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)
medicine springs
The Stanley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was searching for fortune and fame
I found where the water runs deep from the hills
They call it the medicine springs
They call it the medicine springs
It was there that I met a fair maiden
Yellow hair and big eyes of blue
That she'd forever be true
That she'd forever be true
Well I wanted the best for my darlin'
But my pockets were empty and bare
My love was so great for that starlett of mine
I took what another man had
I took what another man had
As I sit here alone in this jailhouse
With a letter I can't hardly read
It said my darlin' has left this ol' world
She's a waitin' in heaven for me
She's a waitin' in heaven for me
Some day I'll go back to the mountains
Where I'll spend the rest of my days
And the water that runs frome the side of the hill
Will water her flowery grave
Will water her flowery grave
The Stanley Brothers' song Medicine Springs tells the story of a man who goes on a quest to the mountains in search of riches and success, but instead finds love at the Medicine Springs. The man meets a beautiful young woman with yellow hair and blue eyes who tells him that she loves him and will always be faithful. However, the man is unable to provide for her financially and steals from another man to give her the best. The consequences of his actions eventually catch up with him as he ends up in jail, receiving a letter informing him that his love has passed away and is now waiting for him in heaven. The song ends with the man's longing to return to the mountains to be near his love and take care of her grave.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I wandered way back in the mountains
I traveled far into the mountains searching for something
I was searching for fortune and fame
I wanted to become rich and successful
I found where the water runs deep from the hills
I discovered a place where there was a lot of water from the hills
They call it the medicine springs
This place was called the Medicine Springs
They call it the medicine springs
This place was called the Medicine Springs
It was there that I met a fair maiden
While at the Medicine Springs, I met a beautiful woman
Yellow hair and big eyes of blue
She had blonde hair and blue eyes
She told me one day she loved only me
She expressed her love for me and promised to be faithful
That she'd forever be true
She promised to love me forever
Well I wanted the best for my darlin'
I wanted the best for my lover
But my pockets were empty and bare
But I was poor and had no money
My love was so great for that starlett of mine
I loved her so much
I took what another man had
I stole from another man
As I sit here alone in this jailhouse
Now I sit in jail, alone
With a letter I can't hardly read
I have a letter that is difficult for me to read
It said my darlin' has left this ol' world
The letter said my lover had passed away
She's a waitin' in heaven for me
She is waiting for me in heaven
Some day I'll go back to the mountains
One day I will return to the mountains
Where I'll spend the rest of my days
And I will spend the rest of my life there
And the water that runs from the side of the hill
And the water that flows from the hills
Will water her flowery grave
Will water the flowers on her grave
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.