• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Term “The Blues” Come From and How Did the Expression For Sadness Originate?

Where Did the Term “The Blues” Come From and How Did the Expression For Sadness Originate?

April 14, 2020 by Karen Hill

The blues were around long before African Americans put them to music.

The expression originates in the belief of early English settlers that “blue devils,” or mean spirits, had followed them to their new land.

These devils were thought to be the cause of sadness, and so a bout of depression was called “the blues.”

Because no one could have been sadder than the black slaves, their raw expression of the mood in a unique and brilliant musical form became known as “the blues.”

Related Facts

  • Who were the most famous African American Ladies who sang the Blues and Jazz during the 1900s?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed the World
  • Where do Germs, Bacteria, and Viruses come from and How do they make us sick?
  • Where does Salmonella come from and How does Salmonella Bacteria spread?
  • What types of music were people listening to during the Harlem Renaissance?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed Our Lives Forever

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Does the Word “Blizzard” Mean and Where Did the Term Come From For a Severe Snowstorm?
Next Post: What is Tecumseh’s Curse and How Did the Curse on the American Presidency Originate? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy