Blues means what milk does to a baby. Blues is what the spirit is to the minister. We sing the blues because our hearts have been hurt, our souls have been disturbed.
Source: The Devil's Music: A History of the Blues, by Files Oakley, 1977.
-- Alberta Hunter, (Apr 1 1895-1988), US blues singer; She who achieved international fame in the 1930s for her vigorous and rhythmically infectious style.