Reba Nell McEntire (born on March 28, 1955 - Kiowa, Oklahoma, USA) is a Gra… Read Full Bio ↴Reba Nell McEntire (born on March 28, 1955 - Kiowa, Oklahoma, USA) is a Grammy Award-winning singer and one of the best-selling country music performers of all time, known for her pop-tinged ballads that include 24 #1 hits. She has issued 28 studio albums and 13 compilations, with more than 50 million records sold as of 2007.

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.

Tears On My Pillow
Reba McEntire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You don't remember me
Oh but I remember you
Was not so long ago
You broke my heart in two

[Chorus]
Tears on my pillow
Pain in my heart

Caused by you

If we could start anew
I wouldn't hesitate
I'd gladly take you back
And tempt the hand of fate

[Chorus]

Love is not a gadget
Love is not a toy
When you find the one you love
You fill your heart with joy

If we could start anew
I wouldn't hesitate
I'd gladly take you back
And tempt the hand of fate

[Chorus: x2]

You, you, you

Overall Meaning

In Reba McEntire's song "Tears On My Pillow," the lyrics talk about heartache and lost love. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer says, "You don't remember me, oh but I remember you. Was not so long ago, you broke my heart in two." The lyrics are straightforward and to the point, revealing the hurt that the singer feels from a past relationship. The chorus reinforces the sadness, saying, "Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart, caused by you." The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has experienced heartache from a lost love.

The second verse of the song discusses the possibility of a second chance at love. The singer says, "If we could start anew, I wouldn't hesitate, I'd gladly take you back, and tempt the hand of fate." The lyrics suggest that even though the singer has been hurt in the past, they are willing to take a risk and try again with the person who broke their heart. The final verse of the song reflects on the true nature of love. The lyrics say, "Love is not a gadget, love is not a toy. When you find the one you love, you fill your heart with joy." The lyrics hint that the singer has found true love and that even though they have been hurt, they are willing to take a chance on love again.

Line by Line Meaning

You don't remember me
The person addressed in the song has forgotten the singer.

Oh, but I remember you
The singer still remembers the person who has forgotten them.

Was not so long ago
The break-up happened recently.

You broke my heart in two
The person addressed in the song was responsible for breaking the singer's heart.

Tears on my pillow
The singer is crying herself to sleep at night.

Pain in my heart
The singer is experiencing emotional pain due to the break-up.

Caused by you
The person addressed in the song is responsible for causing the singer's pain.

If we could start anew
The singer is willing to consider a reconciliation.

I wouldn't hesitate
The singer is confident in their desire to give the relationship another chance.

I'd gladly take you back
The singer is still in love with the person addressed in the song.

And tempt the hand of fate
The singer is willing to take a chance on the relationship working out, even if it didn't before.