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.
The Blues Don't Care Who's Got 'Em
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well the blues don't care who's got 'em
Tears don't care where they fall
And you don't care my heart is breaking in two
No you and the blues don't care at all
Outside my window
It's raining
Inside my lonely heart is aching
Oh how I miss you tonight
[Chorus]
The wind don't care where it's blowing
Rivers don't care where they flow
I don't know where I'm going
Cause you don't care anymore
[Chorus]
Oh darling you and the blues don't care at all
Reba McEntire's song "The Blues Don't Care Who's Got 'Em" is a heartbreaking ballad that captures the feeling of being alone and forgotten. With a powerful and soulful voice, Reba sings about the pain of heartbreak, while also acknowledging that the sadness she feels is nothing new to the world. The song's refrain "the blues don't care who's got 'em, tears don't care where they fall, and you don't care my heart is breaking in two" encapsulates the central theme of the song: no matter who you are or what you are going through, the blues will always be there.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the song, as Reba sings about the rain outside her window and the aching loneliness within her heart. The second verse continues this theme, as the singer reflects on how the wind and rivers aren't affected by the emotions of people, just as the one who broke her heart seems indifferent to her pain.
Overall, "The Blues Don't Care Who's Got 'Em" is a powerful song that captures the universal emotion of heartbreak and loneliness. With Reba McEntire's iconic voice delivering the lyrics with raw emotion, it's impossible not to feel the pain and sadness that the song expresses.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the blues don't care who's got 'em
The feeling of melancholy or sadness does not discriminate and can affect anyone regardless of their circumstances.
Tears don't care where they fall
The expression of emotions cannot be controlled and can happen at any time or place without consideration for surroundings.
And you don't care my heart is breaking in two
The person who is causing heartbreak or emotional pain is indifferent and does not acknowledge or take responsibility for their actions.
No you and the blues don't care at all
The combination of the person's disregard and the overwhelming sadness amplifies the feeling of hopelessness and loneliness.
Outside my window
The physical world remains unchanged and unconcerned while the person is struggling internally.
It's raining
The weather reflects the person's current emotional state and adds to the feeling of despair.
Somehow the rain seems right
The person finds comfort in the weather, which mirrors their internal state and helps them release emotions.
Inside my lonely heart is aching
The pain of isolation and abandonment is overwhelming, causing physical discomfort and exhaustion.
Oh how I miss you tonight
The person feels intense longing for their lost love and wishes for them to return.
The wind don't care where it's blowing
Nature continues to operate without regard for human struggles, adding to the feeling of insignificance and powerlessness.
Rivers don't care where they flow
Nature's systems operate without concern for human emotions and experiences, adding to the feeling of isolation and insignificance.
I don't know where I'm going
The feeling of being lost and directionless exacerbates the feeling of loneliness and hopelessness.
Cause you don't care anymore
The person's lack of concern or care for their partner contributes to the overwhelming feeling of abandonment and loneliness.
Oh darling you and the blues don't care at all
The pairing of the person's disregard and the overwhelming sadness amplify the feeling of hopelessness and loneliness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DICKEY LEE, WAYLAND D. HOLYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind