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)
bootleg john
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made the county dry and the prices high
For the bootleg whiskey man
His age was barely twenty-one, his family was ashamed
They had a son who left his home
For a bootleg whiskey game
Bootleg John won't you come on home
You're runnin' wild and your baby child
Wants his daddy home
His wife she loved hime dearly tho' he seldom came around
She'd always cry when he said goodbye
But she never could hold him down
Twelve pistols in his pocket his shotgun on the floor
He made his run to Lexington
To the bootleg whiskey store
His car was full of whiskey, his hand was on his gun
He was set to go but he didn't know
He was makin' his last run
The sheriff pulled him over and he shot the lawman down
They locked him well in the county jail
And the jailer slapped him down
The Stanley Brothers’ song Bootleg John is a poignant tale of a young man who becomes embroiled in the dangerous world of bootleg whiskey. John, who comes from Breathed County, is only twenty-one years old when he leaves his family to make a name for himself as a bootlegger. He becomes notorious in the county for rendering it dry and driving up prices, but this fame comes with its consequences.
Despite his wife’s love for him, he seldom visits home, and his son yearns for him to return. John is heavily armed with twelve pistols in his pocket and a shotgun on the floor of his car when he embarks on what turns out to be his final run to the Lexington bootleg whiskey store. His car is filled with whiskey as he is pursued by the sheriff. John shoots and kills the lawman and is eventually hunted down and thrown in jail. The song is a plea for John to come home to his family, who are waiting for him.
The lyrics of Bootleg John tell a story of tragedy and regret. They illustrate how one man's involvement in the bootleg whiskey trade can have disastrous consequences for himself, his family, and his community. The song is a cautionary tale that warns against the dangers of the criminal world.
Line by Line Meaning
In the land of Breathed County was raised a crooked man
There was a crooked man who grew up in Breathed County
Made the county dry and the prices high
He made the county dry and raised the prices of alcohol
For the bootleg whiskey man
Because he was a bootlegger
His age was barely twenty-one, his family was ashamed
He was only twenty-one years old and his family was embarrassed by his actions
They had a son who left his home
He left his home and family
For a bootleg whiskey game
To be involved in bootlegging
Bootleg John won't you come on home
John, please come back home
Your family's all alone
Your family is alone without you
You're runnin' wild and your baby child
You're reckless and your child needs you
Wants his daddy home
Wants you to come back home
His wife she loved hime dearly tho' he seldom came around
His wife loved him despite him rarely being around
She'd always cry when he said goodbye
She always cried when he left
But she never could hold him down
She could never make him stay
Twelve pistols in his pocket his shotgun on the floor
He had twelve pistols in his pocket and his shotgun was on the floor
He made his run to Lexington
He went to Lexington
To the bootleg whiskey store
To buy bootleg whiskey
His car was full of whiskey, his hand was on his gun
His car was full of whiskey and he had his gun in his hand
He was set to go but he didn't know
He was ready to leave but didn't know what was to come
He was makin' his last run
This was going to be his final bootlegging trip
The sheriff pulled him over and he shot the lawman down
The sheriff stopped him and he shot and killed him
They locked him well in the county jail
They put him in the county jail
And the jailer slapped him down
The jailer mistreated him
Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.