The Stanley Brothers (Carter Stanley, 1925-1966, and Ralph Stanley, 1927-20… Read Full Bio ↴The Stanley Brothers (Carter Stanley, 1925-1966, and Ralph Stanley, 1927-2016) were an American bluegrass duo originally hailing from Dickenson County, Virginia. The family soon moved to McClure, Virginia, where their parents worked a small farm in the Clinch Mountains. Music was a part of their lives from the word go, as they were able to listen to the likes of The Monroe Brothers, Mainer's Mountaineers, and other artists featured on the Grand Ole Opry radio program.

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)

It's Raining Here This Morning
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh it's raining, raining, raining here this morning
As I sit in jail and hang my head in shame
With a smile I try to greet each early dawning
But they've given me a number for my name

Many a little raindrops are falling close to me
Makes the streams and rivers just as muddy as can be
It's raining, raining, raining here this morning

As the Mississippi flows on to the sea

How I wish that I could see my little darling
And hold her in my arms just as before
I used to tell her every day I loved her
But now she doesn't love me anymore

She knew that I was guiltless of this one crime
And said that she'd be waiting there for me
But she has found somewhere else to wander
Where the Mississippi flows on to the sea

Its raining, raining, raining here this morning
And I am just as weary as can be
I wish that I could follow all the raindrops
Down the Mississippi toward the silver sea

But there's no way to prove that I'm not guilty
So I will have to suffer all the shame

Go and tell her for me little raindrops
That they've given me a number for my name

Overall Meaning

The Stanley Brothers' song "It's Raining Here This Morning" tells the story of a man sitting in jail, feeling shame and longing for his lost love. The rain outside mirrors the man's sadness and serves as a metaphor for the tears he cannot shed. The raindrops symbolize the man's broken heart as well as his hopelessness. He wishes he could escape and follow the raindrops down the Mississippi towards the sea, but he is trapped in his current situation with no way to prove his innocence. The final lines of the song urge the raindrops to deliver a message to his lost love, as he has been reduced to nothing more than a number.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh it's raining, raining, raining here this morning
It is raining heavily this morning and it reflects the heaviness and sadness of the situation I am in right now.

As I sit in jail and hang my head in shame
I am incarcerated and filled with shame for the crime that I am accused of committing.

With a smile I try to greet each early dawning
I try to put on a brave face and start each day positively, despite my difficult circumstances.

But they've given me a number for my name
I feel dehumanized and reduced to a mere number in the eyes of the law.

Many a little raindrops are falling close to me
I observe the raindrops falling around me, a metaphor for the struggles and hardships that people face in their lives.

Makes the streams and rivers just as muddy as can be
The rain is making the waters muddy, which represents the unclear and conflicted state of my mind and emotions.

As the Mississippi flows on to the sea
The rainwater flowing into the Mississippi River and on to the sea symbolizes the continuous flow of time and my inability to turn back the clock.

How I wish that I could see my little darling
I long to see my loved one and hold her in my arms again.

And hold her in my arms just as before
I desire to experience the familiar warmth and affection of my relationship with my loved one before my current predicament.

But now she doesn't love me anymore
My loved one has moved on and no longer has feelings for me due to my alleged crime.

She knew that I was guiltless of this one crime
My loved one believed in my innocence and knew that I did not commit the crime I am accused of.

And said that she'd be waiting there for me
My loved one promised to wait for me until I proved my innocence and regained my freedom.

But she has found somewhere else to wander
My loved one has since moved on and has ventured down a different path in life.

And I am just as weary as can be
I am exhausted and drained from the emotional turmoil and stress of my situation.

I wish that I could follow all the raindrops
I wish that I could follow the rain and find a new beginning or a way out of my current situation.

Down the Mississippi toward the silver sea
The Mississippi River represents the path of destiny that I must follow, ultimately leading me towards my fate.

But there's no way to prove that I'm not guilty
Despite my claims of innocence, I have no concrete evidence or proof to back up my claims.

So I will have to suffer all the shame
I must endure the shame and indignity of being accused of a crime I did not commit.

Go and tell her for me little raindrops
The singer is addressing the raindrops as if they are able to communicate, and asking them to convey a message to his loved one that he is innocent and still loves her.

That they've given me a number for my name
Once again, the artist expresses his dehumanization and the sense that he is being reduced to a statistic in the eyes of the law and society.

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: CARTER STANLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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