Gill was born in Norman, Oklahoma, the home of the University of Oklahoma Sooners and learned to play several instruments, including banjo and guitar before he started high school at Oklahoma City's Northwest Classen High School. After he graduated, he played in a number of bluegrass bands. He debuted on the national scene with the country-rock band Pure Prairie League in 1979, appearing on that band's album Can't Hold Back. Gill is the lead singer on their hit song, "Let Me Love You Tonight" (1980), which he was still performing in concert years later - thus, he said, confusing many fans who knew him only from his subsequent solo work. Gill appeared on two subsequent albums along with his then-wife Janis Oliver.
Departing Pure Prairie League in 1981, Gill joined Rodney Crowell’s backing band The Notorious Cherry Bombs, where he met and worked with Tony Brown and Emory Gordy Jr., both of whom would later produce many of his future solo albums.
Signing as a solo artist with RCA Records in 1983, he first charted while on that label. In 1989 he switched to MCA Records where he recorded his breakthrough hit "When I Call Your Name." His 1998 album The Key received great critical acclaim. His other albums include Next Big Thing (2003) and Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye (2000). The Guitar Slinger Songfacts says that Gill released his twelfth studio album, Guitar Slinger, on October 25, 2011 via MCA Nashville. It was his manager, Larry Fitzgerald, who came up with the title, as he felt there was something different the way Gill was playing the guitar on the record.
Gill hosted the CMA Awards every year from 1992 to 2003. In 2004 he received a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In 1997, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
He married country singer Janis Oliver (of Sweethearts of the Rodeo fame) in 1980. The couple have one daughter, Jennifer Jerene Gill, born 5 May 1982. Vince and Janis separated in the mid-1990s and eventually divorced in June 1998. Vince later began dating and eventually married Christian/pop singer Amy Grant in March of 2000. They have one daughter, Corrina Grant Gill born 12 March 2001.
Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler was a fan of Gill's, and had asked Gill to join the band full time. Gill turned down the invitation but did sing backup on one song ("The Bug") from Dire Straits' album On Every Street.
Gill has also sung duets with numerous artists, including Dolly Parton ("I Will Always Love You"), Reba McEntire ("Oklahoma Swing," "The Heart Won't Lie," "It Just Has to Be That Way"), Amy Grant ("House of Love"), and Barbra Streisand ("If You Ever Leave Me"); his other credits as a backup vocalist have included "Girls With Guitars" by Wynonna Judd (written by Mary-Chapin Carpenter, who, coincidentally, had a country hit with her cover of "The Bug") and "Nothing Left Behind Us" by Richard Marx.
Midnight Train
Vince Gill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mendin' a broken heart
Runnin' away from a love gone wrong
Tryin' to make a new start
An old friend called me up to say
That you've made some wedding plans
I'm comin' home on that midnight train
And fight for you like a man
[Chorus]
Midnight train make your whistle blow
Engineer pour your load of coal
Midnight train make your engine whine
Midnight train get me home on time
Oh the thought of another man holdin' you
Is drivin' me insane
My only chance is to ride all night
I can't let you change your name
Now hey conductor we can't be late
Rollin' on down the track
'Cause you know tomorrow's your wedding day
I gotta win my baby back
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics of Vince Gill's song Midnight Train is a tale of heartbreak, hope, and redemption all rolled into one. In the song, Gill narrates the story of a man who has left his home to escape the pain of a broken heart. However, when he hears that the love of his life is about to marry someone else, he knows that he must return home to fight for her. The man takes the midnight train back to his hometown to win back his love and prove that he is a worthy partner.
Throughout the song, Gill paints vivid imagery of the train, the sound of the whistle, and the feeling of being on a journey towards love. The chorus of the song reiterates the importance of the train, calling it to make its whistle blow and get the singer home on time to stop his lover from marrying someone else. The lyrics also show the determination of the singer, who will do anything to win back the love of his life, no matter how uncertain the outcome may be.
Overall, Midnight Train is a beautiful song with a compelling narrative that many people can relate to. It is a story of love, loss, and ultimately, redemption. Through Gill's lyrics, we see the power of love and the lengths that people will go to protect it.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a long long way from home
I am far away from my familiar surroundings.
Mendin' a broken heart
I am trying to heal myself emotionally.
Runnin' away from a love gone wrong
I am escaping from a failed relationship.
Tryin' to make a new start
I am attempting to begin fresh.
An old friend called me up to say
Someone I know informed me.
That you've made some wedding plans
You are getting married to someone else.
I'm comin' home on that midnight train
I am returning via the late-night locomotive.
And fight for you like a man
I will try to win you back with courage and strength.
Midnight train make your whistle blow
I am urging the train to signal its departure with a loud noise.
Engineer pour your load of coal
I am requesting the engineer to power up the engine.
Midnight train make your engine whine
I am encouraging the train to move forward with a high-pitched sound.
Midnight train get me home on time
I need to reach home promptly via the late-night train.
Oh the thought of another man holdin' you
I am in pain when I think of someone else holding you.
Is drivin' me insane
It is making me feel mentally ill.
My only chance is to ride all night
I can only hope to win you back by traveling on the train throughout the night.
I can't let you change your name
I do not want you to marry someone else and take their last name.
Now hey conductor we can't be late
I am requesting the conductor to ensure that the train arrives on time.
Rollin' on down the track
The train is moving forward along the rails.
Cause you know tomorrow's your wedding day
Your nuptials are scheduled for the following day.
I gotta win my baby back
I need to regain your affection.
Midnight train make your whistle blow
I am still urging the train to make a loud sound to mark its departure.
Engineer pour your load of coal
I am repeating my request for the engineer to provide more power to the engine.
Midnight train make your engine whine
I am reiterating my encouragement for the train to move forward quickly.
Midnight train get me home on time
This is a repeat of my previous request to get me home promptly.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TIM J. DUBOIS, VINCE GILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind