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)
Think Of What You
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Am I not the only one
After all this pain and sorrow
Darling think of what you've done
Heart to heart dear how I need you
Like the flowers need the dew
I can't believe we're really through
I'll go back to old Virginia
Where the mountains meet the sky
In those hills I learned to love you
Let me stay there till I die
The lyrics to The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys' song Think of What You've Done are reminiscent of classic heartbreak ballads. The singer asks if it's true that they've lost their love, questioning whether they are "not the only one." The pain and sorrow of this potential loss are felt deeply and the singer begs their former partner to "think of what you've done." The lyrics continue as the singer expresses their need for their love and compares it to the need for dew on flowers. They reminisce about their life together and express disbelief that it's truly over. The final verse describes the singer returning to old Virginia, where they learned to love their partner, to live out the remainder of their days.
Overall, the lyrics describe the pain and longing felt after the dissolution of a relationship. The singer expresses their deep love and reminisces about good times, but also acknowledges the hurt and betrayal that led to the end of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it true that I've lost you
I cannot fathom whether you have really left me or not
Am I not the only one
Are you seeing someone else besides me?
After all this pain and sorrow
Despite all the hurt and agony
Darling think of what you've done
You need to reflect on the consequences of your actions and how it has affected us
Heart to heart dear how I need you
I need you deeply and with all my heart
Like the flowers need the dew
I need you like the flowers need the dew to survive and grow
Loving you has been my life, dear
I have dedicated my life to loving and caring for you, my dear
I can't believe we're really through
I am unable to comprehend the fact that we have ended our relationship
I'll go back to old Virginia
I will return to my homeland in Virginia
Where the mountains meet the sky
Where the majestic mountains reach the sky and connect with the heavens
In those hills I learned to love you
It was in those hills that I discovered the depths of my love for you
Let me stay there till I die
Allow me to live out my remaining days in this place that holds so much significance for us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CAROLVS
Ralph referred to Shuffler as the “Golden Ghost.” Where this came from is anyone’s guess.
Never heard of Bernie Wright. But that’s not surprising. I see a lot of things for the first time on this channel.