“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.”
Introduction
Some songs don’t just tell a story—they live it. Reba McEntire’s Fancy is one of those rare tracks that grabs you from the very first line and never lets go. Originally written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry in 1969, Fancy was already a striking piece of storytelling. But when Reba gave it her own dramatic spin in 1990, she turned it into something even bigger—a song that defined her as a fearless storyteller and performer.
At its core, Fancy is a rags-to-riches story, but not the kind we usually hear in country music. It’s about a young girl whose mother, desperate and on the verge of losing everything, makes the heartbreaking decision to send her daughter into a life of high-class prostitution to escape poverty. The song’s protagonist, Fancy Rae Baker, could have been crushed by this cruel twist of fate. Instead, she rises above it, taking control of her destiny and transforming herself into a woman of power and wealth. It’s a tale of resilience wrapped in a hauntingly beautiful melody, and Reba sings it with such conviction that you can feel every ounce of struggle, every step toward survival.
What makes Reba’s version so legendary is not just her powerhouse vocals but the theatrical way she delivers the song. She becomes Fancy, channeling every bit of pain, determination, and defiance in her voice. The music video takes it even further, with its moody, film-like quality and Reba’s unforgettable performance. It’s no wonder Fancy became one of her signature songs—whenever she performs it live, you can see the audience completely locked in, hanging on every word.
But beyond the drama and the unforgettable melody, Fancy carries a deeper message. It’s a song about survival, about playing the hand you’re dealt and refusing to let the world define you. It’s about reclaiming power in a situation that seemed powerless. That’s why Fancy still resonates so strongly decades later.
Reba didn’t just sing this song—she owned it. And in doing so, she made Fancy more than just a story… she made it an anthem.
Video
Lyrics
I remember it all very well lookin’ back
It was the summer I turned eighteen
We lived in a one-room, run-down shack
On the outskirts of New Orleans
We didn’t have money for food or rent
To say the least we were hard-pressed
Then mama spent every last penny we had
To buy me a dancin’ dress
Mama washed and combed and curled my hair
And she painted my eyes and lips
Then I stepped into a satin dancin’ dress
That had a split on the side clean up to my hips
It was red velvet trim and it fit me good
Standin’ back from the lookin’ glass
There stood a woman where a half-grown kid had stood
She said, “Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down
Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down”
Mama dabbed a little bit of perfume on my neck, then she kissed my cheek
And then I saw the tears wellin’ up in her troubled eyes when she started to speak
She looked at her pitiful shack
And then she looked at me and took a ragged breath
She said, “Your pa’s runned off, I’m real sick
And the baby’s gonna starve to death”
She handed me a heart-shaped locket that said
“To thine own self be true.”
And I shivered as I watched a roach crawl across
The toe of my high-heeled shoe
It sounded like somebody else that was talkin’
Askin’, “Mama, what do I do?”
She said, “Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy
And they’ll be nice to you.”
She said, “Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down
Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down
Lord, forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, well, it’s up to you
Now don’t let me down
Now your mama’s gonna move you uptown”
Well, that was the last time I saw my ma
The night I left that rickety shack
The welfare people came and took the baby
Mama died and I ain’t been back
But the wheels of fate had started to turn
And for me there was no way out
It wasn’t very long ’til I knew exactly
What my mama’d been talkin’ about
I knew what I had to do and I made myself this solemn vow
That I’s gonna be a lady someday
Though I didn’t know when or how
But I couldn’t see spending the rest of my life
With my head hung down in shame
You know I might have been born just plain white trash
But Fancy was my name
She said, “Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down”
She said, “Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down”
It wasn’t long after that benevolent man took me in off the street
And one week later I was pourin’ his tea in a five-room hotel suite (yes, she was)
I charmed a king, a congressman and an occasional aristocrat
And then I got me a Georgia mansion and an elegant New York townhouse flat
And I ain’t done bad (she ain’t been bad)
Now in this world, there’s a lot of self-righteous hypocrites
That would call me bad
They criticize my mama for turning me out
No matter how little we had
But though I ain’t had to worry ’bout nothin’ for now on fifteen years
Well, I can still hear the desperation in my poor mama’s voice ringin’ in my ears
“Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down”
She said, “Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down
Lord, forgive me for what I do
But if you want out, well, it’s up to you
Now don’t let me down
Now your Mama’s gonna move you uptown”
Well, I guess she did