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)
If I Lose
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on back sweet mama back where you belong
I've gambled all over town find that I can't win
So come on back and pick me up again
Now if I lose let me lose
I don't care how much I lose
If I lose a hundred dollars while I'm trying to win a dime
My baby she's got money all the time
Of all the other gals I know no one can take your place
Cause when I get into a jam they just ain't in the race
So now that you're back dear let's take another round
With you here by my side dear the deal just can't go down
The Stanley Brothers' song "If I Lose" is a classic bluegrass song that tells the story of a man who realizes he needs his sweetheart to come back to him. The song speaks of the struggles of gambling, and the gambler's desire to win. The man gambles all over town but can't win, so he's asking his lady love to come back and pick him up again. He never thought he'd need her, but now he's found he's wrong. He's willing to lose everything he has to win her back.
The chorus of the song, "If I lose let me lose, I don't care how much I lose," shows the love and devotion that this man has for his woman. He doesn't care about the money, he just wants her back in his life. The line, "My baby she's got money all the time," shows that the man's lady is financially sound, and he's willing to give up everything he has just to have her by his side again.
The lyrics also speak of the man's realization that no other woman can take his sweetheart's place. He admits that when he gets into trouble, no other woman comes close to being able to help him out. With his sweetheart by his side, the deal just can't go down. The song is a moving declaration of love and devotion, with classic bluegrass harmonies and instruments that bring the lyrics to life.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought I'd need you but now I found I'm wrong
I never thought I'd want you in my life, but now I realize I was mistaken.
Come on back sweet mama back where you belong
Come back to me, my sweet love, where you belong.
I've gambled all over town find that I can't win
I've been taking chances everywhere and I haven't won anything.
So come on back and pick me up again
So, come back to me and support me once again.
Now if I lose let me lose
If I lose, I'll take it as it comes
I don't care how much I lose
I don't care how much money I lose.
If I lose a hundred dollars while I'm trying to win a dime
Even if I end up losing a lot of money while trying to win a small amount, I won't regret it.
My baby she's got money all the time
My lover always has money, so I'm not too worried about losing it all.
Of all the other gals I know no one can take your place
I've been with many other women, but there's no one like you.
Cause when I get into a jam they just ain't in the race
Whenever I'm in trouble, none of those other women can compete with you.
So now that you're back dear let's take another round
Now that you've returned, let's give it another go.
With you here by my side dear the deal just can't go down
As long as you're with me, nothing can go wrong.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ralph Stanley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind