The True Meaning of “a Single Mom Who Works Two Jobs” — aka Reba’s “I’m a Survivor”

The background of the Voice Coach’s iconic song is so interesting.

One of Reba McEntire’s most beloved hits is 2001’s “I’m a Survivor.” It’s a country classic that most McEntire fans know by heart, and the eye-opening true meaning behind the song is something every music fan should be aware of!

Ayo Edebiri’s adorable reaction to meeting McEntire on the 2024 Emmy Awards red carpet has us waxing poetic about one of the most heartfelt songs ever — it’s time to know the backstory to the unforgettable and much-quoted line, “a single mom who works two jobs…”.

The story behind Reba McEntire’s Hit “I’m a Survivor”

While the future Voice Season 25-winning Coach recorded the song, the country legend didn’t actually write it. That distinction belongs to acclaimed Nashville songwriters Shelby Kennedy and Phillip White. In a 2022 discussion with The Tennessean, both men discussed how the iconic track came about. As it turns out, the songwriters were heavily influenced by the classic reality show Survivor, which became an American television sensation in the early 2000s.

“It was Phillip’s idea… thinking about the Survivor television show, it was just kind of one of those things that he kinda mentioned,” Kennedy explained. “Then we said, ‘Do you ever wonder if somebody that was born prematurely, is their whole life out of sync because they came too early? So everything’s out of time?’ And then Phillip being Phillip, he came up with ‘I was born three months too early / The doctor gave me 30 days.'”

White added, “The television show was pretty popular, but I always felt like survivors were more than what was kind of being seen as survivors during that time. I know Shelby has too, but I’ve always tried to be a man of integrity. And I’ve also tried to write songs with integrity. And I think this song was full of integrity.”

Reba McEntire for The Voice Season 26. Photo: Art Streiber/NBC

The two men wrote the song in only 30 minutes and created a demo, and a mutual friend of theirs made sure that particular demo made its way to McEntire. At that point, all that was left was one fateful phone call.

“I remember answering, and I didn’t have good service,” White remembered. “And I hear this real country voice on the other end telling me that she’d heard the song, and it was Reba. And I was thinking, ‘Who is this?’ I thought it was some of my family back in Alabama messing with me.”

McEntire signed on to record the song. The rest, they say, is history — “I’m a Survivor” became McEntire’s anthem.

“I’m a Survivor” was the theme song to the TV series Reba

In addition to being a chart-topping hit — reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot Country chart — “I’m a Survivor” is also known by McEntire fans as being the theme song to her hit television show Reba, which ran for six seasons from 2001 to 2007.

The show gave viewers some classic moments — many of which involved the star showing off her supreme singing skills on more than one occasion.

In July 2023, McEntire celebrated 21 years since the song was released. “I love seeing how much it’s connected with people throughout the years. That’s the power of a great song.”

Reba McEntire stars in two different shows this fall on NBC

Fans of the “Queen of Country Music” will be in heaven this fall because McEntire will be all over television. She’ll be pulling double duty as one of the four Season 26 Coaches on The Voice and will star alongside her real-life bestie, Melissa Peterman, in the new sitcom Happy’s Place.

In fact, McEntire has promised the theme for Happy’s Place will be a new song of hers recorded specifically for the show!

The Voice Season 26 premieres Monday, September 23, at 8/7c, while Happy’s Place premieres Friday, October 18 at 8/7c — only on NBC