Mickey Leroy Gilley was born 9th March 1936 in Natchez, Mississippi. Best … Read Full Bio ↴Mickey Leroy Gilley was born 9th March 1936 in Natchez, Mississippi. Best known as a Country music singer and piano player, he moved to Houston at age 17 and began playing rock n roll in local clubs, cutting "Tell Me Why" and "Oo-ee-baby" for the local Minor label. He experienced little success on a succession of labels - Dot (Memphis), Rex (New Orleans), Khoury (Lake Charles, Louisiana) until in 1960 he cut "Is It Wrong" for Potomac which became a regional hit. Sadly, the label folded and Mickey continued trying on the Lynn, Sabra and Princess labels.

He was performing very much in the rock n roll piano style of his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis (and another cousin, the Reverend Jimmy Swaggart). He formed his own label, Astro in 1964 and cut an album named after a Lewis success "Down the Line". Re-issued on Paula, the album was a regional hit. The big time, however, continued to elude him although he had a minor hit with "Now I Can Live Again" from the album. At an Astro session he laid down a version of George Morgan's old hit "Room Full of Roses" which attracted airplay locally and was picked up for national release by Hugh Heffner's Playboy label. It hit No. 1 in the Country charts. After 12 further hits with the label, Playboy was taken over by Epic and Gilley moved there for his most consistent run of album and singles success.

He was now performing straight-up piano-led Country material. Gradually, he moved towards a more pop-orientated sound in the 1980s, which brought him further success on not just the Country charts, but also the Pop charts. Before that, however, he had a string of Country hits throughout the 70s, often revivals like "I Overlooked An Orchid" (Carl Smith - No. 1, 1974), "City Lights" (Bill Anderson - No. 1 1975), "Window Up Above" (George Jones - No. 1 1975), "Bring It On Home" (Sam Cooke - No. 1 1976). His mix of rockabilly, honky tonk and uptown Country provided more hits with "Chains of Love" (No. 9, 1977) "Honky Tonk Memories" (No. 4, 1977) and "Here Comes The Hurt Again" (No. 9,1978).

In all, Gilley had 33 Top 10 singles, 17 of which reached No. 1, on the US Country chart between 1974 and 1986. Amongst the biggest hits were "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time,"(No. 1) "Overnight Sensation" (No. 7, both 1976), remakes of the Ben E King hit "Stand By Me" and Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" (both No. 1s in 1980).

In 1971 he lent his name to the opening the famous country nightclub Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas. His career received a big boost when both the club and his music featured prominently in the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy". The soundtrack included the Buddy Holly cover which went to No. 1. The club closed in 1989 and the building was heavily damaged by arson later that year. A new Gilley's club opened in 2003 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. And Gilley's Theatre and Diner in Branson saw the singer take up a successful residency in that Missouri city.

His most recent successful recording activity was in 1988 when he released "Chasin' Rainbows" on Airborne which produced his last Top 40 single to date when "She Reminded Me Of You" reached No 23 in the Country charts.

In July 2009, Gilly suffered a back injury in a fall and was airlifted to Houston for medical treatment but subsequently returned to Branson and performing in his theatre there. He has a Facebook information page on which he sends regular video messages to members. A recent joint biography about the three cousins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggert and Mickey, called "Unconquered" by J D Davis is a must for any fan of their music, rock n roll, Country and gospel music.

End Of The Line
Mickey Gilley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where do you go
When there's nowhere to go,
And you don't wanna be where you are?
Where do you run
When there's no room to run,
And you've already run too far?

What good is love

When you offer your love,
But nobody wants to buy?
Why do I cry?
Why am I wondering why?

What can you say
When there's so much to say,
But nobody listens to you?
What good are dreams
If they're no more than dreams
That don't have a chance to come true?

What can you do
When nothing you do
Will ease your troubled mind?
And where do you go
When you come to the end of the line?

What can you say
When there's so much to say,
But nobody, nobody listens to you?
What good are dreams
If they're no more than dreams
That don't have a chance to come true?

What can you do
When nothing you do
Will ease your troubled mind?

And where do you go
When you come to the end of the line?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mickey Gilley's song "End of the Line" speak to the feelings of helplessness and despair when one has reached the end of their rope. The song begins with a series of rhetorical questions about where one can go or run when they feel trapped and stuck. There is a sense of hopelessness in these lines.

The song then shifts to questions about the value of love and dreams. Even when one offers love, it can sometimes feel like it is not wanted or unattainable. Dreams can also feel futile when they are unlikely to come true. These lines express a sense of futility and despair.

The final lines return to the idea of feeling stuck and at the end of one's options. The troubled mind cannot be eased, and there seems to be nowhere to go. There is a sense of resignation in these lines, a feeling of giving up.

Overall, the lyrics of "End of the Line" paint a picture of someone who feels trapped and helpless. The song asks questions that have no clear answers, and it leaves the listener with a sense of sadness and despair.

Line by Line Meaning

Where do you go
What options do you have

When there's nowhere to go,
When you feel trapped

And you don't wanna be where you are?
When you're unhappy with your current situation

Where do you run
What do you do

When there's no room to run,
When there are no options left

And you've already run too far?
When you've exhausted all possibilities

What good is love
What is the point of love

When you offer your love,
When you give your love to someone

But nobody wants to buy?
When your love is not reciprocated

Why do I cry?
What causes me to cry

Why am I wondering why?
What causes me to question

What can you say
What words can you use

When there's so much to say,
When there are many things to express

But nobody listens to you?
When no one pays attention to you

What good are dreams
What is the point of having dreams

If they're no more than dreams
When they have no chance of becoming a reality

That don't have a chance to come true?
When there is no possibility of your dreams becoming a reality

What can you do
What actions can you take

When nothing you do
When your efforts are unsuccessful

Will ease your troubled mind?
When you are unable to find peace of mind

And where do you go
What is the next step

When you come to the end of the line?
When you have reached your limit