Some unusual chords in the third measure of this rag waste no time in proclaiming its unusual bent. (For those interested in things theoretical, these chords include a vii-diminished-7th leading to the tonic minor followed by a French 6th.) The rhythm throughout emphasizes blunt squareness moreso than is characteristic of most rags, and in the unequivocally happy first strain some arresting on-beat triplets call distinctive attention to the peculiar chromatic harmonies that they pull in tow. The melody takes some unusual turns, and the midpoint cadence comes a measure later than expected. The second section seems to recall sadder times as it starts out in the minor mode with a characteristically syncopated ragtime jaunt which soon runs into some deliberate and offsetting four-square chords. The happier and somewhat nostalgic third strain and the emotionally deadpan fourth revolve around on-beat accents even moreso than did their predecessors—strain four has only a single syncopated figure to its name.

© Aaron Rabushka, All Music Guide