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.
Take It Back
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said you'd be a mess now if it hadn't been for me
You said I stole your heart away by looking in your eyes
I wonder now how many times you sold that pack of lies
If this is how you act when you give your heart away
Well, take it back
Take it back
You told me I was everything you wanted and more
Then tell me what you're doing now sneaking out the back door
You're bringing home flowers and a bottle of Chablis
You forgot I don't drink wine I know that bottle's not for me
Oh, you must think I'm blind
And I don't smell your new cologne
You don't think I notice
All the nights I spend alone
Well, I'm not one for sitting 'round in some ole pity pool
You think you got a ticket and I must be some kind of fool
I hate to steal your thunder but your playing days are through
At least they are with me cause babe, I got no use for you
Tonight laying on the street
Babe, your bag is packed
So, take it back
In Reba McEntire's widely acclaimed song, Take It Back, she sings about a lover who has been caught in a web of lies and deceit. The song begins with McEntire singing about how she was convinced to move in with her partner by his request, and even gave him a key to her home. He claimed that she had stolen his heart away by simply looking into his eyes. However, McEntire is now questioning the sincerity of his words and wondering how many lies he had told her during their time together.
The chorus of the song has a stern and clear message, "if this is how you act when you give your heart away, well, take it back." It is the singer's way of telling her partner that she is no longer going to tolerate his dishonesty and that it is time for him to take back his false-hearted love. The second verse of the song highlights the irony in the situation. He had previously told her that she was everything he wanted and more but was caught sneaking out the backdoor of their shared home with flowers and a bottle of wine, which he later realized was not her drink of choice.
The bridge of the song has McEntire asserting her independence from her partner. She emphatically states that she is not one to wallow in pity, and he can take his ticket and leave because she has no use for him. The song concludes with McEntire telling him to take back his suitcase and to hit the road for good because she finally sees through his lies.
Line by Line Meaning
You talked me into moving in and giving you my key
You convinced me to live with you and give you access to my home
You said you'd be a mess now if it hadn't been for me
You claimed that I saved you from being a disaster without me in your life
You said I stole your heart away by looking in your eyes
You claimed I won your love by simply glancing at you
I wonder now how many times you sold that pack of lies
Now I question how many times you lied to me with that story
If this is how you act when you give your heart away
If this is how you treat someone you claim to love
Well, take it back
Take your love back
You told me I was everything you wanted and more
You assured me that I was the perfect partner
Then tell me what you're doing now sneaking out the back door
Why are you trying to leave unnoticed?
You're bringing home flowers and a bottle of Chablis
You're bringing home gifts and wine
You forgot I don't drink wine I know that bottle's not for me
You forgot that I don't like wine and that bottle cannot be for me
Oh, you must think I'm blind
You must be underestimating my intelligence
And I don't smell your new cologne
And I don't notice your new fragrance
You don't think I notice all the nights I spend alone
You underestimate my awareness of when you're not with me
Well, I'm not one for sitting 'round in some ole pity pool
I'm not someone who will stay in a sad state for too long
You think you got a ticket and I must be some kind of fool
You think you can keep hurting me and I will still be with you
I hate to steal your thunder but your playing days are through
I hate to ruin your excitement, but our relationship is over
At least they are with me cause babe, I got no use for you
At least they are over between us because I have no reason to stay with you anymore
Tonight laying on the street, babe, your bag is packed
Tonight, you'll be on the street with your bag packed
So, take it back
Take back all that you claimed to have given to me
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, FEVER PITCH MUSIC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KRISTY JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christopherfraley4076
The choreography, the sax, the vocals, the sass, everything….LEGENDARY
@ndb_1982
The Sass is E V E R Y T H I N G
@moniquemcpherson6927
PRICELESS !!!!
@pameladotson2503
She does breakup better than anyone! She's got sassy and classy down to an art form!
@callumnye2562
Hello Pamela, how are you doing?
@listen2yourheart882
H_LL YES SHE'S SUPER CLASSY WITH HER GOODBYE SONGS!🥰🥰🥰💕💞💫💥😁
@FaytLinegod
Oh, I don't know...I think Kelly Clarkson comes pretty close. And she's great friends with Reba.😁
@krasnayaswirl
You know you've lost the court case when the jury becomes the prosecution's back up dancers and the judge starts accompanying on the sax.
@briancooper1022
Alex such a fantastic comment; thank you for sharing. It would be difficult to win any case against the talented and lovely Ms. Reba McEntire. Iris from Manassas, VA.
@ELVIS1975T
I am sure someone would find a loophole regarding a fault in procedures :)))))))))))))))))