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.
This Picture
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tore it to pieces this morning at two
Score one for me
I took your portrait off the living room wall
Then I started on the ones in the hall
Had a bonfire
I decided it was time to forget
So I got rid of every picture you left
[Chorus:]
But what do I do with this picture of you in my mind
I close my eyes and I still see you saying goodbye
I know I'd be okay if I could just throw away
This picture
I walk alone down a crowded street
And see your face in everybody I meet
When's it gonna end
Every single night I crawl into bed
[Hoping sleep will keep you out of my head
I should know better
Everytime I turn around there you are
I never thought your memory would go this far
[Repeat Chorus twice & tag]
The song "This Picture" by Reba McEntire is a heart-wrenching ballad that talks about how difficult it is to forget an old love. The song tells the story of a woman who tries to move on after a painful breakup by destroying all the pictures of her former lover that she possesses. She rips apart and burns every picture of her ex-boyfriend to erase all the memories of him that are stored in her house. However, even in the absence of his pictures, his image haunts her mind, and she can't forget him. Every time she closes her eyes, she sees his face, and it reminds her of the moment he left her.
The song's message is that the heart and mind do not always agree on what is best for us. The heart finds it difficult to let go of the love we have shared with someone, and the mind knows that it is essential to moving on. The woman in the song wants to forget her ex-lover and move on, but she can't because she still loves him. However, she realizes that even if she destroys all his pictures, she can't erase his memory from her mind.
Line by Line Meaning
That old picture with my arm around you
Referring to a physical photograph of the singer with their ex-partner, which they once treasured and held close to remind them of the good times they had shared.
Tore it to pieces this morning at two
The singer very recently and actively destroyed the aforementioned photograph, symbolically removing the influence of their ex from their life.
Score one for me
The singer feels proud of themselves for making this symbolic and emotional cut with their past, as if they have achieved a small victory for themselves.
I took your portrait off the living room wall
The singer removed a picture of their ex-partner from a public space in their home, signifying a beginning of the process of moving on.
Then I started on the ones in the hall
Continuing the process, the singer removed other pictures of their ex from around their home.
Had a bonfire
The singer may have burned these pictures, signifying a cathartic release and destruction of their past relationship.
I decided it was time to forget
The singer has made a conscious decision to move forward with their life and stop holding onto the memories of their past relationship.
So I got rid of every picture you left
The singer has completely removed any physical evidence of their past relationship from their life.
But what do I do with this picture of you in my mind
Despite getting rid of physical reminders of their ex, the singer still can't shake the memories they have of them and their relationship.
I close my eyes and I still see you saying goodbye
The singer can't escape the pain of their final breakup, which still haunts them in their thoughts and memories.
I know I'd be okay if I could just throw away
The singer knows that if they could just forget about their past relationship and stop dwelling on it, they would be able to move on and be okay.
This picture
Referring to the figurative image of their ex and their past relationship that they can't seem to rid themselves of.
I walk alone down a crowded street
Despite being surrounded by people, the singer still feels alone and lost without their ex in their life.
And see your face in everybody I meet
The singer can't help but see traces of their ex in other people they come across, making it harder for them to move on and forget.
When's it gonna end
The singer is frustrated and tired of feeling this way, and is desperate for their pain and memories to stop haunting them.
Every single night I crawl into bed
The singer is plagued by their memories of their ex and their past relationship, even when they're trying to sleep and rest their mind.
Hoping sleep will keep you out of my head
The singer is desperate for relief and trying anything to forget about their ex, even if it's just hoping sleep can give them a break from their thoughts.
I should know better
The singer acknowledges that they shouldn't let their memories and pain control them, further highlighting their struggle to move on from their past relationship.
Everytime I turn around there you are
No matter how hard the singer tries to forget about their ex, they are constantly reminded of them and their past relationship.
I never thought your memory would go this far
The singer is surprised and overwhelmed by how difficult it is to move on from their ex's memory, and never anticipated it would affect them so greatly.
[Repeat Chorus twice & tag]
The chorus serves as a reminder of the singer's struggle to move on from their past relationship, and the tag is a final plea for their ex to leave their mind and let them finally move on.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tammiefields5934
How true you are, Reba the sound is phenomenal especially your vocals I have listened to the entire album and it has blown my mind it how crystal clear everything is thank you so much for sharing and allowing us to participate I love you dearly God bless you hope to see you soon have a great day
@lindaburns5817
Beautifully done and lovely Reba!!! ⚘♥️🌹🙏🎶🌷💐👍🦋
@rebajune8775
You can get rid of the physical pictures but memories are harder to get rid of
@eliyahsromans9547
Every song on this album could be a single
@kimberlydunham-lt4pp
Riva a long time ago I went to see you it was a great concert and you sang all the great songs keep it up and God-bless you
@richlewis205
Reba I went to see you at radio city Music Hall when you sang this you’re voice resonated so unbelievably in that theater. I’ll never forget it.
@jenniferwilhelm256
I'm always able to see the one I love in my mind. He's in my heart. I do have physical pictures, but it's not the same as the real thing. Missing a great man.
Wish him well always.
@icare7151
A picture is worth a thousand words
Picture this ....
@alanbaute5831
Thanks Reba your music is a blessing stay safe during coverd 19 god bless you
@tomstanley7568
like the sound of this one