She Thinks His Name Was John
{{short description|Single by Reba McEntire}}
{{Infobox song
| name = She Thinks His Name Was John
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Reba McEntire
| album = Read My Mind
| B-side = "I Wish That I Could Tell You"{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc.|date=August 2008|pages=271|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}
| released = {{Start date|1994|07|30}}
| recorded = 1994
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = 4:22
| label = MCA
| writer = Sandy Knox
Steve Rosen
| producer = Tony Brown
Reba McEntire
| prev_title = Why Haven't I Heard from You
| prev_year = 1994
| next_title = Till You Love Me
| next_year = 1994
}}
"She Thinks His Name Was John" is a song written by Sandy Knox and Steve Rosen, and recorded by American country music icon Reba McEntire. It was released in July 1994 as the second single from her album Read My Mind. Upon its release, the song gained media attention and controversy for its storyline, regarding a woman who was dying from AIDS.{{cite web |title=Reba McEntire |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2005_Dec_6/ai_n15927610 |work=The Advocate |date=2005-12-06 |first=Dennis |last=Henley |accessdate=2007-08-11}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
Content
"She Thinks His Name Was John" tells the story of a woman who is dying from AIDS,{{cite web|url=http://www.pluggedinonline.com/music/music/a0000731.cfm |title=Reba McEntire: Read My Mind |accessdate=2007-08-11 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022205438/http://www.pluggedinonline.com/music/music/a0000731.cfm |archivedate=2007-10-22 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.glbtq.com/arts/music_aids.html |title=Music and AIDS |work=glbtq.com |accessdate=2007-08-11 |year=2002 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814163609/http://www.glbtq.com/arts/music_aids.html |archivedate=2007-08-14 }} which she acquired after becoming intoxicated and having a one-night stand with a man whom she did not previously know. The song recounts how, upon learning she has contracted AIDS, she struggles to remember the man with whom she had her affair; she cries herself to sleep over dreams and life's milestones she will never experience, (such as marriage and motherhood); and how former friends pity her because of the decision that led to her illness.
Sandy Knox, one of the song's writers, was inspired to write "She Thinks His Name Was John" after losing her brother to the disease.{{cite web|title=Ten Years Later, "John" Remains Country's Prime Comment on AIDS |first=Edward |last=Morris |work=CMT.com |accessdate=2007-08-11 |url=http://www.reba.com/news/Newsarticle.asp?idnewsarticle=429 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006115641/http://www.reba.com/news/Newsarticle.asp?idnewsarticle=429 |archivedate=2007-10-06 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://sandyknox.com/html/perfsongwriter.htm |title=DIY Artist Spotlight |first=Christopher |last=Smith |accessdate=2007-08-11 |work=The Performing Songwriter |date=Jan–Feb 1999 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925131619/http://sandyknox.com/html/perfsongwriter.htm |archivedate=2007-09-25 |url-status=dead }} The song was released as a single after several radio stations began playing it as an album cut.{{cite web|url=http://sandyknox.com/html/usatoday.htm |title=Radio's rave reception for Reba's angle on AIDS |first=David |last=Zimmerman |work=USA Today |accessdate=2007-08-11 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925133049/http://sandyknox.com/html/usatoday.htm |archivedate=2007-09-25 |url-status=dead }}
Chart performance
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1994) !Peak |
| {{singlechart|Canadacountry|11|chartid=2632|publishdate=October 24, 1994|accessdate=August 4, 2013}} |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f%5B0%5D=ts_chart_artistname%3A%2AReba%20McEntire%2A&f%5B1%5D=ts_chart_search_title%3A%2AShe%20Thinks%20His%20Name%20Was%20John%2A&f%5B2%5D=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=1&artist=Reba%20McEntire&title=She%20Thinks%20His%20Name%20Was%20John&solrsort=sort_label%3Aasc |title=Billboard Chart Search ( |align="center"|1 |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|15|artist=Reba McEntire|accessdate=November 29, 2013}} |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Reba McEntire singles}}
Category:Song recordings produced by Tony Brown (record producer)
{{1994-country-song-stub}}