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W.C. Handy got the inspiration for this song after he heard an African American lady in St. Louis, Missouri singing about her absent husband. The Blues modality makes a song in a major key sound minor(blue) by lowering the 3rd & 7th degree of the major scale. The original composition actually features a tango section as well as habanera & was quite a bit slower that John's arrangement. Of course, when you have technique as brilliant as his, you'll really love to “let it rip.“
