My wifes grandmother surprised us at her granddads funeral. She had asked us if it was allowed to choose a pop song that he just loved listening to. We said ‘Of course. The funeral is about him, so go ahead.’ We didn’t know what the song was, but Nana said that he loved her voice and loved listening to it. We weren’t familiar with it at the time, so it didn’t really make any difference to us.
Everybody gathers in the funeral home and we walk in after to whole room is filled with relatives and friends. As they start the funeral, the music swells up, “Time to say goodbye” by Sarah Brightman (solo version). Knocked us flat. My wife still cannot listen to it 9 years later.
I’ve seen** Free Bird** used at a funeral, sorta. It was the funeral of my friend/mentor/former boss a couple of months ago. She was a huge Skynyrd fan, so her son blasted it at the gravesite after the more tradfitional service ended. It will also be played at my funeral, if anybody cares what my wishes would be.
I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned “Spirit in the Sky”.
When I die, I want my survivors to play “Time of your Life (Good Riddance)” by Green Day at my funeral.
Speaking of unusual funeral music, I once attended a memorial service, at the end of which the organist played “Can’t Help Fallin’ In Love”. Turns out the deceased was an Elvis Presley fan.
Oh, I’m having Spirit In The Sky! It’s even already in my instructions and my pastor knows about it! It’s gotta be LOUD too. I mean full blast and rockin’!
I’d like to be buried and I already know what I want played as they lower me in. “Killer”, by Alice Cooper, specifically the last few minutes of repetitive instrumentals. When they get to the last bit, the “thunk!” trapdoor sound effect, they can let the coffin drop! The mourners laughing their asses off will be the one’s that recognize the song and where it’s from.
Anyone plays “Wonderful World”, I’ll haunt 'em. Seriously.
Black peter…Ripple and Broke down palace, all by the Grateful dead (even the band name is fitting and for those that know the tunes the lyrics are MORE than relevant)
echoing Sympathy for the Devil
Elton Johns Feunral for a Friend (off of yello brick road) is also on my list
Well, at least that song actually is for a funeral.
Though I’ve heard it played at a baptism before. In a Catholic church. Where, theoretically, somebody might have been in a position to provide them with a translation of the text:
Personally, I’d like to have a performance of Borodin’s Requiem at my funeral, though the piece is so obscure as to be impossible to find. It was the product of a musical game that Borodin and his composer friends used to play – pick a well-known folk tune, and transform it into something spectacular. So Borodin picked what was essentually the Russian version of “Chopsticks” and arranged it as a funeral dirge. And quite a lovely one, too.
Nobody will get the joke apart from two or three of my closest friends. But I hope it makes them smile.
What about “At Your Funeral” by Saves the Day? Unfortunately, like others, it’s somewhat celebratory rather than mournful, although it does mention “requiem”.
