Is There Life Out There
Encyclopedia
"Is There Life Out There" is the title of a country music
song written by Susan Longacre and Rick Giles. It was recorded by American singer Reba McEntire
on her 1991 album For My Broken Heart
, from which it was released in early 1992 as the album's second single. 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.
The song debuted at #64 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks
and peaked at #1 for the week of December 21, 1991, and it stayed at #1 for two consecutive weeks.
The song's radio edit omits one repetition of the chorus at the end.
was directed by Jack Cole and featured Huey Lewis
as McEntire's character's husband. This video is noted for being one of the first in country music to include significant amounts of dialogue that portray the song's storyline. Portions of the video were shot on Belmont University's campus in Nashville, TN. According to Entertainment Weekly
, McEntire and her label (MCA Records
) received complaints from the television network CMT
over the video that she was "putting message ahead of music", and it was almost banned from the network. The video won Video of the Year at the 1992 Academy of Country Music
awards.
The video depicts a woman named Maggie O'Connor (McEntire) juggling a career (as a waitress at a local diner), courses at the local college and a family life. Her husband, Andy (Lewis) keeps things under control at home as life becomes hectic for Maggie: the couple's daughter is sent home from school with an illness, the couple's son is in a school play, and Maggie -- whose job at the busy diner always makes her run behind -- irritates her hard-nosed literary professor by her frequent tardiness. However, Maggie is able to find time to bond with her daughter, and eventually wins over the professor with her thought process. At one point, the stresses of pursing her degree nearly gets to Maggie when she blames her daughter for ruining her term paper (the younger girl had spilled coffee over the pages while fighting with her younger brother). Andy intervenes and, while Maggie apologizes to her daughter, he dries off the pages. In the end, Maggie gets an A on her term paper and graduates with honors. Andy proudly tells everyone, "That's my wife."
McEntire starred in a 1994 television movie
on CBS
, also titled Is There Life Out There?, which was based on the song's storyline.
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts and the Canadian RPM
Country Tracks charts. It held the position for two weeks in the U.S., and one in Canada.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
song written by Susan Longacre and Rick Giles. It was recorded by American singer Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
on her 1991 album For My Broken Heart
For My Broken Heart
For My Broken Heart is the eighteenth album, released in 1991 by American country music singer Reba McEntire. It was the first album recorded after an airplane crash which killed most of the members of her touring band...
, from which it was released in early 1992 as the album's second single. 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.
The song debuted at #64 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
and peaked at #1 for the week of December 21, 1991, and it stayed at #1 for two consecutive weeks.
Content
"Is There Life Out There" is a mid-tempo song, telling of a female protagonist who married at age twenty. She finds herself wanting to make a better life for herself outside of her family, asking "is there life out there."The song's radio edit omits one repetition of the chorus at the end.
Music video
The song's music videoVideo
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
was directed by Jack Cole and featured Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
as McEntire's character's husband. This video is noted for being one of the first in country music to include significant amounts of dialogue that portray the song's storyline. Portions of the video were shot on Belmont University's campus in Nashville, TN. According to Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, McEntire and her label (MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
) received complaints from the television network CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
over the video that she was "putting message ahead of music", and it was almost banned from the network. The video won Video of the Year at the 1992 Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
awards.
The video depicts a woman named Maggie O'Connor (McEntire) juggling a career (as a waitress at a local diner), courses at the local college and a family life. Her husband, Andy (Lewis) keeps things under control at home as life becomes hectic for Maggie: the couple's daughter is sent home from school with an illness, the couple's son is in a school play, and Maggie -- whose job at the busy diner always makes her run behind -- irritates her hard-nosed literary professor by her frequent tardiness. However, Maggie is able to find time to bond with her daughter, and eventually wins over the professor with her thought process. At one point, the stresses of pursing her degree nearly gets to Maggie when she blames her daughter for ruining her term paper (the younger girl had spilled coffee over the pages while fighting with her younger brother). Andy intervenes and, while Maggie apologizes to her daughter, he dries off the pages. In the end, Maggie gets an A on her term paper and graduates with honors. Andy proudly tells everyone, "That's my wife."
McEntire starred in a 1994 television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, also titled Is There Life Out There?, which was based on the song's storyline.
Chart performance
"Is There Life Out There" reached Number One on both the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts and the Canadian RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Country Tracks charts. It held the position for two weeks in the U.S., and one in Canada.
Chart
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |