Blue Wednesday: My Blue Roots

Week Three

Happy Blue Wednesday

Welcome back to Blue Wednesday! I hope all of my U.S. subscribers had a happy Thanksgiving and I hope everyone took a moment to praise God for His faithful provision.

If you’re new here, welcome. Blue Wednesday works like this; I share a song (or two) of the blues genre and ask all subscribers and the Substack community to share their favorite blues tunes with me.

We saw another great week of engagement last week. The Blue Wednesday playlist on Spotify (and YouTube) grew by eight songs each¹. It was an incredible week of firsts as blues legends J. J. Cale, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Son House were all added to the playlist for the first time.

This Week

I’m continuing to dig into the past that laid the foundation of my love for blues music. Until starting this series I’m not sure I truly appreciated how blessed I was to be introduced to this great music as

Daniel Joseph Petty

and I began our venture into starting a band. I can see more clearly now that learning to play these songs not only made us tighter as a band but also gave us the nudge to seek and explore music of all genres; a passion and hobby that continues to this day.

This week I’d like to share two more songs that were early favorites in my learning of the blues. I never learned how to play either of these songs I’m sharing today, but they’ve been staples of my music listening for going on 16 years now.

First up, “The Thrill is Gone” by B.B. King. This remains my favorite B.B. King song. Now don’t go gettin’ all uppity with me. I’m not arguing it’s his best song, I’m just telling you it’s my favorite. And call me lame for that if you must but there is something special about the song that introduces you to an artist. “The Thrill is Gone” was my introduction to B.B. King and Lucille. I don’t remember the first time I heard the song but I do remember hearing it and thinking, “I WANT MORE OF THIS.” “Thrill” is just one of those songs you hear and feel it’s always existed. There is little more universal than human suffering. We all get the blues and “Thrill” is the timeless anguish of a man who has seen love walk away.

My brother, a few friends and I were fortunate enough to see B.B. King in concert only a few years before he passed away. Watching him play this song live is something I will never forget. If somehow you’ve never heard this song, please listen now.

My second addition this week is “Texas Flood” by the man who may be featured most on our playlist so far, Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughan. Again, I can’t tell you the first time I heard this song, but I do have a vivid memory of listening to it. Either via CD or an illegal download from LimeWire, I recall sitting at the sole computer in the tiny living room of my family’s little yellow house listening to “Texas Flood.”

This song has everything. Only 16 seconds in and it still gives me the “stank face².” Vaughan’s guitar playing is just out of this world. The lyrics are simple enough to sing along with, yet evocative of a man who’s been brought low down by worry about his baby. And, for me, this is also the song that marries SRV’s voice perfectly with his guitar tone. It’s a wallop of a tune.

And while I love this song, it’s not the song now that stands out most about that moment. What I reflect on most is listening to this song while being surrounded by my best friends. This song reminds me of that unique time in my life where a few teenage boys were free to be their rowdy selves. Trusted by their parents that their hearts would lead them to the right places. Trusting each other that doing life together was better than struggling separately. So instead of chasing girls or trouble, for this moment, we just tossed a ball inside of the house and enjoyed the blues.

We all turned out okay.

Praise God for good music and good friends.

What have you got?

Here’s where I ask you to share some of your favorite blues songs with me. Let’s grow the Blue Wednesday playlist together! So, what have you got?

Thank you all for reading and supporting Blue Wednesday with your likes, shares and comments. I truly appreciate each and every one of my subscribers. May God keep your coffee black and your music blue.

1. The YouTube playlist actually grew by nine songs as

Cork Hutson

was able to stump Spotify.

2. Stank Face, n: A unique facial expression characterized by the wrinkling of the nose, squinting of the eyes, and swinging of the head, typically displayed by someone who is listening to a very impressive, usually soulful musical performance.