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.
Night After Night
Mickey Gilley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't mean to waste your time,
I just need someone to talk to
If you don't mind?
Then the thoughts of loneliness
That tonight I guess I'm to just to weak to fight,
I can take the lonely days,
Are you alone?
Tell me what's your name?
I just need someone to lean on
I'm not playing any games.
Well, sit down here beside me
And let me buy you a glass of red rose wine
I can take the lonely days
But I can't take these lonely night.
When I thought that I was strong
But the night can be so long when you need a friend
But maybe we could find a little piece of mind
Before the morning comes again.
Oh, pardon me
If it seems I'm holdin' on
Letting go, it just isn't easy
When your sleeping all alone.
Let's forget about tomorrow
Beg, steal or borrow
hmmm. Just a little time
I can take the lonely days
But I can't take these lonely nights.
Yes, I can take the lonely days
But I can't take these lonely nights...
The song "Night After Night" by Mickey Gilley is about a person who is feeling incredibly lonely and just needs someone to talk to. The singer is asking for the listener's time and attention to simply be there and listen. They express their difficulties in fighting off their feelings of loneliness and how it's easier to handle during the day, but it becomes unbearable during the night. The singer is asking if the listener is alone, as they are looking for someone to lean on and not play any games. The song then moves into the chorus, with the singer asking the listener to sit down and drink some wine with them, as they are struggling to deal with these lonely nights.
The singer then goes on to share how they had thought they were strong but the nights can be long when you need a friend. The chorus repeats, highlighting how difficult these lonely nights are for the singer. The song ends with the singer begging to forget about tomorrow and just have some time in the moment. They express that they can take the lonely days, but they can't handle the lonely nights.
The song is a powerful depiction of dealing with loneliness and the importance of having someone there to talk to during difficult moments. It speaks to the universal human experience of needing connection with others and how difficult it can be to cope with feelings of loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Pardon me
Excuse me
I don't mean to waste your time
I'm sorry if I'm bothering you
I just need someone to talk to
I need a listening ear
If you don't mind?
May I?
Then the thoughts of loneliness
Loneliness is creeping in
That tonight I guess I'm to just to weak to fight
I can't handle this loneliness tonight
I can take the lonely days,
I can deal with being alone during the day
But I can't take these lonely nights.
But being alone at night is too much to bear
Are you alone?
Are you also alone?
Tell me what's your name?
May I know your name?
I just need someone to lean on
I need someone for emotional support
I'm not playing any games.
I am being honest
Well, sit down here beside me
Please sit down next to me
And let me buy you a glass of red rose wine
Can I offer to buy you a drink?
When I thought that I was strong
I used to think I was strong
But the night can be so long when you need a friend
But nights can feel endless when you're lonely and need someone to talk to
But maybe we could find a little piece of mind
But maybe we can both find comfort in each other's company
Before the morning comes again.
Before another lonely morning arrives
If it seems I'm holdin' on
If it appears that I'm clinging on
Letting go, it just isn't easy
It's hard to let go and move on
When your sleeping all alone.
When you're sleeping alone
Let's forget about tomorrow
Let's not worry about tomorrow
Beg, steal, or borrow
I'll do anything to make tonight better
Just a little time
I just need a little bit of your time
I can take the lonely days
I can handle being alone during the day
But I can't take these lonely nights.
But being alone at night is unbearable
Yes, I can take the lonely days
I can handle being alone during the day
But I can't take these lonely nights...
But being alone at night is too much to bear
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KEITH STEGALL, STEWART HARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind