Yes, I agree, Paul and FairEllender. What's so bad about sad?

Another strength of a good ballad, even a sad or downright tragic one, is that it keeps its power to move the listeners even though they may have heard it before. A tragic ending can be all the more poignant when you know it's coming (as the Greek dramatists knew well). By contrast, a "funny" song is generally only funny the first time, if that, and thereafter can be just embarrassing to sit through when you know the plot and the punchlines.

marje