No apology or even response due, Ricki! Thanks for those details. That's interesting, and I don't know why I assumed that the lyrics came first. I suppose I assume that more lyricists start with a blank slate, musically, rather than being handed a melody, but that may be a misconception.

While I personally wouldn't characterize Mr. Zaneski's score as melancholy, every ear hears things different and the pairing with your lyrics has worked out well. If the music were slowed down, I could see some general similarity with a song in the vein of something like "You Were Always on My Mind" (Christopher/ James/ Carson), which has a somber feel even though it is in a major key.

Like you said, the main concern is that lyrics and music compliment each other.