15 Jul 10 - 09:47 PM (#2945906) Subject: The Blues, in 1884 From: wysiwyg An excerpt from Interrupted, originally published in 1884:
"Girls, don't you think our church is just dreadful?" The book is alternately titled Out in the World. Claire Benedict is a capable, responsible, solid young Christian woman. Everyone leans on her for support and depends on her to do much that needs to be done in her church and social circle. But then her businessman father dies unexpectedly and leaves the family almost penniless, interrupting her tranquil, fulfilling life. Written by Isabella Alden, under the pen name "Pansy." ~Susan |
16 Jul 10 - 08:30 AM (#2946132) Subject: RE: The Blues, in 1884 From: Lighter The emotional kind of blues, not the musical kind. The name of the musical kind comes from the other, which goes back to the early 18th century. |
16 Jul 10 - 09:30 AM (#2946155) Subject: RE: The Blues, in 1884 From: Will Fly A fit of the blue devils - mentioned, as Lighter says, in literature of the early 18th century. |
16 Jul 10 - 11:45 AM (#2946231) Subject: RE: The Blues, in 1884 From: Lighter You can't sing 'em if you ain't got 'em. |
16 Jul 10 - 12:13 PM (#2946242) Subject: RE: The Blues, in 1884 From: GUEST,Neil D It is possible that Blues music existed in 1884, well before there first appearance on records. W.C Handy describes first hearing them played in 1903. That being said, I have to agree with most here that the literary passage refers, not to the music, but to an emotional state. That usage was common well before the usage as a form of music. Besides even if the musical form did exist in 1884, and I think some prototype of it probably did, it would have been entirely unknown outside of the rural Southern African-American community. |