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)
The Wandering Boy
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some mother's boy is wandering all alone
No one to guide him or keep his footsteps right
Some mother's boy is homeless tonight
Oh, bring back to me, my wandering boy
For there is no other that's left to give me joy
Tell him his mother with faded cheeks and hair
Out in the hallway there stands a vacant chair
Had an old pair of shoes he used to wear
Empty now the cradle, he used to love so well
Oh, how I love him, no tongue can tell
Oh, bring back to me, my wandering boy
For there is no other that's left to give me joy
Tell him his mother with faded cheeks and hair
Is at the old home, awaiting him there
Well, I remember the parting words he said
"We'll meet again where tears are never shed
No separation [Incomprehensible]
When life is over, I'll meet you up there
Oh, bring back to me, my wandering boy
For there is no other that's left to give me joy
Tell him his mother with faded cheeks and hair
Is at the old home, awaiting him there
The Wandering Boy, by The Stanley Brothers, tells the story of a mother who has lost her son and is left alone, waiting and longing for his return. The lyrics describe the situation of the boy who, having wandered far away from home, is now homeless and alone, with no one to keep his footsteps right. The anguish and sorrow of the mother are evident throughout the song, as she describes the empty cradle and the vacant chair that belonged to her beloved son. She longs for his return, hoping that he will come back to her someday, so that she can love him once more.
The story of The Wandering Boy is a universal one, reflecting the universal experience of separation, loss and yearning. It speaks to the deepest human emotions of love, grief, and hope, and it does so with great power and sensitivity. The lyrics are beautifully crafted, with poignant descriptions and vivid imagery that bring both the mother's sorrow and the boy's plight to life. The song is a timeless masterpiece that has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the cold world and far away from home
A young man is lost and without direction in the vast world far from the comfort and safety of his home.
Some mother's boy is wandering all alone
The young man is someone's son who is wandering aimlessly with nobody to guide him.
No one to guide him or keep his footsteps right
The young man is lost and nobody is there to help him make the right decisions.
Some mother's boy is homeless tonight
The young man is homeless and without shelter, and it is heartbreaking to think of a mother's son having to endure such a situation.
Oh, bring back to me, my wandering boy
The mother is desperately pleading for her son to return home as she is miserable without him.
For there is no other that's left to give me joy
The mother has no other source of happiness besides her son and his absence is making her unhappy.
Tell him his mother with faded cheeks and hair
The mother is explaining to her son that she is getting old and waiting for him to return.
Is at the old home, awaiting him there
The mother is anxiously waiting for her son to come back to her in their old home.
Out in the hallway there stands a vacant chair
The mother has set up a chair in the hallway in anticipation of her son's return, which is currently empty.
Had an old pair of shoes he used to wear
The mother misses her son so much that she kept his old shoes and remembers the times when he wore them.
Empty now the cradle, he used to love so well
The cradle, which was once a symbol of love and nurturing for the mother and her son, is now empty and lifeless.
Oh, how I love him, no tongue can tell
The mother's love for her son is indescribable and cannot be put into words.
Well, I remember the parting words he said
The mother fondly remembers the last words her son said before leaving home.
"We'll meet again where tears are never shed
The son reassured his mother that they will reunite one day in a better place where there is no pain or sorrow.
No separation [Incomprehensible]
There will be no more separation between them and they will never be apart again.
When life is over, I'll meet you up there
The son knows that the only way they will be reunited is after their respective lives have ended in the afterlife.
Oh, bring back to me, my wandering boy
The mother is still pleading for her son to return home, unable to bear the thought of being separated from him any longer.
For there is no other that's left to give me joy
The mother's happiness and purpose in life is tied to the return of her son, without whom she feels incomplete.
Tell him his mother with faded cheeks and hair
The mother is emphasizing again that she is getting old and wants to spend what time she has left with her son.
Is at the old home, awaiting him there
The mother is still waiting for her son to come back to her in their old home, where they can be together once again.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: A. P. Carter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind