off to combat. The singer watches as her partner leaves for duty, knowing that he is answering the call of duty or love of country, but also realizing that his job is fraught with danger. The lines "He calls it duty/But I call it love/So here I am/While he's gone/To some foreign land" demonstrate the complexity of the situation. The singer supports her partner because she loves him, but it still hurts to know that he might not come back.
As the song progresses, the singer shares her struggles with loneliness and fear, but also provides a glimpse of hope. The lines "But everyday I love him more" reflect the strength of the love that the two share, and suggest that despite the difficult circumstances, the singer still believes that her partner will come back to her. In the end, the ringing phone awakens the singer, and the audience is left wondering whether the call is good news or bad. The final lines of the song convey the uncertainty that many military families face: "Something awakes me from where he should be/I reach for him, the telephone rings."
Line by Line Meaning
I knew who he was
I knew his identity before we got married
When I took his name
When I got married to him and took his last name
But somehow knowin'
But just knowing him is not enough to keep my fears at bay
Is just not the same late at night
Especially not when I'm alone at night
He knows the danger
He's aware of the risks associated with his job
But he does what he does
But he still does his job, no matter the dangers
He calls it duty
He considers it as his job duty
But I call it love
But for me, loving and supporting him is my duty
So here I am
I'm here, waiting for him while he's away
While he's gone
He's away on a foreign land for work
To some foreign land
He's gone to work in a foreign country
And I cry
I cry myself to sleep at night
'Cause I'm all alone
Because I'm alone at home without him
And the nights get so cold and long
The nights seem endless without him by my side
And I try not to think he won't come home
I try to stay positive and not imagine the worst
But I'm sleeping with the telephone
But I'm always ready and waiting for his call
The yellow ribbon on my neighbor's gate
The yellow ribbon on my neighbor's gate reminds me of the military sacrifice
Always reminds me that someone's awake
It reminds me that someone else is also waiting for their loved one to return
Just like me
Just like I'm doing the same thing
I hear the sirens
I often hear the police or ambulance sirens outside
And I watch the news
I watch the news, hoping and praying that nothing has happened to him
He laughs and leaves with his gun
He goes to work with his weapon on his side
And his blue uniform
He wears his uniform with pride and respect
And I pray God keeps him safe from harm
I pray that God protects him from all dangers and keeps him safe
I loose him in my darkest dreams
I often have nightmares about him not coming back
And my blood runs cold and my heart skips a beat
These nightmares leave me panicked and anxious
So I get up, I can't take anymore
I wake up from these nightmares, unable to bear the thought of losing him
Sometimes I hate how much I love him
Being in love with him makes me feel vulnerable and fearful at times
But everyday I love him more
But despite the fear and the vulnerability, I love him more and more with each passing day
Something awakes me from where he should be
I wake up from sleep when he's not around, but I expect him to be there
I reach for him, the telephone rings
I try to comfort myself by reaching out for something that reminds me of him, which is the ringing telephone
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOMMY HARDEN, LORRIE HARDEN, DON ROLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind