Reba McEntire has built a career on heartfelt country ballads, but she admits there’s one song she still can’t perform without getting emotional.
In an interview with Taste of Country Nights, McEntire shared that certain tracks continue to hit her just as deeply as they did decades ago. One in particular has brought her to tears “lots of times” over the years.
That song is her 1985 hit “Somebody Should Leave” from the album My Kind of Country. According to McEntire, the heartbreaking storyline makes it nearly impossible to sing without breaking down.
She also revealed that a few other songs stir similar emotions. “She Thinks His Name Was John” is another that affects her strongly, but she says the one that moves her most is “The Greatest Man I Never Knew.”
McEntire recently reflected on “Somebody Should Leave” while celebrating the opening of Reba’s Place, her Oklahoma restaurant. In a TikTok video, she recalled how the song first came into her life through legendary songwriter Harlan Howard, who had written hits for stars like Buck Owens and Patsy Cline.
McEntire remembered visiting Howard’s home to hear new material. She passed on the first two songs he played, but the third immediately struck her as one of the saddest country songs she had ever heard. Taking her manager’s advice to record it turned out to be the right decision—the track became her fourth No. 1 single.
Today, the song still carries that same emotional weight every time she sings it.
Beyond revisiting her classic hits, McEntire remains active in new projects. She currently stars in the NBC sitcom Happy’s Place and recently joined Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, and Lainey Wilson on a re-recording of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” proving that even while honoring her past, she continues to shape country music’s present.