I disagree about the song being "dreary."

I am very glad to be reminded of it. It's been a year or more since I heard it on the radio and was moved nearly to tears. And, believe me, I don't cry easily. I have no idea whose rendition it was that I heard, but it was very effective.

It seemed pretty obvious, without hearing any spoken introduction, that the lyricist had probably paraphrased actual letters -- it just seemed to ring too true to be fiction.