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.
Stand By Me
Mickey Gilley Lyrics
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And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me,
Oh now now stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Darlin', darlin', stand by me, stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Mickey Gilley's song "Stand By Me" is a beautiful piece that speaks about the importance of having someone who loves and supports you through tough times. The lyrics start by talking about the dark and uncertain times that one may go through but assures that the singer will not be afraid as long as the person they love stands by them. The moon is the only source of light, and it emphasizes the isolation that one may feel in such times. Nonetheless, as long as they have someone by their side, they feel supported and loved, and that is all that matters.
The following verses talk about the potential disasters that could happen, such as the sky falling and mountains crumbling down to the sea. The singer assures that they won't cry, and they won't be affected by such disasters as long as the person they love stand by them. The chorus repeats the phrase "stand by me," showing the significance of having someone stand by you during times of need.
In summary, the lyrics are about a person's need for emotional support during tough times, and how having their loved ones stand by them is all they need to feel secure.
Line by Line Meaning
When the night has come
When darkness engulfs us
And the land is dark
And everything around is pitch black
And the moon is the only light we'll see
And the only source of radiance will be the moon
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
I won't be scared, I won't be scared
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
As long as you are with me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Darling, please be by my side and never leave me
If the sky that we look upon
If the sky above us
Should tumble and fall
Collapses and tumbles down
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
And the mountains are swallowed by the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
I won't weep, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
As long as you are with me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me
Darling, please be by my side and never leave me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah
Please stand by me, stay by my side and never go away
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me,
Whenever you face any difficulty, will you be there for me?
Oh now now stand by me
Oh, stand by me now
Darlin', darlin', stand by me, stand by me
Sweetheart, please stay by my side and keep me company
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Oh, be with me, never leave me alone
Lyrics © BELINDA ABERBACH STEVENSON AGAR REVOCABLE TRUST , IMAGEM U.S. LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREAS JONAS SAMMY ROMDHANE, SAVAN KOTECHA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind