Perhaps we should have taken those late snowstorms earlier this month as an omen. It was, after all, the first time there was widespread reference to Prince’s gorgeous buried gem of a song, “Sometimes It Snows in April,” a haunting little meditation on a friend’s passing from his 1986 album, “Parade.”

The month's not over yet, and music fans find themselves unexpectedly mourning the iconic musician.

“Sometimes it snows in April,” sings Prince. “Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad/Sometimes I wish life was never ending,/And all good things, they say, never last.”

Worcester native Jessica Cabral, who competed on the final season of “American Idol,” remembered the song, and has recorded a cover of the song, accompanied by pianist Thomas Barsoe, at the OC Hit Factory studio in California. And if you were looking for something to push that sadness into full-on sobbing, this is your song. (Particularly as most studio versions of Prince’s songs aren’t easily available on the internet, unless you subscribe to the Tidal streaming service.)







Cabral does the song justice, and then some. Her voice is resonant and crackles with emotion, and frankly, it’s difficult to listen and keep dry eyes.

“Springtime was always my favorite time of year,” sings Cabral. “A time for lovers holding hands in the rain/Now springtime only reminds me of Tracy's tears/Always cry for love, never cry for pain.”

It’s a fitting tribute to a singer-songwriter whose depths were often underrated, and who was capable of creating exquisite beauty.

Email Victor D. Infante at Victor.Infante@Telegram.com and follow him on Twitter @ocvictor.