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)
Vision of Mother
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the times when I was free
As I played before the fireside
'Round my darling, mother's knee
There's a blessed home up yonder
Where my loved ones wait for me
I saw mother in a vision
Then one day our mother left us
Daddy said she'd gone to rest
I remember how she loved me
As she clutched me to her breast
There's a blessed home up yonder
Where my loved ones wait for me
I saw mother in a vision
Kneeling there to pray for me
Some sweet day I'll meet you, mother
Your little boy is coming home
To see you as in days of childhood
The one you loved and left alone
There's a blessed home up yonder
Where my loved ones wait for me
I saw mother in a vision
Kneeling there to pray for me
The Stanley Brothers' song "A Vision of Mother" is a poignant tribute to a mother's unconditional love, her selfless sacrifices, and her profound impact on her child's life. The evocative lyrics depict the singer's reminiscences of his childhood, spent playing before the fireside and sitting on his mother's knee. The singer's thoughts turn towards the afterlife, where he believes his mother waits for him in a blessed home up yonder. The singer has a vision of his mother kneeling down to pray for him, even as she remains absent from his life after passing away.
The tender emotions expressed in the song are acutely felt in the lines where the singer speaks of his mother's love for him as she clutched him to her breast, and the touching promise he makes to his mother that he will meet her again someday as her little boy coming home. The tone of the song is one of longing, nostalgia, and a deep sense of gratitude towards the mother who shaped the singer's life.
"A Vision of Mother" is a classic bluegrass song that showcases the emotional depth and storytelling capacity of the genre. It has become a staple of tribute albums, memorial services, and country music playlists. The song's ability to evoke feelings of love, loss, and devotion has made it a timeless classic that resonates with music lovers across generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Often my thoughts drift back to childhood
Sometimes I reminisce about my childhood
To the times when I was free
To the moments when I felt unencumbered and liberated
As I played before the fireside
As I played near the fireplace
'Round my darling, mother's knee
Near the knees of my cherished mother
There's a blessed home up yonder
In heaven, there is a blessed abode
Where my loved ones wait for me
Where my loved ones are eagerly anticipating my arrival
I saw mother in a vision
I had a vision of my mother
Kneeling there to pray for me
I saw her kneeling, praying for me
Then one day our mother left us
At some point, our mother passed away
Daddy said she'd gone to rest
My father said she had passed away and gone to a peaceful resting place
I remember how she loved me
I recall how much she loved me
As she clutched me to her breast
As she held me tightly to her chest
Some sweet day I'll meet you, mother
Someday, I will reunite with my mother
Your little boy is coming home
Your little boy, meaning me, will be coming home
To see you as in days of childhood
To see you as I did in my childhood days
The one you loved and left alone
I am the one you loved and left behind
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CARTER STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aprilwino
Thank you for posting this......one of my all time favoristes...such soul in Carter's voice.....we miss him more than the world knows.
@willowcreekbluegrass
This is real bluegrass and we love it
@jimmyb1456
Listen to Ralph in the background his voice young and high. Cartel sounds younger too
@pocu321
I didn't know anyone did this song before Ricky Skaggs. I loved listening to it when I was a kid. I think I love this even more. What a sad reminder of how much life has changed here. This wonderful culture is almost completely gone.
@gloriaobrien3896
Free free
@jeaniestanley1250
Carter Stanley wrote this song. Ricky learned it from this record.
@yorkclassicmusic4417
Absolutely love it
@haroldsteinblatt2567
Just the best. The playing is perfect, always understated. They mean every word they sing, every n
@RIDETHESUNSHINE
"16 O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds." Psalm 116:16 King James Version (KJV) My Mom, a Burdine Kentucky girl, will be 92 years young, on the 16th of this October. She is a former Salvationist. Even with her failing hearing, she still thoroughly enjoys listening to Gospel, as do I. Thank You for posting this uplifting song of steadfast faith. Also, Bless You "OldBluegrassMusic," for this posting. Be Well, , Will
@larrynations6124
I think there harmony was very precised and truly rare its hard to find that today what a blessing they were