Ralph Merrifield grew up in Mansfield, Massachusetts, where his father was a clerk at the post office for many years, and his mother was a school nurse. In high school, he learned the guitar, became active in band and chorus, and wrote folk songs. In Christmas 1974, his high school choir recorded and performed his "Christmas Round"; his first song collection, "18 Years," appeared the following year. Ralph majored in music composition at Westfield State College, where he became president of the local chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ. He also played in local coffee houses and churches, and played the baritone horn with the Symphonic Wind Philharmonic.