# Name Your Funeral Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049 "2007-01-23T04:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/1 "2007-01-23T04:05:06Z")
OK, so **Mrs. Duckster** and I are getting around to writing our wills. Nope, our earthly demises are not close at hand, but one never knows. So we’re talking about funeral music. She’s into the old hymns from when she was a child. As for me, I’m more inclined to have a bit of fun; _Don’t Fear The Reaper_ by Blue Oyster Cult is not my cup of tea, but if push came to shove … 🙂 I’ve always like the _John Dunbar Theme_ from _Dances With Wolves_. May’be _Surf’s Up_ by The Beach Boys. What music would you like to be played at your funeral? ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/2 "2007-01-23T04:07:06Z")
Into The West, performed by Annie Lennox. ---
**Author:** ![MrFloppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@MrFloppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFloppy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/3 "2007-01-23T04:29:02Z")
How about ‘Smoke Gets in your Eyes’ for a cremation or Springsteen’s ‘I’m Going Down’ for a traditional burial? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/4 "2007-01-23T04:39:33Z")
The Requiem Mass by Tomás Luis de Victoria. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/5 "2007-01-23T04:40:19Z")
_Dante’s Prayer_ by Loreena McKinnett. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/6 "2007-01-23T04:46:33Z")
We’ve done this before, but I don’t remember what I said. I think instead of music, I’d like the mourners to see some classic WB cartoons, like \*What’s Opera, Doc? \*and _One Froggy Evening._ Maybe a little Chaplin and Keaton, too. Actually, anything but bagpipes. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/7 "2007-01-23T05:04:29Z")
We did do this before. Same answer as before; Why Me? by Johnny Cash on American IV. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/8 "2007-01-23T05:36:40Z")
Moved from IMHO to CS. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/9 "2007-01-23T05:37:44Z")
Diamonds on my Windshield - Tom Waits ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/10 "2007-01-23T06:38:57Z")
Easy: the introit will be “The Heart Asks Pleasure First” by Michael Nyman, the offertory will be “Being Boring” by the Pet Shop Boys, and the recessional will be “Seasons of Love” from _Rent_. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/11 "2007-01-23T07:14:28Z")
Why does this topic come up so often? I’ve only been to a few funerals, but I’ve never heard music played at one. And I’ve never seen them play music at a tv or movie funeral, either. Is it really that common? ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/12 "2007-01-23T07:18:08Z")
Two musts: Leftover Salmon’s version of [Zombie Jamboree](http://www.com-www.com/musiclyrics/rockapella-zombiejamboree.html) and Oingo Boingo’s [Dead Mans Party](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/oingo-boingo/dead-mans-party.html) ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/13 "2007-01-23T07:52:43Z")
John Prine’s _Please Don’t Bury Me_: Please don’t bury me Down in that cold cold ground No, I’d druther have “em” cut me up And pass me all around Throw my brain in a hurricane And the blind can have my eyes And the deaf can take both of my ears If they don’t mind the size and Tom Wait’s _Take it With Me_. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/14 "2007-01-23T08:04:25Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] Why does this topic come up so often? I’ve only been to a few funerals, but I’ve never heard music played at one. And I’ve never seen them play music at a tv or movie funeral, either. Is it really that common? [/QUOTE] …Wow. Every funeral I’ve ever been at has some kind of music, whether hymns or more popular music that reminds the bereaved of the deceased. At one end, at my grandfather’s funeral last week, a wonderful jazz singer who was a friend of his performed “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” and “Unforgettable.” At the other, my dad’s (and his father’s) funeral concluded with the starkly Protestant “I Feel the Winds of God,” which I have to say was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/15 "2007-01-23T08:22:53Z")
_Oh, Didn’t He Ramble?_ is good funeral music. For a joke, how about _I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead, You Rascal, You_? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/16 "2007-01-23T08:40:36Z")
_Requiem for Godzilla_. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/17 "2007-01-23T08:53:08Z")
Three songs, covering all the bases: **Stairway To Heaven** , then **Sympathy For The Devil** followed by **Instant Karma**. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/18 "2007-01-23T09:25:26Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] …Wow. Every funeral I’ve ever been at has some kind of music, whether hymns or more popular music that reminds the bereaved of the deceased. [/QUOTE] Well, you learn something new every day I guess. My family isn’t big on funerals. We tend to just kind of stop talking about people when they die. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/19 "2007-01-23T09:43:47Z")
_If 6 Was 9_ by Jimi. Duh. 😛 _I’m the one that’s got to die, when it’s time for me to die. So let me live my life the way I want to._ ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049/20 "2007-01-23T10:59:11Z")
“Going Underground” by The Jam. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-your-funeral-music/389049.md?page=2)