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.
What If It#comment-box
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feels like I'm living in a world gone mad
Look around, all around it's just the same
People just rush everywhere
No time to ever take the time to care
We're the ones, we're the losers in this game
So where is the tenderness we sacrifice for progress
What if everybody, what if everybody reached out with just one hand?
(Reached with just one hand)
What if everybody, what if everybody sang out with just one voice?
(Sang with just one voice)
Maybe we could change things
What if everybody, what if everybody cared with just one heart?
(Cared with their own heart)
What if everybody, what if everybody tried to light one spark?
(Tried to light one spark)
Maybe we could change things somehow
Somehow it's all up to us, gotta take this world
Make it a world of love, gotta do it now
Gotta find a way to make a change somehow
There's gotta be a way for us to make it better
What if everybody, what if everybody reached out with just one hand?
(Reached with just one hand)
What if everybody, what if everybody sang out with just one voice?
(Sang with just one voice)
Maybe we could change things
What if everybody, what if everybody cared with just one hear?t
(Cared with their own heart)
What if everybody, what if everybody tried to light one spark?
(Tried to light one spark)
Maybe we could change things somehow
Here in our hearts, oh, the answer is there
If we only would look inside them
We can make it better, we can make it better
If we try together
What if everybody, what if everybody reached out with just one hand?
(Reached with just one hand)
What if everybody, what if everybody sang out with just one voice?
(Sang with just one voice)
Maybe we could change things
What if everybody, what if everybody cared with just one heart?
(Cared with their own heart)
What if everybody, what if everybody tried to light one spark?
(Tried to light one spark)
Maybe we could change things somehow
"What If" by Reba McEntire is a message of love, unity and hope for the world. Reba paints a picture of a world that's all around us, yet one that we don't always understand. The fast-paced life of today's world can often leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected, but Reba urges us to take the time to look after one another by simply reaching out, singing out and caring with just one heart. She believes that it's possible for everyone to make a positive difference in the world by lighting that one spark that could change everything.
The lyrics offer a powerful message of hope that can inspire anyone to make a positive impact on the world. It reminds us that we are all in this together and that when we work towards a common goal, we can create a world that is full of love, compassion, and peace. The chorus is particularly impactful, with its emphasis on what we could achieve if we all worked together to make a difference.
Overall, "What If" is a beautiful song that offers listeners a powerful message of hope and unity. Through its uplifting music and meaningful lyrics, it encourages us to believe in our ability to change the world and to work towards creating a society that we can all be proud of.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I don't understand
There are moments when the world around me seems difficult to comprehend.
Feels like I'm living in a world gone mad
It seems like the world is full of chaos, madness and unrest.
Look around, all around it's just the same
Everything I see reminds me that the world is stuck in a routine.
People just rush everywhere
It feels like people are running around without any sense of direction or purpose.
No time to ever take the time to care
People are so busy doing their own things they don't have the time or energy to care about others.
We're the ones, we're the losers in this game
People like us are at a disadvantage because of the way the world is structured.
So where is the tenderness we sacrifice for progress
In our pursuit of progress, we have forgotten the importance of being kind and compassionate.
And where is the love we need, you know it makes me wonder
I wonder where all the love in the world has gone and why we need it more than ever.
What if everybody, what if everybody reached out with just one hand? (Reached with just one hand)
What if everyone showed a little kindness and reached out to help each other with even just a small gesture?
What if everybody, what if everybody sang out with just one voice? (Sang with just one voice)
What if everyone took a stand and worked together to make a change with a single voice?
Maybe we could change things
Perhaps if we all came together, we can make a difference.
What if everybody, what if everybody cared with just one heart? (Cared with their own heart)
What if everyone started caring about each other and the world with a little bit of their heart?
What if everybody, what if everybody tried to light one spark? (Tried to light one spark)
What if each one of us took the initiative to make a small positive change, then maybe we could light a spark that ignites greater change.
Maybe we could change things somehow
If we all tried our best, maybe we could make a difference even if the path is unclear.
Somehow it's all up to us, gotta take this world
It's our responsibility to take charge and make the world a better place.
Make it a world of love, gotta do it now
We have to start now in creating a world full of love and compassion.
Gotta find a way to make a change somehow
We need to search for ways to make a change and not wait for others to do it for us.
There's gotta be a way for us to make it better
We cannot give up hope, as there has to be a solution to make the world a better place.
Here in our hearts, oh, the answer is there
The answer to making the world a better place lies within our hearts, and we need to look inward to find it.
If we only would look inside them
If only we would take the time to look inside our hearts, we'll find the solution.
We can make it better, we can make it better
We have the power to make a change and create a better world.
If we try together
We can only make a difference if we work together and towards a common goal.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DIANE EVE WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Mahler
Thank you so much for having these videos on YouTube! These older videos of Reba are priceless!
Steven Dudley
I watched that performance on Thanksgiving day 1997