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)
I'm Lonesome Without You
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More than anyone will know
Until that day you found a new love
Then you said I'd have to go
Oh the road is rough and rocky
Since the day I last saw you
Another's won your heart forever
And I'm lonesome without you.
There's nothing left for me to do
For I've still got this memory of you
And the love that we once knew
My hope is now that you'll be happy
With the new love that you've found
But should you ever change your mind dear
Remember me I'll be around
The Stanley Brothers' song "I'm Lonesome Without You" is a touching ballad about lost love and the pain of moving on. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and regret as the singer reflects on a past relationship that now seems irretrievable. The opening lines, "When we were young and loved each other / More than anyone will know," set the wistful tone of the song, highlighting the depth of feeling that was once shared but has since been lost.
The heart of the song lies in its chorus, which features the refrain "And I'm lonesome without you." This line captures the singer's sense of isolation and loneliness in the wake of the breakup. The verses that follow describe the difficulties of life on the road and the deep sense of longing that comes with being apart from the one you love. The poignant closing lines, "But should you ever change your mind dear / Remember me I'll be around," suggest a flicker of hope that the relationship might someday be rekindled, even as the singer tries to resign himself to the fact that his former partner has moved on.
Overall, "I'm Lonesome Without You" is a melancholy and deeply moving song that explores themes of heartbreak, longing, and the pain of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were young and loved each other
In the past, we were young and had a strong love for each other.
More than anyone will know
Our love was so deep and meaningful, no one else can truly understand it.
Until that day you found a new love
Our love came to an end when you found someone else.
Then you said I'd have to go
You told me to leave once you found your new love.
Oh the road is rough and rocky
My life has been difficult and tumultuous since we parted ways.
Since the day I last saw you
My struggles began right after I last saw you.
Another's won your heart forever
You have fallen in love with someone else and they have won your heart for good.
And I'm lonesome without you.
I feel lonely and empty without you in my life.
On down this lonesome road I wander
I am currently wandering through life alone and feeling lonely.
There's nothing left for me to do
I feel as if I have nothing left to live for.
For I've still got this memory of you
Despite everything, I still hold on to the memories of our past love.
And the love that we once knew
I am still deeply attached to the love we shared in the past.
My hope is now that you'll be happy
I hope that you are happy in your new relationship.
With the new love that you've found
I acknowledge that you have found love with someone else.
But should you ever change your mind dear
In case you decide to rekindle our relationship in the future dear,
Remember me I'll be around
Know that I'll always be waiting for you if you change your mind.
Lyrics © JOHNNY BOND PUBLICATIONS
Written by: RALPH STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind