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)
Poison Lies
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the stories that they told all lie down
For somehow I can't make my heart believe them
They're only poison lies going 'round
It tough now that you're livin' reckless
Goin' places dear and doin' things that's wrong
Runnin' 'round with the crowd you once hated
Just to spite one that's loved you so long
Our love didn't seem to be the same
Then you thought I had gone found another
So you left me and I took the blame
In The Stanley Brothers' song Poison Lies, the lyrics revolve around a relationship that has gone south due to lies and deception. The singer seems to be conflicted between wanting the person they love to stay and feeling frustrated with their reckless behavior. Despite hearing rumors and stories about this person, the singer can't help but feel that they're just "poison lies going 'round" and that their heart still longs for them.
The second verse delves deeper into the issues in the relationship, as the person the singer loves has started acting out and doing things that they once would have disapproved of. They've also begun hanging out with a crowd of people that the singer doesn't approve of, all to spite the singer who has loved them for so long. The final verse hints at a break in the relationship, possibly due to the lies and rumors that have been circulating. The singer acknowledges that the love they once had for each other has changed and that they had grown tired of each other at times. However, when the other person thinks that the singer has found someone else, they leave and the singer takes the blame.
Overall, the song Poison Lies is a poignant and emotional depiction of a relationship that has been tarnished by lies and deception. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of believing in hearsay and rumors and the impact that it can have on those involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh leave me or say that you want me
Either break up with me or commit to our relationship.
And the stories that they told all lie down
The rumors being spread about our love are false.
For somehow I can't make my heart believe them
I cannot trust those rumors because my heart knows they are not true.
They're only poison lies going 'round
The rumors are like poison that is being spread around.
It tough now that you're livin' reckless
It is difficult because you are living recklessly now.
Goin' places dear and doin' things that's wrong
You are going to regret going to those places and doing those things.
Runnin' 'round with the crowd you once hated
You are going around with the same people you did not like before.
Just to spite one that's loved you so long
You are doing this just to hurt me who has loved you for so long.
Yeah at times we've tired of each other
There were times when we got bored of each other.
Our love didn't seem to be the same
We did not feel the same love that we once had.
Then you thought I had gone found another
You believed that I had found another person.
So you left me and I took the blame
Therefore, you left me, but I was the one blamed for it.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: CARTER STANLEYRUBY RAKES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind