Song of the Day 2/24: John Prine, “Humidity Built the Snowman”

It’s been just over a year since John Prine’s last concert, at Cafe de la Danse in Paris, one my wife was lucky enough to attend. This tune was on the set list, as it often was since its release on his 1995 LP “Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings,” an album full of songs about how love dissipates. One reviewer called it “the cheesiest metaphor imaginable” for that, but it fits in with other Prine lyrics that treat melting snow as disappearing love — from “All the snow has turned to water,” the opening line of “Souvenirs,” to the melting snowmen in “All the Best.”

Many fans don’t care for the heavy production on “Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings,” a departure from the simple acoustic guitar and vocals Prine employed on most of the albums he recorded for Oh Boy, the record company he co-founded and released all his music through after 1981. They prefer the concert version from his 1997 album “Live on Tour,” which dispenses with the percussion and keyboards that dominate the original release without losing any of the song’s impact.

Prine was among the most admired songwriters of his generation, and his death last April was commemorated by scores of recording artists. Toby Keith, of all people, recorded a version last year from quarantine in Mexico. I’ve never cared for Toby Keith, but if he admires John Prine he can’t be all bad.