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.
Farther Along
Mickey Gilley Lyrics
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Why it should be thus, all the day long
While there are others, living about us
Never molested though in the wrong.
Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine
When we see jesus coming in glory
When he comes down from his home in the sky
Then we shall meet him in that bright mansion
We'll understand it all by and by.
Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine
We'll understand it all by and by...
The lyrics of Mickey Gilley's song Farther Along express the feeling of confusion and questioning that people often face in their lives. It is natural for humans to wonder why certain things happen to them while others seemingly get away without any consequences. However, the lyrics suggest that everything will eventually become clear and understandable in the future. The concept of faith is also present in this song, as it speaks of a brighter future and meeting Jesus in the sky.
The line "Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine" is particularly interesting, as it encourages the listener to remain optimistic despite the current confusion and difficulties they may be facing. This song provides a sense of hope and comfort, reminding the listener to keep their head up and trust that things will make sense in due time.
Overall, the lyrics of Farther Along tackle the existential questions that people often grapple with but suggest that a time will come when everything will be illuminated, and we will understand why everything happened the way it did.
Line by Line Meaning
Temped and tried we're oft made to wonder
We are often tested and challenged in life, which leads us to question why.
Why it should be thus, all the day long
We question why we must face difficulties throughout our entire lives.
While there are others, living about us
We see other people living their lives around us.
Never molested though in the wrong.
Some people seem to get away with doing wrong while others who are innocent suffer.
Farther along we'll know all about it
As time goes on, we will gain more knowledge and understanding.
Farther along we'll understand why
The more we learn and experience life, the more we will understand our challenges and hardships.
Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine
We should stay positive and optimistic, enjoying the good things in life.
We'll understand it all by and by.
With time and patience, we will eventually understand everything that is happening in our lives.
When we see Jesus coming in glory
When Jesus returns, he will come in a glorious and majestic way.
When he comes down from his home in the sky
Jesus will descend from the heavens to meet us.
Then we shall meet him in that bright mansion
We will finally be able to meet Jesus in his heavenly home.
We'll understand it all by and by.
All of our questions and uncertainties will be resolved once we meet Jesus in heaven.
Contributed by Eli L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.