# Death music...or...music at my funeral **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 24, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592 "2023-03-24T13:00:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/1 "2023-03-24T13:00:06Z")
I ain’t dying yet. No need to worry. But I’ve started to consider the music I’d like played a my funeral. I’m a fan of the 60’s and 70’s so want to narrow it down to those types of popular songs. I currently have 3. 1. Turn Turn Turn by the Birds 2. Dust in the Wind by Kansas 3. Time in a Bottle Jim Croce I think 3 is a bit out of character but the 3 gives you a sense of what I’m thinking about. I was thinking The Last Resort by the Eagles, because its a lovely song of lament, but not really a song dealing with the loss of a loved one…I may put it in anyway. Looking for suggestions…classic 60’s 70’s songs. NOT Seasons in the Sun… EDIT: Ive added: Drift Away Leaving on a Jet Plane I Can See Clearly Now ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/2 "2023-03-24T13:08:20Z")
If you’re an agnostic/atheist in a committed relationship, “Time” by The Alan Parsons Project. That’s one of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/3 "2023-03-24T13:11:13Z")
Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/4 "2023-03-24T13:11:16Z")
Actually, I’d perfer [“Can’t Take It With You”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpOJvpKi5EE) by Alan Parsons for my funeral. I’d be trying to make a deal with death right up to the boatman getting to the shore. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/5 "2023-03-24T13:57:21Z")
I may request that whoever gets saddle dwith making the arrangements for me goes the Andy Kaufman route (at least as in the biopic, no idea if he did this at his actual funeral) and play “Friendly World.” “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” is a popular one and I may jump on that train as well. Other picks might me “God Moving Over the Face of the Water” by Moby, “The Long Road” by Eddie Vedder and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or "Watermelon in Easter Hay " by Zappa for their general moods. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/6 "2023-03-24T14:00:25Z")
I want “Aria di Mezzo Carattere” played and perhaps “Cold”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qRnXnkYy810/hqdefault.jpg "Final Fantasy 6 Opera - "Aria di Mezzo Carattere" - Vocal Cover by Jillian Aversa feat. Tina Guo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRnXnkYy810) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JZhpcq0J8CU/maxresdefault.jpg "Cold (feat. Casey Lee Williams) by Jeff Williams with Lyrics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZhpcq0J8CU) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/7 "2023-03-24T14:09:44Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7hsWxKDqYJM/maxresdefault.jpg "Elton John | Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Live 1977 Wembley") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hsWxKDqYJM) And when Love Lies Bleeding kicks in, I leap out of the coffin and start banging on the piano. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/8 "2023-03-24T14:20:44Z")
The only thing my dad ever told me about his funeral was that he wanted us to play “In My Life” by The Beatles. We played it at the end of the service and it was beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/9 "2023-03-24T14:34:18Z")
“Farewell, Farewell” by Fairport Convention. Not a well-known song, but written by Richard Thompson and sung by the incomparable Sandy Denny. Actually written in memory of RT’s late girl friend, so quite appropriate for a funeral. It was played at my late wife’s funeral. ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/10 "2023-03-24T14:54:19Z")
Excellent choice! Or, for an atheist, how about this one? [Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - I’m The Urban Spaceman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBKWiWOLbAA) Just for the last three words of the lyrics, as the congregation are leaving… ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/11 "2023-03-24T14:59:25Z")
Ever since _The Big Chill_ I’ve had [You Can’t Always Get What You Want](https://youtu.be/inwHDXquXTc) on my final playlist. Also Chopin’s [Nocturne No. 20 in C# Minor](https://youtu.be/tfJe6ioN_LI). So achingly wistful and longing. Mrs. Martian has [And When I Die](https://youtu.be/ovhV_zSOVSc) by Blood, Sweat, and Tears at the top of her list. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/12 "2023-03-24T15:02:07Z")
I don’t want a funeral. But if I did, I’d ask for these to be played: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AZfD5KrH5d8/maxresdefault.jpg "Be Thou My Vision - Traditional (Violin & Harp)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZfD5KrH5d8) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uZmxZThb084/maxresdefault.jpg ""The Civil War" Soundtrack - Ashokan Farewell") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZmxZThb084) ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/13 "2023-03-24T15:46:12Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > _The only thing my dad ever told me about his funeral was that he wanted us to play “In My Life” by The Beatles._ > > _We played it at the end of the service and it was beautiful._ I have a tear in my eye just thinking about that. How perfect! I attended a viewing for a man I knew professionally, who had worked in the radio business for years before starting his own advertising agency. Playing on the PA system were all manner of pop hits from the 60s to the 80s. (I specifically remember hearing “Sherry” by the Four Seasons.) At first I thought the choices were odd, but then it dawned on me that these were all songs that at various points in his life had meant something to him, songs that he had especially liked. He had a long terminal illness and his death wasn’t sudden, and he had selected those songs himself as his life’s playlist. I thought that was a great way to go and if I have time to do that before I pass on, I’m planning on doing the same thing. I have very eclectic musical tastes and people are really gonna freak out when they hear my playlist! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/14 "2023-03-24T16:00:35Z")
I made my list many years ago. I have all on a CD and a thumb drive. I should put them on an SD card too. 1. Blue Oyster Cult, (Don’t Fear) the Reaper. Agents of Fortune album. 4:45 2. Temple of the Dog, Say Hello to Heaven. Temple of the Dog album. 6:24 3. Alice in Chains, Over Now. Alice in Chains album. 7:03 4. The Hollies, He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother album. 4:14 5. Pink Floyd, One of These Days. From the Pulse DVD. 6:15 6. Led Zeppelin, Battle of Evermore. Led Zeppelin IV 5:50 7. Deep Purple, Smoke on the Water. Made in Japan album. 7:29 The first two cover the alleged places where my soul could end up. Number 3 says I have accepted my fate. Heard number 4 at a funeral many years ago, it had the attendees bawling like babies. Number 5 says I might not be done on earth if there is an afterlife. Number 6 says I’m ready for the journey to my next home. Number 7 is my favorite song of all time, let it be the final memory of those attending my service. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/15 "2023-03-24T16:05:14Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Number 5 says I might not be done on earth if there is an afterlife. “One of these days I’m going to cut you into little pieces”? ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/16 "2023-03-24T16:10:39Z")
Sorry, I have no suggestions for the OP, though I really liked the idea of “The Great Gig in the Sky”. My family already knows that I was moved when I saw the guy in “The Full Monty” playing “Abide With Me” on the trumpet at his mother’s funeral. I have mentioned that I want someone to play that hymn on a suitable brass instrument for me when the time comes. Not a topic I like to dwell on much though. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/17 "2023-03-24T16:15:46Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pq1luOCM8qM/maxresdefault.jpg "Louis Jordan - Don't Send Me Flowers When I'm In The Graveyard - 1963 R&B") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq1luOCM8qM) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/18 "2023-03-24T16:26:18Z")
Clutch–Drink to the Dead. Drink to the dead all you still alive We shall join them in good time Should you go crossing that silvery brook It’s best to leap before you look. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/19 "2023-03-24T16:31:01Z")
Ha! I did one of [THESE](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-funeral-song/711827/4) once. Needed a new [LINK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2od7MfkE2M) to my song, must have been discontinued. ---
**Author:** ![Fortyfold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7c8e57/32.png) [@Fortyfold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fortyfold)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2023, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592/20 "2023-03-24T20:47:55Z")
_Days_ by The Kinks would be my choice. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tuUoSuO_hfg/maxresdefault.jpg "The Kinks Days (Original version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuUoSuO_hfg) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-music-or-music-at-my-funeral/981592.md?page=2)