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.
The Power Of Positive Drinkin'
Mickey Gilley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Payday, Charley knows I'm good for every dime
And I ease up on the barstool where I ease my pain
I'm just strong enough to face that lonely night again
Oh the power, the powers of drinkin'
And it's foolin' all of my native thinkin'
And it hurts so good I never notice the sinkin'
Instrumental
Well Charley always let me take a bottle home
After all, a man he can't fake it when he's all alone
And when the whiskey's talkin' I can't hear your memory
'Cause a little drinkin' drowns out a lot of you and me
Oh the power, the powers of drinkin'
And it's foolin' all of my native thinkin'
And it hurts so good I never notice the sinkin'
Thanks a lot to positive drinkin'
Thanks a lot to positive drinkin'
"The Power Of Positive Drinkin'" by Mickey Gilley is a song that tells a story about a man who uses alcohol to escape his problems. The song begins by describing the man visiting his local bar only once a day during "hurtin' time," which is often during payday. He goes to a bartender named Charley, who knows he'll be able to pay for his drinks. The singer sits at the bar to ease his pain and face his loneliness for another night. The first verse shows how he relies on drinking to cope with his emotions.
In the chorus of the song, Mickey sings about the "powers of drinkin’" and how it "fools" the way he thinks. He says that it "hurts so good" that he "never notices the sinkin'," and thanks the alcohol for its "positive" effects. The singer talks about how Charley lets him take a bottle of whisky home, and drinking helps him forget about his memories. He says that when the alcohol is talking, he can't hear the memories of his past relationship because booze drowns the feelings.
Overall, the song highlights how some people use alcohol as a means of escapism to forget about their issues. The singer's dependence on alcohol and whiskey becomes evident, and he finds solace in the temporary state the alcohol puts him in.
Line by Line Meaning
Only come here once a day at hurtin' time
I only visit this place once a day when I am in pain
Payday, Charley knows I'm good for every dime
On payday, Charley knows I will pay for my drinks
And I ease up on the barstool where I ease my pain
I sit on the barstool to ease my physical and emotional pain
I'm just strong enough to face that lonely night again
I am strong enough to face my loneliness again
Oh the power, the powers of drinkin'
The power of drinking is significant
And it's foolin' all of my native thinkin'
It's deceiving my natural thinking
And it hurts so good I never notice the sinkin'
The pain is satisfying and I am unaware of my self-destruction
Thanks a lot to positive drinkin'
I am grateful for the relief provided by drinking
Well Charley always let me take a bottle home
Charley permits me to take a bottle home
After all, a man he can't fake it when he's all alone
When a man is alone, he cannot hide his true feelings
And when the whiskey's talkin' I can't hear your memory
When I am drunk, I cannot remember you clearly
'Cause a little drinkin' drowns out a lot of you and me
Drinking allows me to forget about my problems and our failed relationship
Thanks a lot to positive drinkin'
I am thankful for the relief provided by drinking
Writer(s): D. Pfrimmer, R. Klang
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.