Recommend great memorial music

Cafe Society
1

Good friend of mine killed himself a week ago. (thank you for your condolences in advance, I appreciate it, not necessary) My job is putting together the memorial montage with music.

I already have a pretty amazing list to work from. But there might be something even more fabulous I don’t know about that i’d hate missing.

He was 50 years old, and a huge fan of female singer-songwriters, especially Natalie Merchant, Joni Mitchell, Sarah Mclachlan. I’m really hoping someone can come up with a Merchant song…

Anyway, this is the list I’m working from already. (not using it all, obviously, just starting with this to do my choosing from) And a few of these may seem odd to you, but they are specific to the man and the people who loved him.

[ul]
In Spite Of All The Damage ------- The Be Good Tanyas
Another Lonely Day ------- Ben Harper
Can’t find my way home ------- Blind Faith
I Remember ------- Damien Rice
Waiting ------- The Devlins
Thank You ------- Dido
Too Soon ------- eastmountainsouth
Ain’t No Sunshine ------- Eva Cassidy
Way Beyond The Blue ------- Eva Cassidy
Two Star ------- Everything But The Girl
Please Don’t Go ------- Floyd Dixon
Naked As We Came ------- Iron & Wine
Don’t Let Us Get Sick ------- Jill Sobule
Who Knows Where the Time Goes? ------- Judy Collins
Hallelujah ------- k.d. lang
Free ------- Kate Earl
Cry Sometimes ------- Kate Earl
Crying ------- kd lang
Just What I Meant ------- Kris Delmhorst
Snow Come Down ------- Lori Carson
Broken Things ------- Lucy Kaplansky
Edges ------- Lucy Kaplansky
Into Dust ------- Mazzy Star
Goodbye to You (acoustic) ------- Michelle Branch
Only Love Can Break Your Heart ------- Neil Young
Spirit In The Sky ------- Norman Greenbaum
Goodbye (This Is Not Goodbye) ------- Over the Rhine
When I Go ------- Over the Rhine
What I’ll Remember Most ------- Over the Rhine
Changes Come ------- Over the Rhine
When It Don’t Come Easy ------- Patty Griffin
I Grieve ------- Peter Gabriel
Everybody Hurts ------- R.E.M.
I Wish You Love ------- Rachael Yamagata
You Can Bring Me Flowers ------- Ray LaMontagne
The Last Chance Texaco ------- Rickie Lee Jones
Comin’ Back to Me ------- Rickie Lee Jones
On Saturday Afternoons in 1963 ------- Rickie Lee Jones
Company ------- Rickie Lee Jones <-------- All time best memorial song EVER.
After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Goodnight) ------- Rickie Lee Jones
A Lucky Guy ------- Ricky Lee Jones
Feel No Pain ------- Sade
Dirty Little Secret ------- Sarah McLachlan
Wait ------- Sarah McLachlan
I Will Not Forget You ------- Sarah McLachlan
Witness ------- Sarah McLachlan
Full Of Grace ------- Sarah McLachlan
I Shall Believe ------- Sheryl Crow
Breathe Me ------- Sia
Old Friends ------- Simon and Garfunkel
Beautiful son ------- Tenderfoot
When I’m Gone ------- Thea Gilmore
Closing Time ------- Tom Waits
Happy Phantom ------- Tori Amos
Stranger To Himself ------- Traffic
Don’t Forget Me ------- Way Out West
Be Thankful For What You Got ------- William DeVaughn
Throw It All Away ------- Zero 7
Trouble Me ------- 10000 Maniacs
[/ul]

Thanks much.

2

“Sand and Water,” written and sung by Beth Nielsen Chapman. You can listen to the song here.

3

Have you heard Natalie Merchant’s River, written after the death of River Phoenix? Some of the lyrics might not be suitable, though.

4

Yeah, I’m totally hip to sand and water… the whole album was written about her late husband. That one is going to be sung live…

5

This may not be to everyone’s taste, but at my memorial service I’d like to have the song Bright Eyes (written by Mike Batt, sung by Art Garfunkel).

6

Changes - Phil Ochs
Songs to Aging Children Come - Joni Mitchell
Waltz #2 - Elliot Smith
Sisters of Mercy - Leonard Cohen
Blue - Joni Mitchell
Box of Rain - Grateful Dead
Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye - the Judy Collins version
Wise Up - Aimie Mann (well, maybe not)

Richie Havens does a really nice Comin’ Back to Me, though I see you have one, already. Perfect song.

I’m sorry, Stoid.

7

My condolences.

Have you considered:

“Hello,” by Evanescence
“A Different Corner,” by Wham!
“Angel,” by Sarah McLachlan
“Heavenly Day,” by Patty Griffin (just discovered this recently, and love it - one of the most lyrical, evocative, beautiful songs I’ve heard in many a day.)

For instrumental music, you can’t go wrong with the “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber, and “Two Pieces for Strings/Passacaglia: The Death of Falstaff” by Sir William Walton, from his movie score for Olivier’s Henry V.