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’ve Done
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
Loving you has been my life, dear
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 song "Think of What You've Done" by The Stanley Brothers is a poignant country ballad about a broken relationship. The opening lines convey the feeling of disbelief that the singer experiences after being left by his partner. The desperate question, "Is it true that I've lost you?" is a clear indication that he is struggling to come to terms with the end of the relationship. Throughout the song, he pleads with his lost love to consider the pain and sorrow that they have caused him. He compares his need for her to that of the flowers for the dew, emphasizing the intensity of his emotions.
The song is also a powerful ode to the love that the singer once felt for his partner. He describes how loving her has been the center of his life, and it is evident that he is struggling to let go. The final lines of the song are particularly poignant, as the singer vows to return to the place where he first fell in love with his partner, the hills of Virginia. It is clear that he intends to stay there until he dies, suggesting that he will never truly be able to let go of the love he once had.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it true that I've lost you
Did I really lose you?
Am I not the only one
Are you with someone else?
After all this pain and sorrow
After all the hurt and sadness
Darling think of what you've done
Please consider the effect of your actions
Heart to heart dear how I need you
I need you deeply
Like the flowers need the dew
Like how flowers need water to survive
Loving you has been my life, dear
You are my whole life
I can't believe we're really through
I am having a difficult time accepting that it's over
I'll go back to old Virginia
I will return to where I am from
Where the mountains meet the sky
In a picturesque location
In those hills I learned to love you
I fell in love with you there
Let me stay there till I die
Allow me to spend the rest of my life there
Writer(s): Carter Stanley
Contributed by Reagan G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.