Reba McEntire- “The Greatest Man I Never Knew”
Label: MCA
Songwriters: Richard Leigh and Layng Martine Jr.
Producers: Tony Brown and Reba McEntire
As with any Hall of Fame career, it is difficult to pinpoint just one landmark moment in Reba McEntire’s recorded catalog, a diversely dizzying discography which ranges from the hardcore traditionalism of her 80’s heyday, to the melodramatic country-pop of her 90’s work, to the legacy arc diversity of her 21st century releases. Nevertheless, most fans and critics of the fiery powerhouse seem to agree that her 1991 record, For My Broken Heart remains her definitive masterpiece. With quadruple platinum certification, it not only is the most commercially successful of her thirty-two studio albums, it’s also her most artistically rewarding, a rare common ground even for the most accomplished artists. The project was recorded in the aftermath of a deadly March 1991 plane crash which claimed the lives of eight of her band members. Utterly devastated, McEntire channeled the heart-wrenching emotions of that tragedy and crafted a stunning body of songs which explored a deep range of heartache and loss.
Heart is truly a monumental collection of classic McEntire performances, offering up colossal hits like the title track, “Is There Life Out There” and “The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia”, as well as gripping album cuts like “If I Had Only Known” and “Buying Her Roses”. But it’s the project’s fourth and final single which remains its most moving and memorable moment for me.
Written by Nashville veterans Richard Leigh (“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”) and Layng Martine Jr. (“Rub It In”), “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” is a poetically raw and heartbreaking account of the strained relationship between a father and a child, told from the perspective of the now-grown second-generation. Offering a tastefully sparse accompaniment of soft piano and acoustic guitar, the revelatory lyrics are provided the opportunity to speak for themselves, with McEntire proving to be the perfect vessel for the song’s tender story. The emotive power demonstrated here is a stunning example of why she is regarded as one of the ultimate architects of female country heartbreak. She sensitively handles the material here, engulfing herself in this woman’s story and forgoing any of her trademark vocal histrionics for pure and simple emotion, a quality that was surely natural for her to conjure up during such a sad period. It’s difficult to imagine even Tammy Wynette herself rendering a more powerful, tear-soaked interpretation. It showcases McEntire at her very best, and is further proof that she’s just as compelling as a straight forward singer as she is a glitzy, bombastic stage entertainer.
Lacking a chorus, each verse of this piece slowly unveils the aching wounds caused by the distance this woman felt from her father, dating back to her childhood:
“The greatest man I never knew/Lived just down the hall/And everyday we said hello/But never touched at all….The greatest man I never knew/Came home late every night/He never had too much to say/ Too much was on his mind/I never really knew him/And now it seems so sad/Everything he gave us took all he had.”
The bridge after the second verse illustrates the passage of time and the increased sadness caused as the woman’s opportunity to nurture a deeper relationship with him slips through her fingers:
“Then the days turned into years/And the memories to black and white/He grew cold like an old winter wind/Blowing across my life.”
It sets the stage for the song’s final verse and sad conclusion. McEntire’s voice simultaneously soars and breaks at precisely the most chilling lyrical moments. It’s the kind of sentimentality that is the bedrock of country music: unguarded in its emotions and naturally authentic in its presentation. It leaves a lump in my throat with nearly every listen:
“The greatest words I never heard/I guess I’ll never hear/The man I thought would never die/S’been dead almost a year/He was good at business/But there was business left to do/He never said he loved me/Guess he thought I knew.”
In the end, this character’s heartbreak was not the result of a lack of love between her and her father. It stemmed from the fact that such love did exist, but was never expressed. Not only is it a story that cuts deep with parents and children who have similarly let that opportunity pass them by, but it is also a haunting cautionary tale for those of us who still have that precious time left to make the most of. The superstar would share in later interviews that the poignant tale struck a deep personal chord with her, stating that while her father was still living, the relationship depicted in the song somewhat mirrored the one she had with him growing up.
“The Greatest Man I Never Knew” became a top five hit, peaking at No. 3 in October of 1992 and earned Grammy nominations for both McEntire and the song’s writers. Not only is it one of the most inspiring country performances of the potent nineties era, but it is also one of those all-time great country songs that are seamlessly and remarkably true to human emotion. It conveys a universal message that yet feels deeply personal to each individual listener, and that’s a testament to both the quality of songwriting and to McEntire’s naked delivery. It is in my opinion, the finest performance in a career overflowing with a multitude of legendary moments.
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