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)
Maple On The Hill
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I sat with my Geneva long ago
As the stars were shining brightly we could hear the whippoorwill
As we sat beneath the maple on the hill
We would sing love songs together when the birds had gone to rest
We would listen to the murmur o'er the hill
Will you love me, little darling as you did those starry nights
As we sat beneath the maple on the hill
Just one little wish, my darling, that I pray
As you linger there in sadness thinking darling of the past
Let your teardrops kiss the flowers on my grave
I will soon be with the angels on that bright and peaceful shore
Even now I hear them coming o'er the hill
So goodbye, my little darling It is time for us to part
I must leave you 'neath the maple on the hill
The song "Maple On The Hill" by The Stanley Brothers is a heartbreaking ballad about a lover's farewell. The song begins with a description of a maple tree standing in a quiet country village, where the singer sat with his sweetheart, Geneva, long ago. As they sat beneath the tree, they could hear the haunting and beautiful sound of a whippoorwill and would sing love songs together after the birds had gone to rest. The singer then asks if she will love him as she did in those starry nights when he is gone.
The second stanza is a sorrowful plea to his lover not to forget him when he dies. He asks for only one little wish, that whenever she thinks of him and his passing, she should let her teardrops kiss the flowers on his grave. He assures her that he will soon be with the angels on a bright and peaceful shore, and can already hear them coming over the hill. The song ends with a farewell, as the singer must leave Geneva beneath the maple on the hill.
Through its simple and poignant lyrics, "Maple On The Hill" portrays the sadness and loss of love, as well as the importance of remembrance and the eternal nature of love. The song reaches deeply into the heart of the listener and provides a powerful emotional experience.
Line by Line Meaning
In a quiet country village stood a maple on the hill
There was a maple tree on a hill in a peaceful village.
Where I sat with my Geneva long ago
I sat with my sweetheart Geneva at that location a while back.
As the stars were shining brightly we could hear the whippoorwill
We listened to the whippoorwill while the stars were shining bright.
As we sat beneath the maple on the hill
While sitting under the maple tree on that hilltop,
We would sing love songs together when the birds had gone to rest
We sang songs of love together when the birds had gone to sleep.
We would listen to the murmur o'er the hill
We would listen to the sounds over the hill.
Will you love me, little darling as you did those starry nights
I hope you will always love me, my dear, as you did during those beautiful nights.
As we sat beneath the maple on the hill
While sitting under the maple tree on that hilltop,
Don't forget me, little darling when they lay me down to die
Please don't ever forget me when I die and they lay me to rest.
Just one little wish, my darling, that I pray
I have only one request, my dear, that I pray for.
As you linger there in sadness thinking darling of the past
As you mournfully think of our past together,
Let your teardrops kiss the flowers on my grave
Let your tears fall on the flowers that cover my grave.
I will soon be with the angels on that bright and peaceful shore
I will soon join the angels in the bright and peaceful afterlife.
Even now I hear them coming o'er the hill
I can already hear the angels coming over the hill to guide me.
So goodbye, my little darling It is time for us to part
Farewell, my sweet love. The time has come for us to say goodbye.
I must leave you 'neath the maple on the hill
I have to leave you under this maple tree on the hill.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOB MILLER, GUSSIE DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind