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)
He
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There he died upon the cross
That we might be saved my brother
Freed from sin and not be lost
Will he wait a little longer
There's so many out in sin
Will he wait a little longer
Give us time to gather in
I can see his nail-scarred hands
When He calls me way up yonder
I will hear and understand
Many loved ones gone before me
They've made their peace for the final day
But should He call before they're ready
I can almost him them say
The song "He" by The Stanley Brothers talks about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and how He died on the cross for the salvation of humanity. The lyrics hint at how we must repent to be freed from sin and not be lost. The singer requests for Jesus to wait a little longer and give the sinners a chance to redeem themselves. The lines "A vision of that mangled body, I can see his nail-scarred hands" are symbolic of the pain and suffering that Jesus underwent while he carried the cross and was crucified.
The song also speaks of the second coming of Jesus Christ, where the singer believes that he will be called up yonder and he will hear and understand. The lyrics also mention the loved ones of the singer who have died and are at peace, but the singer is not ready to go yet. The song ends with the lines "But should He call before they're ready, I can almost him them say", which means that the singer is aware that he might not be ready to face Jesus if he is called before he's prepared.
Line by Line Meaning
On cruel Calvary where he suffered
At the place called Calvary, where he went through immense suffering.
There he died upon the cross
It was at the cross where he took his last breath and died.
That we might be saved my brother
He sacrificed his life to ensure our salvation, dear brother.
Freed from sin and not be lost
Through His sacrifice, we have been saved from the clasp of sin and eternal damnation.
Will he wait a little longer
May he delay His return for a little while.
There's so many out in sin
As many are still lost and have not found their way to salvation.
Give us time to gather in
Grant us the time to invite others to salvation and let them join us.
A vision of that mangled body
A poignant image of the damaged body of our Savior.
I can see his nail-scarred hands
The scars on his hands left by the nails that were driven through them.
When He calls me way up yonder
When He summons me to heaven’s abode.
I will hear and understand
I will be attentive to His summons and comprehend it clearly.
Many loved ones gone before me
Several near and dear ones have departed before me.
They've made their peace for the final day
They've resolved their sins to be free on Judgment day.
But should He call before they're ready
But if God calls some of them before they have repented, cleanse them.
I can almost him them say
I can almost hear my loved ones requesting God to have mercy on them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind