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 Wild Side Of Life
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You asked me not to call you on the phone
There's something I've been waiting for to tell you
So I wrote it in the words of this song
You never knew there were honky tonk angels
Or you might have known I'd never make a wife
You walked out on the only one who ever loved you
Now the glamor of the good life always lead me
To the places where the wild liquor flows
I tried to be your one and only angel
But I'm not that kind of angel, heaven knows
I cried so hard the day you went and left me
'Cause some things you said, they cut me like a knife
What you wanted was another kind of angel
And you should be back to the wild side of life
No, well, I guess I'm just a honky tonk angel
I might have known I'd never make a wife
Well, you left the only one who ever loved you
And I'm back here on the wild side of life
I'm only a honky tonk angel
I might have known I'd never make a wife
You walked out on the only one who ever loved you
And you left me here on the wild side of life
The Stanley Brothers' song, The Wild Side of Life, is a classic country tune about lost love and the lure of the wild lifestyle. The singer addresses his former lover, acknowledging that she wouldn't read his letters or take his calls, but he has something important to tell her nonetheless. He reveals that he had tried to be the perfect partner for her, but ultimately their relationship didn't work out because he was always drawn to the wild side of life. He laments that she never knew about the existence of honky tonk angels, as he feels that if she did, she would have realized that he would never make a suitable husband.
The singer explains that he had hoped to be her one and only angel, but that he just wasn't cut out to be that kind of angel. He recalls how devastated he was when she left him, saying that her words hurt him deeply. However, he eventually realized that she was looking for a different kind of man, one who would be happy living the domestic life instead of the wild one. The singer accepts that he is just a honky tonk angel and that he will never be the perfect husband, but he also recognizes that his former lover was not that perfect match for him either. The song ends on a wistful note, with the singer acknowledging that he is back on the wild side of life, but still longing for the one who got away.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you wouldn't read my letters if I wrote you
You have been ignoring my letters, so I had to find another way to communicate with you
You asked me not to call you on the phone
You requested that I not contact you through phone calls
There's something I've been waiting for to tell you
I have been eagerly waiting for the chance to tell you something
So I wrote it in the words of this song
I decided to communicate my feelings through the lyrics of this song
You never knew there were honky tonk angels
You were not aware that there are women who enjoy the honky tonk lifestyle
Or you might have known I'd never make a wife
If you knew this fact about honky tonk angels, you would have realized that I am not the kind of woman to settle down with
You walked out on the only one who ever loved you
You left me, the only person who truly loved you
So I went back to the wild side of life
As a result, I had to return to my previous lifestyle of wild and carefree living
Now the glamor of the good life always lead me
I am always attracted to the luxurious and exciting aspects of life
To the places where the wild liquor flows
I tend to frequent places where alcohol is consumed and the partying is wild
I tried to be your one and only angel
I attempted to be the only woman in your life and your protector
But I'm not that kind of angel, heaven knows
Unfortunately, I am not capable of being that type of angelic figure
I cried so hard the day you went and left me
I was devastated and cried a lot when you walked away from me
'Cause some things you said, they cut me like a knife
The things you said to me were extremely hurtful and caused me a lot of emotional pain
What you wanted was another kind of angel
You were seeking a different type of woman, one who did not fit my personality and lifestyle
And you should be back to the wild side of life
Therefore, you would also benefit from returning to the wild and free-spirited lifestyle that you once knew
No, well, I guess I'm just a honky tonk angel
I have come to realize that I am simply a woman who loves the honky tonk lifestyle
I might have known I'd never make a wife
I always suspected that I was not the type of woman to settle down and be someone's wife
Well, you left the only one who ever loved you
You abandoned the one person who truly cared for you
And I'm back here on the wild side of life
As a result, I have returned to my wild and free-spirited lifestyle
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buddy Guy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind