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)
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a cold and cloudy day
When I saw the hearse come rolling
To carry my mother away
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord bye and bye
There's a better home a waiting
I said to the undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord I hate to see her go
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord bye and bye
There's a better home a waiting
In the sky Lord in the sky
Well I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in that grave
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord bye and bye
There's a better home a waiting
In the sky Lord in the sky
I went back home that home was lonesome
Since my mother, she was gone
All my brothers and sisters crying
What a home so sad and alone
The Stanley Brothers' song "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" is a mournful tune about the death of the singer's mother. The song is set on a cold and cloudy day when the singer sees the hearse coming to take his mother away. The singer is grieving his mother's death as he contemplates whether the circle of life will remain unbroken after her passing. He ponders whether there is a better home waiting for her in the sky, and if they will ever be reunited. As the song progresses, he asks the undertaker to drive slow as he follows behind, trying to hold up and be brave, but he cannot hide his sorrow. The chorus repeats the question of whether the circle of life will be unbroken, suggesting a hope for a better eternal life.
The song uses traditional Christian imagery and paints a mournful picture of the singer's experience at his mother's funeral. The use of the word "circle" in the title and the chorus refers to the circle of life which has been broken by the singer's mother's death. However, the repetition of the chorus raises the question of whether the circle will be unbroken, providing hope to the singer and listeners that there is something beyond death. The song is a poignant exploration of grief and hope, and its lyrics continue to resonate with people going through similar experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing by the window
The singer was grieving, and standing silently by the window
On a cold and cloudy day
The weather reflected the sadness of the occasion
When I saw the hearse come rolling
The funeral procession arrived in front of the singer's home
To carry my mother away
The artist's mother had passed away and was being taken to her final resting place
Will the circle be unbroken
The artist is contemplating the idea of the afterlife and if their family will be reunited there
Bye and bye Lord bye and bye
The future is unknown, but the singer trusts in the guidance and protection of the Lord
There's a better home a waiting
The afterlife is a better place than the earthly realm
In the sky Lord in the sky
The concept of heaven as a peaceful and happy place
I said to the undertaker
The artist speaks to the undertaker out of respect for him and his profession
Undertaker please drive slow
The artist wants to delay the inevitable finality and extend the time with their loved one
For this lady you are carrying
The singer addresses the undertaker's responsibility in carrying their mother to her final resting place
Lord I hate to see her go
The artist is saddened by their mother's passing
Well I followed close behind her
The singer wants to be near their mother and show their love and support
Tried to hold up and be brave
The singer tries to be strong and resilient in the face of their grief
But I could not hide my sorrow
The singer is unable to mask their true feelings of sadness and loss
When they laid her in that grave
The artist's mother is buried, marking the end of her life
I went back home that home was lonesome
The artist feels empty, lonely, and lost without their mother
Since my mother, she was gone
The singer is reminded that their mother has passed away and is no longer with them
All my brothers and sisters crying
The family is united in their grief, as they all loved and will miss their mother
What a home so sad and alone
The family home has lost its warmth and happiness due to the mother's absence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: George Shuffler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The American Railfan
Rest in Peace Stanley. You did good. Thanks for the great music.
Landen Ray
The American Railfan I agree
Fernando Hernandez
I'm Hispanic but let me tell u bluegrass music they sing with passion!! Beautiful music
Amos Akers
My Mother was A HILLBILLY ,SHE Taught ME to LOVE it AND LOVIT ,Believe me CUZ I DO !!!!!!!
Michael Shelby
Yes they do
Jeff Sartain
Amen, Brother Fernando.
Daniel Lewis
Music is universal love
TIREKILLERZ
Your people do as well..
ForgotByTheSystem
I just lost my mom today. God if anyone is listening I need your prayers.
Amen brother and blessings to you and yours