The War interrupted any thoughts of a musical career, and it was not until both brothers returned from the service that they were able to make their own mark in music -- ultimately ending up on WCYB Bristol, Tennessee, where they would remain for over ten years as stalwarts of the famed "Farm and Fun Time" radio show. Their music initially followed a more old time style favored by Mainer's Mountaineers, with Ralph playing the banjo in the old two-finger style, interspersed with old time clawhammer playing, before taking a stab at the new three-finger style popularised by Earl Scruggs.
They formed The Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. They were perhaps the first band to adopt the new music style created by Bill Monroe in the mid-1940s that later became known as bluegrass. Carter played guitar and sang lead while Ralph played banjo and sang with a strong, high tenor voice. Their harmonies are much admired, and many consider Carter Stanley to be one of the greatest singers in the history of country music. The brothers also wrote many of their own songs and Carter had a particular knack for writing deceptively simple lyrics that portrayed strong emotion. The Stanley's style can best be described as a traditional "mountain soul" sound that remained close to the Primitive Baptist vocal stylings they learned from their parents and others near their southwestern Virginia home.
The early Stanley Brothers recordings on Rich-R-Tone (of Johnson City, Tennessee) included Pee Wee Lambert on mandolin. They later added an innovative touch to their traditional sound with the guitar solos of George Shuffler who often used a crosspicking style.
Carter performed briefly with Bill Monroe while Ralph was recovering from injuries received in an automobile accident in 1951. As bluegrass music grew less popular in the late 1950s, the Stanley Brothers moved to Live Oak, Florida to headline the weekly Suwannee River Jamboree radio show on WNER. The three-hour show was also syndicated across the Southeast. Otherwise the brothers performed together until 1966 (from 1961 on as a duo). After Carter's death Ralph revived the Clinch Mountain Boys and is still performing in 2006. Among the musicians who have played in the revived Clinch Mountain Boys are Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Larry Sparks, Curly Ray Cline, Jack Cooke, and Ralph Stanley II. Ralph's career received a big boost with his prominent role on the phenomenally successful soundtrack recording of the 2000 film, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?." The Stanley Brothers were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1992.
Among the Stanley Brothers' best known recordings are:
* I'm A Man of Constant Sorrow (1950, Columbia)
* Rank Stranger
* Angel Band
* How Mountain Girls Can Love
* How Far to Little Rock? (novelty)
* Still trying to get to Little Rock (novelty)
* Ridin' That Midnite Train
* Clinch Mountain Backstep
* She's More To Be Pitied
* The Memory of Your Smile
* Love Me Darlin' Just Tonight
Clinch Mountain Boys Members
* Carter Stanley (guitar)
* Ralph Stanley (banjo)
* Darrell "Pee Wee" Lambert (mandolin)
* Jim Williams (mandolin)
* Curly Lambert (mandolin)
* Leslie Keith (fiddle)
* Robert "Bobby" Sumner (fiddle)
* Les Woodie (fiddle)
* Ralph Mayo (fiddle, guitar)
* Chubby Anthony (fiddle)
* Art Stamper (fiddle)
* Joe Meadows (fiddle)
* Red Stanley (fiddle)
* Don Miller (fiddle)
* Vernon Derrick (fiddle)
* James "Jay" Hughes (bass)
* Ernie Newton (bass)
* Chick Stripling (bass)
* Mike Seeger (bass)
* Bill Napier (guitar, mandolin)
* George Shuffler (guitar, bass)
* Larry Sparks (guitar)
External links
* Ralph Stanley Discography
* Recording of "We Are Going to Paint the Town" from a 1958 Florida radio show (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida)
* Podcast (mp3) of one of the Stanley Brothers' Suwannee River Jamboree raido show from 1958 (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida)
Close By
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Each time I think of you I cry
I press your picture to my bosom
Then I feel that you're close by
Years have passed you've not returned dear
Now they say that you have died
But your soul will live forever
I saw you last while you were leaving
The tears from you I tried to hide
You took me in your arms and said dear
Your memory I keep close by
They buried you in a lonely graveyard
And a spot they left beside
There I'll sleep 'till Jesus calls us
So that we can be close by
The lyrics of The Stanley Brothers' song "Close By" tell a heart-wrenching story of a woman who has been separated from her beloved for years. Each time she thinks of him, she cries, and holds his picture close to her chest, feeling as though he is still with her. It is revealed that he has not returned, and it is now believed that he has passed away. However, the woman feels that his soul will live on forever, and that even though they are physically apart, he will always be close by.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the couple's last moments together, as the woman remembers the tears she tried to hide as her beloved departed. He held her close, promising to keep her memory close by. The song ends with a poignant tribute to their love, as the woman plans to be buried next to her beloved so that they can be close by once again.
"Close By" is a poignant reminder of the enduring power of love, even in the face of separation, loss, and death. It is a testament to the human spirit, and the hope that we can find solace in the memories of those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
You've gone so far away, my darling
My beloved has gone far away from me, causing me pain and sorrow
Each time I think of you I cry
The mere thought of my beloved brings me to tears, as I miss them deeply
I press your picture to my bosom
To feel closer to my beloved, I hold onto a physical representation of them
Then I feel that you're close by
When I hold onto the picture of my beloved, I feel as though they are with me in spirit
Years have passed you've not returned dear
Time has gone by and my beloved has yet to return to me
Now they say that you have died
There are rumors that my beloved has passed away
But your soul will live forever
While my beloved's physical body may be gone, their spirit will endure eternally
Now I know you'll be close by
Despite the physical separation, I remain spiritually connected to my beloved
I saw you last while you were leaving
My final glimpse of my beloved was as they were departing from me
The tears from you I tried to hide
I made an effort to conceal my emotions from my beloved, not wanting to cause them pain as they left
You took me in your arms and said dear
My beloved comforted me by holding me close and speaking lovingly to me
Your memory I keep close by
I hold onto the memory of my beloved, cherishing it always
They buried you in a lonely graveyard
My beloved was laid to rest in a desolate burial ground
And a spot they left beside
A space was left beside my beloved's final resting place, where I too will be interred
There I'll sleep 'till Jesus calls us
I will rest alongside my beloved until the time when we are both summoned by the divine
So that we can be close by
In death, as in life, my beloved and I will remain connected, close in spirit
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL MONROE, ROBERT MATTHEW VAN WINKLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind