An Ontario musician is touching hearts across Canada with an original song he wrote in response to the Humboldt Broncos tragedy.
“I’ve got my teammates by my side so you don’t have to cry,” Jay Smith sings. “Just promise me one last thing / you’ll leave the light on / and put my stick out by the door.”
MORE: Rod Stewart Pays Tribute To Humboldt Victims
Smith, who performs as Smitty Kingston, shared “Humboldt Strong” – now better known as the "Stick Out By The Door" song – on social media and it quickly went viral. By Thursday morning, it had been viewed 1.5 million times on Facebook alone.
“I literally wrote this song in the middle of the night,” he explained in a YouTube caption. “[I] couldn’t sleep and haven’t been able to come up with anything to say about this awful tragedy. So my way out is to write songs.
“This is for everyone that is affected by what happened last week in Saskatchewan. I love you all and my heart is with you.”
MORE: Tom Cochrane Honours Humboldt Victims With "Big League"
Sixteen people who were on the Humboldt Broncos team bus last Friday were killed and more than a dozen were injured when it was hit by a transport truck.
Smith recorded a studio version of the song on Wednesday which will be available for download beginning April 14. Proceeds will be donated to the families of the victims.
He sings: “We’ll use your tears to flood the ice / and your prayers to keep us warm / this won’t be our last game / we’re still Humboldt strong.”