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 Maggie
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a dram glass in her hands
She's drinking away her troubles
And a courting another man
Pretty flowers were made for blooming
Pretty stars were made to shine
Pretty women were made for loving
Last time a saw little Maggie
She was sitting on the banks of the sea
With a forty-four around her
And a banjo on her knee
Lay down your last gold dollar
Lay down your gold watch and chain
Little Maggie's gonna dance for daddy
Listen to that old banjo ring
Go away, go away, little Maggie
Go and do the best you can
I'll get me another woman
You can get you another man
The Stanley Brothers' song "Little Maggie" tells the story of a woman named Maggie, who is seen by the singer standing with a drink in her hand, trying to forget her troubles and courting another man. However, the singer claims Maggie was made for him, and even though he has seen her sitting with a gun and banjo, he is willing to lay down all his possessions just to see her dance to the banjo's tune. The song ends with the singer telling Maggie to leave and do the best she can as he will find another woman.
The song is a classic example of Appalachian folk music that derives its roots from the union of the Scottish-Irish music brought by the settled immigrants and the African-American spirituals brought by the slaves. The lyrics to the song are relatively simple, and the melody is easy to learn, though the song's appeal lies in the mood it creates, which is somehow desperate, lonely, and melancholic. The lyrics suggest that the singer has lost the woman he loves to another man and is willing to let her go, but his yearning for Maggie is palpable nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
Over yonder stands little Maggie
Little Maggie is standing over there
With a dram glass in her hands
She is holding a glass of alcohol
She's drinking away her troubles
She is trying to forget her problems with alcohol
And a courting another man
She is flirting with another man
Pretty flowers were made for blooming
Flowers were made to look pretty and attract attention
Pretty stars were made to shine
Stars were made to shine and light up the sky
Pretty women were made for loving
Women were made to be loved and appreciated
Little Maggie was made for mine
Little Maggie was meant to be with the singer
Last time I saw little Maggie
The singer saw Little Maggie before
She was sitting on the banks of the sea
She was sitting near the ocean
With a forty-four around her
She had a gun with her
And a banjo on her knee
She was holding and playing a banjo
Lay down your last gold dollar
Give up your last bit of money
Lay down your gold watch and chain
Give up your fancy possessions
Little Maggie's gonna dance for daddy
Little Maggie is going to dance for the singer
Listen to that old banjo ring
Listen to the sound of the banjo playing
Go away, go away, little Maggie
Leave, Little Maggie
Go and do the best you can
Go try to do what you want to do
I'll get me another woman
The singer will find another woman
You can get you another man
Little Maggie can find another man
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Carter Stanley, William York
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind