The Tracks of Your Tears

As It Happens, a wonderful weeknight radio program on the CBC, hosted by Barbara Budd and Carol Off, featured a look this past week at "[t]he tracks of your tears. Our week of depressing songs ends not with a bang, but with a whimper."

Billie Holiday's Gloomy Sunday (the Hungarian Suicide Song) topped the list. Janis Ian's At Seventeen came in second - the angst of an awkward teenage girl in high school...

And tied for second, but the hosts' favourite for depressing songs, was Harry Nilsson's Without You. As described by Ms. Budd, this depressing song had two themes 'the end of a relationship and the threat of suicide... a dark chocolate eclair stuffed with tears...'

I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give any more

Go ahead and play it... and smile... it's pretty hard to do... and my wife thinks my songs are depressing! May the joyful Muse be with you...