In a literal sense, the smallest actual violin used in classical music is the Violino Piccolo , a smaller, higher-pitched version of the instrument common during the Baroque period. AJR – World's Smallest Violin Lyrics - Genius
Long before the song, "the world's smallest violin" was a sarcastic idiom used to mock someone who is complaining about something trivial. smallest_violin
It explores the pressure to be successful and the guilt of feeling bad when others "have it worse". In a literal sense, the smallest actual violin