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.
You're No Good
Reba McEntire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that we're through
Feelin' better
'Cause I'm over you
I learned my lesson
It left a scar
But now I see
How you really are
[Chorus]
You're no good, you're no good
You're no good baby you're no good
I'm gonna say it again
You're no good, you're no good
You're no good baby you're no good
Broke a heart
Gentle and true
Left a man
Over someone like you
I'll beg his forgiveness
On bended knee
But I wouldn't blame him
If he said to me
[Chorus]
I'm tellin' you now baby
That I'm going my way
Forget about you baby
'Cause I'm leaving today
Reba McEntire's song "You're No Good" is a classic breakup song that tells the story of the singer's healing process. The lyrics "Feelin' better, now that we're through, Feelin' better, 'cause I'm over you" demonstrate clearly that the singer has moved on from the past relationship and is in a better place. The line "I learned my lesson; it left a scar, but now I see how you really are" explains that the relationship experience was not all rosy, and despite the pain, the singer grew from the lesson.
The chorus is the heart of the song and is repeated twice in the verses, where the singer reiterates her feelings about the person. The line "You're no good, you're no good, you're no good, baby, you're no good" is a direct message to the person that they were terrible for the singer, and that the singer has no interest in continuing the relationship. The singer goes further to state her decision to take her life back by leaving, saying "I'm telling you now, baby, that I'm going my way, forget about you, baby, 'cause I'm leaving today."
Overall, the song's key message is about the singer's independence and decision to move on from a bad relationship, choosing to end the relationship rather than staying trapped in a toxic cycle. Reba McEntire delivered the song in her inimitable style that resonated with many, making it a favorite classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Feelin' better
I am feeling physically and emotionally better than before
Now that we're through
Now that our relationship has ended
Feelin' better
Reaffirming that my physical and emotional state has improved
'Cause I'm over you
Because I have moved on from you emotionally
I learned my lesson
I have gained knowledge from this experience
It left a scar
This experience has caused me emotional pain that will always be with me
But now I see
I have gained clarity and understanding from this experience
How you really are
I now understand your true nature and personality
You're no good, you're no good
You are untrustworthy and unreliable
You're no good baby you're no good
You are not a good person, and I do not want to be with you
I'm gonna say it again
I want to reaffirm my feelings about you
Broke a heart
Your actions caused someone emotional pain
Gentle and true
This person was kind and sincere
Left a man
You caused the end of a relationship between two people
Over someone like you
Because of your undesirable traits and behaviors
I'll beg his forgiveness
I will plead and ask for forgiveness from the person whose heart you broke
On bended knee
I will humble myself and ask for forgiveness in a respectful manner
But I wouldn't blame him
I would not hold it against him if he did not forgive me
If he said to me
If he were to tell me that I am at fault, I would understand
I'm tellin' you now baby
I want to make it clear to you
That I'm going my way
I am choosing to move on with my life without you
Forget about you baby
I am choosing to remove you from my life and forget about you
'Cause I'm leaving today
I am physically leaving and beginning a new chapter of my life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANOUSHKA VANDEVYVERE, BUTCH WALKER, JAKE SINCLAIR, KATTY BESNARD, LOUISE BASILIEN, MARINE NEUILLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind