Originally performing gospel music at local churches, the group billed themselves as The Four Star Quartet, and later The Kingsmen. In 1963, when the song "Louie, Louie" by the garage rock band also called The Kingsmen became famous, the group elected to bill themselves as The Statler Brothers. Despite the name, only two members of the group (Don and Harold Reid) are actual brothers and none have the surname of "Statler". The band, in fact, named themselves after a brand of facial tissue they had noticed in a hotel room (they joked that they could have turned out to be the Kleenex Brothers). Don Reid sang lead. Harold Reid, Don's older brother, sang bass. Phil Balsley sang baritone and Jimmy Fortune sang tenor after replacing original tenor Lew DeWitt in the early 1980s due to the latter's ill health. DeWitt died on August 15, 1990 of heart and kidney disease, stemming from complications of Crohn's disease.
The band's style was closely linked to their gospel roots. "We took gospel harmonies," said Harold Reid, "and put them over in country music."
The group remained closely tied to their gospel roots, with a majority of their records containing at least one gospel song. They produced several albums containing only gospel music and recorded a tribute song to the Blackwood Brothers, who influenced their music. The Statler Brothers also wrote a tribute song to Johnny Cash, who discovered them. The song was called "We Got Paid by Cash", and it reminisces about their time with Cash
Since forming, the Statler Brothers have released over 40 albums. They received Grammy Awards in 1966 and 1973. Two of their best-known songs are their first big hit, Flowers on the Wall, and the socially-conscious Bed of Roses. Late in their career they had a regular variety show on the cable television channel then known as The Nashville Network. Throughout their career, much of their appeal was related to their considerable ability for comedy and parody that they frequently interspersed into their musical act; they were frequently nominated for awards for their comedy as well as their singing. They recorded two comedy albums as Lester Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys, and one-half of one side of the album Country Music Then and Now was also devoted to satirizing small-town radio stations' Saturday morning shows.
The group disbanded and retired after completing a farewell tour on October 26, 2002. Balsley and the Reid brothers continue to reside in Staunton, while Fortune has relocated to Nashville, where he is continuing his music career as a solo artist. He has released three albums as a soloist. The Statlers continue to be the most awarded act in the history of country music.
Since the Statlers' retirement in 2002, Don has pursued a second career as an author. He authored or co-authored three books: Heroes and Outlaws of the Bible, Sunday Morning Memories, and You'll Know It's Christmas When.... He and Harold co-wrote a history of the Statler Brothers titled Random Memories released in February 2008.
The Statler Brothers have been credited as the first country music act to transfer the genre's nostalgia from a rural to a suburban setting. They have also been called "America's Poets" by Kurt Vonnegut.
City Lights
The Statler Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The great white way shines through the night for lonely guys like me
The cabarets and honky tonks their flashing signs invite
A broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights
Lights that say forget her name in a glass of cherry wine
Lights that offer other girls for empty hearts like mine
They paint a pretty picture of a world that's gay and bright
But it's just a mask for loneliness behind those city lights
The world was dark and God made stars to brighten up the night
Did the God who put those stars above make those city lights
Did he make a place for men to cry when things don't turn out right
Are we just supposed to run and hide behind those city lights
Lights that say forget her love in a different atmosphere
Lights that lure are nothing but a masquerade for tears
They paint a pretty picture but my arms can't hold them tight
And I just can't say I love you to a street of city lights
The Statler Brothers' "City Lights" is a reflective piece about the allure of city life as means to forget a lost love, and the emptiness that inevitably follows. The bright lights and flashing signs of the city seem to offer an escape from heartache, but at the end of the night, the loneliness still remains. The singer yearns for someone to hold and love, something that the pretense of the city lights cannot provide.
The lyrics are full of metaphors that contrast the twinkling lights of the city with the darkness of the singer's heart. The "bright array" of the lights is juxtaposed with the "broken heart" that seeks solace in their glow. The flashing signs of the cabarets and honky tonks are an invitation to forget, but they cannot replace love. The final verse poses existential questions about the nature of the city lights and their role in our lives, ultimately lamenting their ability to provide only temporary relief.
Overall, "City Lights" is a poignant reflection on the human experience, one that showcases the Statler Brothers' profound lyrical talent.
Line by Line Meaning
The bright array of city lights as far as I can see
The city lights spread out before me, dazzling in their immense presence.
The great white way shines through the night for lonely guys like me
The street is so bright that it seems white, it shines on the sad, solitary men like myself.
The cabarets and honky tonks their flashing signs invite
The bars and clubs, with their bright lights sparkling, beckon to passerby.
A broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights
The solitude of a broken heart can be alleviated by losing oneself in the brightness of city lights.
Lights that say forget her name in a glass of cherry wine
The lights suggest that forgetting her is possible with a drink of cherry wine.
Lights that offer other girls for empty hearts like mine
The lights extend the possibility of finding love with different girls, but it's no solace for emptiness.
They paint a pretty picture of a world that's gay and bright
The lights present an attractive image of a world that's overflowing with joy and gaiety.
But it's just a mask for loneliness behind those city lights
All of that brightness is merely a façade masking the real feeling of absolute loneliness.
The world was dark and God made stars to brighten up the night
The stars in the firmament are there to bring light to darkness, the world before man was created.
Did the God who put those stars above make those city lights
Is it also true that the same God who created the stars brought forth the city lights?
Did he make a place for men to cry when things don't turn out right
Is it possible that God created the city lights as a place for men to cry for their unfulfilled desires?
Are we just supposed to run and hide behind those city lights
Is the only option left for humans is to escape and take refuge behind the city lights?
Lights that say forget her love in a different atmosphere
The lights suggest that the memory of lost love can be lost in a completely different setting.
Lights that lure are nothing but a masquerade for tears
The lights are merely a trap that lures people in, leading to more hurt and tears.
They paint a pretty picture but my arms can't hold them tight
The view of the lights is indeed alluring, but it can only ever be imagined in one's mind.
And I just can't say I love you to a street of city lights
It is pointless to tell the street that I love it, as it is merely a lifeless object.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: REGINALD BURRELL, RONALD BURRELL, STEPHEN ELLIS GARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind