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)
Little Glass Of Wine
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My love is so great, how can you slight me
I'll work for you both late and early
At my wedding my little wife you'll be
Oh Willie dear, let's both consider
We're both too young to be married now
When we're married, we're bound together
He went to the bar where she was dancing
A jealous thought came to his mind
I'll kill that girl, my own true lover
Before I let another man beat my time
He went to the bar and called her to him
She said Willie dear, what you want with me
Come and drink wine with the one that loves you
More than anyone else you know, said he
While they were at the bar a-drinking
That same old thought came to his mind
He'd kill that girl, his own true lover
He gave her poison in a glass of wine
She laid her head over on his shoulder
Said Willie dear, please take me home
That glass of wine that I've just drinken
Has gone to my head and got me drunk
He laid his head over on the pillow
Let me read you the law let me tell you my mind
Molly dear, I'm sorry to tell you
We both drank poison in a glass of wine
They folded their arms around each other
They cast their eyes unto the sky
Oh God, oh God, Ain't this a pity
That the both true lovers are bound to die
The Stanley Brothers' song "Little Glass Of Wine" is a tragic story of two young lovers who consider getting married but decide to wait a year. Willie, the male protagonist, is driven by jealousy when he sees his lover dancing with another man at a bar. His jealousy soon turns into a deadly plan as he decides to poison his lover with a glass of wine, only to realize that he has also poisoned himself. As the two of them lay dying in each other's arms, they bemoan the cruel fate that has befallen them.
The song is a fine example of bluegrass music, with the banjo and mandolin providing the driving rhythm, and the fiddle and guitar adding an emotional depth to the lyrics. The music complements the somber subject matter of the song, creating a powerful emotional impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Come little girl let's go get married
The singer wants to get married to the girl and is inviting her to do so.
My love is so great, how can you slight me
The singer loves the girl immensely and cannot understand why she would reject him.
I'll work for you both late and early
The singer is willing to work hard to provide for the girl and their future family.
At my wedding my little wife you'll be
The artist is asking the girl to marry him and wants her to be his wife on their wedding day.
Oh Willie dear, let's both consider
The girl is addressing the artist (Willie) and suggests that they consider something together.
We're both too young to be married now
The girl believes that they are both too young to get married at this point in time.
When we're married, we're bound together
The girl acknowledges that if they were to get married they would be committing to a bond that ties them together.
Let's stay single just one more year
The girl proposes that they wait to get married for another year before making such a serious commitment.
He went to the bar where she was dancing
Willie went to a bar where the girl was dancing.
A jealous thought came to his mind
Willie became jealous and had a negative thought.
I'll kill that girl, my own true lover
Willie contemplated killing the girl that he loved.
Before I let another man beat my time
Willie would rather kill the girl than let another man have her.
He went to the bar and called her to him
Willie approached the girl and called her over to him.
She said Willie dear, what you want with me
The girl addressed Willie and asked him what he wanted from her.
Come and drink wine with the one that loves you
Willie invites the girl to drink wine with him, referring to himself as the one who loves her.
More than anyone else you know, said he
Willie tells the girl that he loves her more than anyone else she knows.
While they were at the bar a-drinking
Willie and the girl were drinking together at the bar.
That same old thought came to his mind
Willie's jealous thought about killing the girl came back to him.
He'd kill that girl, his own true lover
Willie decided to kill the girl that he loved.
He gave her poison in a glass of wine
Willie poisoned the girl by putting poison in her wine.
She laid her head over on his shoulder
The girl leaned her head on Willie's shoulder.
Said Willie dear, please take me home
The girl asked Willie to take her home.
That glass of wine that I've just drinken
The girl realizes that she drank the wine that Willie had poisoned.
Has gone to my head and got me drunk
The girl feels like the wine has made her intoxicated.
He laid his head over on the pillow
Willie laid his head on a pillow.
Let me read you the law let me tell you my mind
Willie is telling the girl about the consequences of his actions and what he is thinking.
Molly dear, I'm sorry to tell you
Willie addresses the girl by name (Molly) and expresses his sorrow for what he has done.
We both drank poison in a glass of wine
Willie tells the girl that they both drank poisoned wine (implying that he has also poisoned himself).
They folded their arms around each other
Willie and the girl hugged each other.
They cast their eyes unto the sky
Both Willie and the girl looked up at the sky.
Oh God, oh God, Ain't this a pity
Both Willie and the girl lament their sad fate and express pity for each other.
That the both true lovers are bound to die
Both Willie and the girl acknowledge that they are true lovers who are destined to die because of the poison they drank.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CARTER STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@travismatte
Beautiful :) love the brother harmonies. Fiddle tone sounds great.
@cqsteve1
When i developed interest in the old bluegrass songs, i was amazed about how many songs involved death in one shape or another.
@theogoldberg8919
Da lil’ glass of wiiiiinooo made me drunk as a chicken’s aaaaa….. 😂😂😂
@Aryozad
their always called molly, always killed by a william