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 Secret Of Giving
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we struggle and pray for a lifeline
Just needing someone
To show us the way
To you the glass might seem half empty
But it's half full to those without any
So hold on to hope
Oh, you've got to have faith
[Chorus]
If there's just one secret to living
Whoever you are
It's learning the meaning of giving
With an open heart/With an open heart
If you offer the best part of yourself
Even when you don't have anything else
Honest and true
It'll come back to you
Love comes back to you
[Chorus]
With your arms wide open
The world opens wide
And you'll believe it deep inside
That there's just one secret to living
Whoever you are
It's finding that true joy in giving
With an open heart/With an open heart
Reba McEntire's "The Secret of Giving" portrays the idea that during hard times, the power of giving can lead to finding genuine happiness. The first verse describes how struggling individuals need someone to guide them through these challenging times. The lyric "to you the glass might seem half empty, but it's half full to those without any" encourages listeners not to take what they have for granted. The chorus advises that giving is the secret to living and that whoever the listener may be, the meaning of giving with an open heart should be learned. The second verse highlights that honesty and integrity are integral to giving with love.
The message of the song is that giving goes beyond just material objects; it’s about offering the best parts of yourself to others who may need it. When we give without expecting anything in return, we're more likely to be genuinely happy. In the bridge, McEntire sings about the power of opening our arms and hearts to the world - this leads to the realization that giving is the secret to living. The overall tone of the song is uplifting, inspiring individuals to give and appreciate what they have.
Line by Line Meaning
In this life we all go through hard times
Life undergoes hard times, and every individual struggles and prays for help.
When we struggle and pray for a lifeline
When we endure hardships and pray for assistance to endure them.
Just needing someone
Requiring someone's assistance to show the right path.
To show us the way
Guidance to help them find the right path in tough situations.
To you the glass might seem half empty
To some people, everything might seem dull or pessimistic.
But it's half full to those without any
However, a life of nothing forms an appreciation for what little is available.
So hold on to hope
Hold on to one's hope and optimism.
And try to have faith
Attempt to maintain one's trust and belief in a greater force, either religious or otherwise.
If there's just one secret to living
A single secret to living exists.
Whoever you are
Whoever one may be.
It's learning the meaning of giving
It is discovering the significance of altruistic kindness.
With an open heart/With an open heart
With a mind that is unbiased and accepting.
If you offer the best part of yourself
If you provide the best of which one is capable.
Even when you don't have anything else
Even when one has nothing else to give.
Honest and true
Truthful and sincere.
It'll come back to you
Your kindness will return to you in some form, whether tangible or not.
Love comes back to you
Kindness and selflessness leads to experiences of appreciation.
With your arms wide open
With open arms, embracing generosity.
The world opens wide
The world becomes more expansive and accepting.
And you'll believe it deep inside
You'll feel it deep down and recognize the significance of generosity in the world.
It's finding that true joy in giving
The secret of living is discovering authentic joy in serving others.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD MORGAN BOWLES, RICK BOWLES, SUNNY RUSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind