A masterpiece created by a lyricist's answer to the question "Should I sing it darkly?": Kim Sang-hee's 'The Road Where Cosmos Bloom'

The song 'The Road Where Cosmos Bloom', called the messenger of autumn, has established itself as a national song representing autumn even 59 years after its release. According to the description of the video released on the Joo Hyun-mi TV channel, this song is particularly ranked as the number one song people want to hear most during autumn among those in their 50s to 70s, receiving love that spans generations.

A melody born from the meeting of a lyricist's sadness and a singer's style

Released in 1967, 'The Road Where Cosmos Bloom' is a song created by lyricist Ha Jung-hee and composer Kim Kang-seop joining forces. To express the sight of cosmos flowers swaying in the wind, the song adopted a 6/8 time 'skating waltz' rhythm. According to the explanation in the video, the background of the song's creation contains a personal story of the lyricist.

It is said that lyricist Ha Jung-hee wrote these lyrics after seeing cosmos flowers while on her way back from an acquaintance's funeral. At the time, singer Kim Sang-hee, feeling that the atmosphere of the song and the background of the lyrics conflicted, cautiously asked the lyricist, "Sir, should I sing it a little darkly?" To this, lyricist Ha Jung-hee replied, "No, since this is Kim Sang-hee's song, please sing it with flavor, bringing out Kim Sang-hee's heart and style," showing full trust in the singer's interpretation. As a result, Kim Sang-hee's gentle voice was added, completing a beautiful song that contains lonely waiting.

A masterpiece that led to the Top 10 Singers Award, awakening autumn memories

Immediately after its release, this song received great love from the public, showcasing a watercolor-like beauty. Through this song, Kim Sang-hee was honored with the Top 10 Singers Award (Grand Prize) in 1967. Although numerous junior singers have continued to remake it since then, Kim Sang-hee's original song maintains an unrivaled position as a result where the lyrics and melody are in perfect harmony.

The video explains that while the number one word that comes to mind when thinking of autumn is 'solitude' and the second is 'autumn leaves', this song connects with the image of 'cosmos', which is the first thing that comes to mind regarding autumn flowers. This song, which captures the shy feeling of cosmos flowers well, functions as a medium of memory that fills the emptiness of autumn.

Source: original video (YouTube)