The hope-full-est, saddest song in the world?

In the fall of 2010, I wrote a song called "Killin' Frost" more as a cathartic exercise than anything else. The song was really meant as a response to yet another person close to me dealing with a critical illness.

Here in Canada where I live, the growing season is relatively short. Farmers and gardeners alike will mark the end of the growing season by when the first "killing frost" occurs. I used that term as a metaphor for the song, ending it with a hopeful outro that repeats at the end.

I was at first hesitant to play it live. Although it has a hopeful ending, it is kind of a downer song. I recognize that a lot of audiences prefer lighter, happier fare. But I did play it for a live audience at a coffee house; the positive response was generous - and surprising. I've played it for more people since, and the response has always been generous. Folks have emailed me asking for the lyrics, implored me to include it on a CD, and asked for an MP3.

I've come to understand that the song speaks to a shared sense of the human condition. Who doesn't know someone who has fought hard against a critical illness? It's a more common experience than I wish.

So I've added the song to my playlist. You can also hear it on the player at the top right of this page. Give it a listen. I'd love to know what others think.

I doubt it's the saddest song in the world - Google reveals 265,000 results for that search string. But that's okay. I'm not sure I want to be the writer of the saddest song in the world. But hope-full-est saddest song in the world - that'd be alright.