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 Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's checking out every man in the room right now
Don't go telling her about right or wrong
She's been alone for way too long
Well, the heart is a lonely hunter
With only one desire
To find some lasting comfort in the arms of a lovers fire
To the dark of the neon light
The heart is a lonely hunter
When there's no sign of a love in sight
She hears him say, hey, can I buy you a drink
And sees the pale white circle where he wears his ring
She knows she's dealing her a dangerous hand
The consequences of a one night stand
But the heart is a lonely hunter
With only one desire
To find some lasting comfort in the arms of a lovers fire
Driven by a desperate hunger
To the dark of the neon light
The heart is a lonely hunter
When there's no sign of a love in sight
From somewhere deep inside, she tells him no
Before she starts to cry, she turns to go
Hunter, hunter
Oh, the heart is a lonely hunter
With only one desire
To find some lasting comfort in the arms of a lover's fire
Driven by a desperate hunger
To the dark of the neon light
Oh, the heart is a lonely hunter
When there's no sign of a love in sight
Oh, the heart is a lonely hunter
When there's no sign of a love in sight
The song "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" by Reba McEntire is a poignant ballad about a woman who is desperately searching for love and companionship. The song tells the story of a woman who enters a bar, looking for a potential partner. She is instantly drawn to the men in the room and starts scanning the area. The lyrics mention that she has been alone for too long and is now seeking comfort and affection.
The chorus of the song speaks to the universal feeling of loneliness that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. The heart is described as a "lonely hunter" with only one desire - to find comfort and love in the arms of someone else. The emotions driving someone to seek love are compared to a "desperate hunger" that can only be satisfied by the bright lights of the city and the neon signs that promise romance.
As the song progresses, the woman is approached by a man who wants to buy her a drink. She sees the ring on his finger and knows that she is entering dangerous territory. The lyrics suggest that the potential consequences of a one-night stand are not lost on her, and she knows that she must be cautious.
Despite the warnings, the woman remains driven by her need for companionship. The song ends with her ultimately rejecting the man's advances, consumed by her feelings of loneliness as the heart continues its never-ending search for love.
Line by Line Meaning
She came in looking good and looking around
Upon entering the room, she presented herself nicely and surveyed her surroundings
She's checking out every man in the room right now
She is currently evaluating every male in the room with potential romantic interest
Don't go telling her about right or wrong
It would be pointless to try and persuade her with moral principles
She's been alone for way too long
She has been deprived of companionship for a significant period of time
Well, the heart is a lonely hunter
The human heart constantly seeks a meaningful connection due to innate loneliness
With only one desire
The singular objective of this desire is finding a sense of lasting fulfillment
To find some lasting comfort in the arms of a lovers fire
Discovering a profound sense of contentment in the embrace of a sincere romantic relationship
Driven by a desperate hunger
Compelled by a ravenous longing for something that can satisfy the soul
To the dark of the neon light
Navigating through the bleakness of urban nightlife to attempt to find love
The heart is a lonely hunter
Emphasizing the reiterating theme of inherent emotional isolation experienced by people
When there's no sign of a love in sight
Existing in a state of hopelessness when one is struggling to find romantic companionship
She hears him say, hey, can I buy you a drink
A man in the environment asks if he can purchase her a beverage
And sees the pale white circle where he wears his ring
She identifies a sign of marriage that he is wearing
She knows she's dealing her a dangerous hand
She acknowledges that consequent risks will arise from engaging in a situation fraught with uncertainty
The consequences of a one night stand
The possible aftermaths of a transient dalliance
From somewhere deep inside, she tells him no
A sense of self-preservation provokes her to refuse him, originating from an inner voice
Before she starts to cry, she turns to go
In order to leave before tears are shed in vulnerability, she departs from the scenario
Hunter, hunter
Continuing to characterize the heart’s insatiable yearning for affectionate company
Oh, the heart is a lonely hunter
Reiterating the aforementioned concept of the heart’s perpetual loneliness
When there's no sign of a love in sight
Persisting exposition of the desolate emotions experienced during one's search for love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kim Williams, Mark Sanders, Ed Hill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind