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.
Small Two-Bedroom Starter
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for a brand new owner
A soldier off to war who had to leave his bride alone
She couldn't buy too many nice things
On a GI bill and daydreams
But she tried until they told her
He was never coming home
Small two bedroom starter
Needs a little fixing
A great big yard for kids and pets to play
This one won't last too long
It's close to schools and churches
Owner leaving town
You better hurry down today
Bought by the high school teacher
Sold it to a baptist preacher
Who couldn't pay his taxes
Cause his flock had gone astray
So the banker fenced the yard in
Planted trees and half a garden
The man from Dallas kept it up
Till he moved away
Small two bedroom starter
Needs a little fixing
A great big yard for kids and pets to play
This one won't last too long
It's close to schools and churches
Owner leaving town
You better hurry down today
You and I we built the playroom
For the baby that came too soon
Spent money that we didn't have
Trying to make this place our own
Lord it makes me feel like dying
After all these years of trying
Honey we'll just bought this house
That we can't seem to make a home
Small two bedroom starter
Needs a little fixing
A great big yard for kids and pets to play
This one won't last too long
It's close to schools and churches
Owner leaving town
You better hurry down today
Small two bedroom starter
Waiting for a brand new owner
The lyrics to Reba McEntire's song "Small Two-Bedroom Starter" tell the story of a house that has seen many owners throughout the years. The song starts with the house standing empty on a corner, waiting for a brand new owner. However, the house's first owner was a soldier who had to leave his bride alone as he went off to war with no guarantee that he would return. Despite the woman's efforts to make a life for herself and her soldier husband, she is eventually informed that he will never be coming home.
The song then describes how the house is bought and sold by several owners, including a high school teacher, a Baptist preacher who cannot pay his taxes, and a man from Dallas. The house and yard are tended to and improved by these owners, but still somehow the house remains unfulfilled.
The final verse of the song is the most personal, as the singer reveals that she and her significant other have bought the house and tried to make it their own, but after years of trying, they cannot seem to create a true home there. The somber tone of the song highlights the bittersweet nature of homes and how they can be a source of comfort and frustration.
Line by Line Meaning
The house stood empty on a corner
The house was vacant and unoccupied on the street corner
Waiting for a brand new owner
The house was eagerly awaiting its next occupant
A soldier off to war who had to leave his bride alone
The previous owner of the house was a soldier who left his wife behind when he went to war
She couldn't buy too many nice things
The soldier's wife had limited financial resources
On a GI bill and daydreams
She could only afford to live on her husband's GI bill and her own hopes and aspirations
But she tried until they told her
She made efforts to improve her life and her living conditions, but eventually, she received the sad news that her husband was not coming back
He was never coming home
Her husband had passed away while serving in the war and would not be returning home
Small two bedroom starter
The house was a modest two-bedroom dwelling that was just starting its life as a home
Needs a little fixing
The house required some minor repairs and improvements
A great big yard for kids and pets to play
The house had a spacious lawn that was ideal for children and pets to enjoy
This one won't last too long
The house was likely to be occupied soon due to its favorable condition, desirable location, and affordable price
It's close to schools and churches
The house was situated in a convenient location near educational institutions and places of worship
Owner leaving town
The current owner of the house was planning to move away
You better hurry down today
Anyone interested in buying the house should act fast before it's sold to someone else
Bought by the high school teacher
The house was purchased by a high school teacher
Sold it to a baptist preacher
The teacher later sold the house to a preacher
Who couldn't pay his taxes
The preacher struggled to make ends meet and was unable to pay his property taxes
Cause his flock had gone astray
The preacher's congregation had dwindled or drifted away from him, causing him financial hardship
So the banker fenced the yard in
The banker had to secure the property by building a fence to protect it after foreclosing on the preacher's loan
Planted trees and half a garden
The banker put some effort into beautifying the property by adding some landscaping features
The man from Dallas kept it up
The house was later maintained by a man from Dallas who took good care of it
Till he moved away
The man from Dallas eventually relocated elsewhere, leaving the house unattended
You and I we built the playroom
The current occupant of the house reminisces about the past when they built a playroom in the house for a child who was born unexpectedly
For the baby that came too soon
The baby was born before the parents were fully prepared or financially ready to support them
Spent money that we didn't have
The parents spent beyond their means to create a comfortable family home
Trying to make this place our own
They worked hard to turn the house into a cozy and welcoming home for their family
Lord it makes me feel like dying
The current occupant laments the difficulties they've faced in maintaining the property and making it feel like a real home
After all these years of trying
Despite years of effort, the home still falls short of their expectations and feels like a burden
Honey we'll just bought this house
The current occupant and their partner purchased the house with high hopes for the future, but those hopes have not been realized
That we can't seem to make a home
Despite their best efforts, the current occupant and their partner have been unable to make the house feel like a true home
Waiting for a brand new owner
The house is once again waiting for a new owner to take up residence and make their own memories
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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