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 Thinks 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 lyrics to The Stanley Brothers' song "Will He Wait a Little Longer" are a heartfelt plea for salvation and forgiveness. The opening lines speak of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, where he suffered and died for the sake of humanity's sins. The singer speaks directly to his "brother," urging him to consider the possibility that Jesus might wait a little longer before making his return, to give more people a chance to repent and come to Him.
The song is a call to action, in a sense, urging those who hear it to take stock of their lives and make a change before it's too late. The singer vividly describes the image of Jesus' "mangled body" and "nail-scarred hands," evoking a sense of both awe and compassion. The closing lines remind us that many loved ones have already passed on, but that we still have the opportunity to make peace with ourselves and our maker.
In essence, "Will He Wait a Little Longer" is a powerful reminder that life is fleeting and that we should take advantage of the time we have to seek truth and redemption. It's a song about hope, love, and the human condition; a call to search for meaning in a world that often seems uncertain and incomplete.
Line by Line Meaning
On cruel Calvary where he suffered
As He suffered on the cruel Calvary
There he died upon the cross
He died on the cross and was crucified
That we might be saved my brother
So that we all could be saved
Freed from sin and not be lost
Free of sin and no longer lost
Will he wait a little longer
Is He going to wait longer
There's so many out in sin
Many people are still living in sin
Will he wait a little longer
Will He wait a bit longer
Give us time to gather in
Give us more time to come together
A vision of that mangled body
I can see His body in agony and pain
I can see his nail-scarred hands
I can see His hands that were pierced with nails
When He calls me way up yonder
When He calls me to Heaven
I will hear and understand
I will listen and understand
Many loved ones gone before me
Many of my loved ones have passed away
They've made their peace for the final day
They have made their peace for the judgment day
But should He call before they're ready
If He calls them before they're prepared
I can almost hear them say
I can imagine them saying
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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