Somebody Should Leave

Last updated
"Somebody Should Leave"
Rebamcentire54596.jpg
Single by Reba McEntire
from the album My Kind of Country
B-side "Don't You Believe Him"
ReleasedJanuary 28, 1985
Recorded1984
Genre Country
Length3:34
Label MCA
Songwriter(s) Harlan Howard
Chick Rains
Producer(s) Harold Shedd
Reba McEntire singles chronology
"How Blue"
(1984)
"Somebody Should Leave"
(1985)
"Have I Got a Deal for You"
(1985)

"Somebody Should Leave" is a song written by Harlan Howard and Chick Rains, and recorded by American country music artist, Reba McEntire. It was released in January 1985 as the second single from her album My Kind of Country . It was McEntire's second number one single in a row on the Billboard country music chart, being the first of a series of number one singles McEntire would acquire under MCA.

Contents

Background

Like her previous single, "Somebody Should Leave" was recorded in 1984 at MCA studio in Nashville, Tennessee. It was one of several new tracks that would appear on McEntire's My Kind of Country album later in the year, which mainly comprised cover versions of country songs.

Content

The song is a ballad describing a woman who finds herself in a loveless relationship with her husband. The female narrator realizes a divorce is needed, but they are faced with a dilemma, as she states in the song, "he needs the kids and they need me." [1] The song's chorus further explains the storyline:

Somebody should leave but which one should it be
You need the kids and they need me
Somebody should leave but we hate to give in
We keep hopin' somehow we might need each other again

Critical reception

Much like "How Blue", "Somebody Should Leave" also gained fairly positive reviews from music critics since its release. William Ruhlmann of Allmusic praised the track, saying, "a characteristically direct Howard story song about an impending divorce a couple was studiously avoiding..." [1] The website, My Kind of Country gave "Somebody Should Leave" high critical praise, calling it a "tearjerker". The website further went on to praise the song and the story behind it, saying, "An instant classic, with an emotionally charged vocal performance, this is the centerpiece of the album. Reba approached Harlan Howard when she was looking for material for the album. He played her a song that she didn’t like, so she turned it down as politely as she could. Howard responded that he was testing her to see if she could distinguish between a good song and a bad one — and to see if she had the nerve to tell him that she didn’t like the song. Reba had passed the test, and being allowed to record “Somebody Should Leave” was her reward." [2] Author, Kurt Wolff of Country Music: The Rough Guide commented that the song is "weepy, it exhibits tasteful restraints..." [3]

Release and chart performance

"Somebody Should Leave" was released as a single January 28, 1985, a few weeks after her previous single, "How Blue" peaked on the Billboard chart. The song became McEntire's second number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in a row, reaching the top spot by May 1985. With the help of the album and the single itself, McEntire would win the Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist of the Year," her second honor from the association. The song was considered to have a traditional sound, which categorized McEntire as a "new traditionalist," a similar title to that of George Strait and Ricky Skaggs. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>My Kind of Country</i> (Reba McEntire album) 1984 studio album by Reba McEntire

My Kind of Country is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire, released October 15, 1984. It was her second studio album for MCA Records. My Kind of Country peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Country Music Albums chart. Two tracks from the album rose to No. 1 on the Country Singles chart: "How Blue" and "Somebody Should Leave".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reba McEntire</span> American country singer and actress

Reba Nell McEntire, or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed "the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 25 of which reached the number one spot. She is an actress in films and television. She starred in the television series Reba, which aired for six seasons. She also owns several businesses, including a clothing line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty Loveless</span> American country music singer (born 1957)

Patty Loveless is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first few releases were unsuccessful, she broke through by decade's end with a cover of George Jones' "If My Heart Had Windows". Loveless issued five albums on MCA before moving to Epic Records in 1993, where she released nine more albums. Four of her albums —Honky Tonk Angel, Only What I Feel, When Fallen Angels Fly, and The Trouble with the Truth — are certified platinum in the United States. Loveless has charted 44 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including five which reached number one: "Timber, I'm Falling in Love", "Chains", "Blame It on Your Heart", "You Can Feel Bad", and "Lonely Too Long".

<i>Room to Breathe</i> (Reba McEntire album) 2003 studio album by Reba McEntire

Room to Breathe is the twenty-sixth studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released on November 18, 2003, by MCA Nashville Records. It was produced by Buddy Cannon, McEntire, and Norro Wilson.

<i>Reba: Duets</i> 2007 studio album by Reba McEntire

Reba: Duets is the twenty-seventh studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released September 18, 2007,by MCA Nashville Records and September 24, 2007, by Humphead Records in the UK, and was produced by Tony Brown, Dann Huff, McEntire, and Justin Timberlake.

"The Only Promise That Remains" is a country duet recorded by American singers Reba McEntire and Justin Timberlake for McEntire's 24th studio album, Reba: Duets (2007). It was written and produced by Timberlake, with additional writing from Matt Morris. McEntire and Timberlake met at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in February 2007, where McEntire asked him to be a part of the album. She was initially skeptical when Timberlake suggested that he write a song for her, expecting it to be "something that was wayyy out of [her] ballpark". She was relieved when he played "The Only Promise That Remains", an acoustic-based Celtic love song, for her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Does He Love You</span>

"Does He Love You" is a song written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch, and recorded as a duet by American country music artists Reba McEntire and Linda Davis. It was released in August 1993 as the first single from Reba's compilation album Greatest Hits Volume 2. It is one of country music's several songs about a love triangle.

"Is There Life Out There" is a song written by Susan Longacre and Rick Giles, and recorded by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released on January 28, 1992 as the second single from her album For My Broken Heart. The song reached Number One on the American country singles charts in March of that year, and peaked at the same position on the Canadian country singles charts in April.

<i>Keep On Loving You</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Reba McEntire

Keep On Loving You is the twenty-eighth studio album by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was released August 18, 2009 on Starstruck/Valory and on Humphead Records in the UK, and was produced by Tony Brown, Mark Bright, and McEntire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consider Me Gone</span> 2009 single by Reba

"Consider Me Gone" is a song written by Steve Diamond and Marv Green. It was recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire as her second release for the Valory label, a sister label of Big Machine Records. It is also the second single from her thirty-third studio album Keep On Loving You, which was released on August 18, 2009. On the Billboard country singles charts dated for the week of January 2, 2010, the song became McEntire's twenty-fourth number-one single. It is also her longest-lasting number one at four weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Blue</span> 1984 single by Reba McEntire

"How Blue" is a song written by John Moffat, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in September 1984 as the first single from the album My Kind of Country. It was her third number one single on the Billboard country music chart and would be the first of a series of number one singles during the 1980s and 1990s.

"Only in My Mind" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in September 1985 as the second single from the album Have I Got a Deal for You. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It is still the only single ever released that was solely written by McEntire.

"Little Rock" is a song written by Pat McManus, Bob DiPiero and Gerry House, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It released in June 1986 as the second single from the album Whoever's in New England. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in late 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Am I Gonna Do About You (song)</span> 1986 single by Reba McEntire

"What Am I Gonna Do About You" is a song written by Jim Allison, Doug Gilmore, and Bob Simon. It was first recorded by American country music artist Con Hunley in 1986 on the Capitol Records label and later by Reba McEntire for her 1986 studio album of the same name. Produced by Jimmy Bowen and McEntire, it was a number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reba McEntire albums discography</span>

The albums discography of American country singer Reba McEntire contains 35 studio albums, 25 compilation albums, two live albums, three extended plays and has appeared on 27 albums. Of these albums, 27 have received a certification of at least Gold from the Recording Industry Association of America. Her highest-certified album is the 1993 compilation Greatest Hits Volume Two, which is certified quintuple-platinum for U.S. shipments of five million copies. According to RIAA, she has sold 41 million certified albums in the United States, making her the seventh best selling female album artist in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reba McEntire singles discography</span>

The singles discography of American country music singer Reba McEntire contains 126 singles. They are further categorized by 100 released as a lead artist, seven as a featured artist and 19 that were issued as promotional singles. In addition to singles, eight unofficial singles were released and made charting positions in both the United States and Canada. After being discovered by Red Steagall, McEntire signed a recording contract with Polygram/Mercury Records in 1975. In 1977, she released her debut, self-titled album, which yielded four singles that low-charting entries on the Billboard Hot Country Songs survey. She had her first major hit as a solo artist with a remake of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams" (1979).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somebody's Chelsea</span> 2011 single by Reba

"Somebody's Chelsea" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It is the fourth single from her 2010 album All the Women I Am.

"You've Got Me " is a song originally recorded by American country music singer Connie Smith. It was composed by Smith herself, along with George Richey. The song was Smith's debut single for Columbia Records, upon its release in 1973. The same year it was issued on her first album with Columbia titled A Lady Named Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Broke Your Memory Last Night</span> 1984 single by Reba McEntire

"He Broke Your Memory Last Night" is a song written by Dickey Lee and Bucky Jones, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in June 1984 as the second single from the album Just a Little Love. The song became a top 20 hit on the American country music chart.

<i>Somebody Elses Fire</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Janie Fricke

Somebody Else's Fire is a studio album by American country artist Janie Fricke. It was released in June 1985 via Columbia Records and was a collection of ten tracks. The disc was the tenth studio record released in Fricke's music career. The album reached the American country LP's chart in 1985 and spawned three singles. Its highest-charting single was the lead release titled "She's Single Again", which climbed to the number two spot in the United States and Canada. The album received a favorable review from AllMusic.

References

  1. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. "My Kind of Country > Review". Allmusic . Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  2. Razor X (August 3, 2009). "Album review: My Kind of Country". My Kind of Country.com. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  3. Wolff, Kurt. "Ch. 12 - Wild and Blue: Traditionalism Makes a Comeback". In Orla Duane (ed.). Country Music: The Rough Guide. London, England: Rough Guides Ltd.
  4. Ruhlamann, Williams. "Reba McEntire > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  5. "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  6. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.