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)
Mother's Only Sleeping
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just patiently waiting for Jesus to come
The birds will be singing while Mother is sleeping
They will sing o'er as the grave sinks away
Well I left my old home way back in the mountains
For mother and father had both passed away
We followed our mother up to the graveyard
Oh how we miss her around the old home place
Everything seems so lonesome since she went away
Mother is sleeping way back the mountains
Yes mother is sleeping way back in the hills
The Stanley Brothers's song "Mother's Only Sleeping" is a moving and poignant tribute to a beloved mother who has passed on. The lyrics suggest that despite her apparent absence, the mother is not truly gone, but rather waiting patiently for the day when she can be reunited with her loved ones in heaven. The use of natural imagery such as the singing birds and sinking grave evoke a sense of peacefulness and serenity, suggesting that the mother's passing was not a tragic event, but rather a natural part of the cycle of life.
The song also speaks to the enduring power of the maternal bond, even after death. The siblings who sing the song lament the loss of their mother and speak of how much they miss her, but there is also a sense of comfort in knowing that she is still watching over them from above. The repetition of the phrase "Mother is sleeping" is particularly powerful, suggesting that even in death, the mother's love and protection continue to surround her children.
Overall, "Mother's Only Sleeping" is a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to mothers everywhere, celebrating their selfless love and enduring influence in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Mothers not dead, she's only a sleeping
Although she has passed away, she is not truly gone, but rather in a peaceful slumber.
Just patiently waiting for Jesus to come
Her soul is waiting for the second coming of Christ to take her to heaven.
The birds will be singing while Mother is sleeping
Nature will continue on even when she is no longer alive.
They will sing o'er as the grave sinks away
The birds will sing over the grave until it becomes overgrown and sinks back into the earth.
Well I left my old home way back in the mountains
The artist had to leave their childhood home behind.
For mother and father had both passed away
Both of the singer's parents had passed on, leaving them alone.
We followed our mother up to the graveyard
The family went to the graveyard to say their final goodbyes to their mother.
For mother was called to heaven that day
Their mother's spirit was called to heaven to be with God.
Oh how we miss her around the old home place
Without their mother, their childhood home seems lonely.
Everything seems so lonesome since she went away
The absence of their mother has a significant impact on the artist's life.
Mother is sleeping way back the mountains
Their mother's final resting place is deep in the mountains.
Yes mother is sleeping way back in the hills
The artist reaffirms that their mother is indeed at peace in the mountains.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BILL MONROE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tim a
Mother's Not Dead
Recorded by Bill Monroe written by Charlie Monroe
G D7
Mothers not dead she's only a sleeping
G
Just patiently waiting for Jesus to come
D7
The birds will be singing while Mother is sleeping
G
They will sing o'er as the grave sinks away
D7
Well I left my old home way back in the mountains
G
For mother and father had both passed away
D7
We followed our mother up to the graveyard
G
For mother was called to heaven that day
D7
Oh how we miss her around the old home place
G
Everything seems so lonesome since she went away
D7
Mother is sleeping way back the mountains
G
Yes mother is sleeping way back in the hills
Thomas Williams
All these Stanley Brothers songs are priceless! What great musicians and harmony to go with it. Carter and Ralph have passed on, but thankfully we have their music to enjoy still!
Gary Teague
This song gives hope to those who have lost their dear mothers and to see them in heaven someday
Dogny Gerson Mejía Aguilar
Gracias brothers,stanley gracias por esas canciones inolvidables,inolvidables,ojalá nunca desaparezcan esas hermosas y llenas de sentimiento
Jacequline Tucker
My daddy could bring an entire room to tears when he sang this sing!!
Dogny Gerson Mejía Aguilar
Creo,que es la Musica mas bella del Mundo,siempre y cuando a todo aquel que la sabe apreciar ,
KABALAKA Bacolod
Thanks for sharing. Kind of songs that never grow old, still powerful and soul searching.
servant4Christ7
vintagegospel , THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO SHARE ALL THESE TREASURED SONGS WITH US ALL. LORD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!
Charmaine Park
My dad would love this...he so appreciates a good banjo playing!
mary howard
Music does not get any better than this. Wish they played it on the radio or on television stations!
~lildannefantom~
The early years of these guys are so special. Every song they did they made it their own.