“Vienna” by Billy Joel. It’s basically the theme song/anthem of my life – and he played it for me in concert once right after I had written him a letter thanking him for writing it.
Yes, I am confessing to writing a fan letter! <raspberry>
A lot of people know this is my favorite song, but very few of them have heard it. I’ll make sure they hear it eventually.
I really like Spirit in the Sky and Amazing Grace on the bagpipes, both are sentimental favorites of mine, but for me, I think it will be:
Learning to Fly, Pink Floyd
Fade to Black - Metallica (before they started sucking)
Skin O’ my Teeth - Megadeth
Last Caress - Misfits
I am a poor wayfaring stranger (Emy Lou Harris has performed this folk song)
On the Wings of a Snow White Dove
“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day, “A Little Fall of Rain” by Les Mis, and “Amazing Grace” have been mentioned already, so I’ll just add my vote to those piles. I’d also like Pachelbel’s Canon in D, “Home” by Deep Blue Something (remember them? One-hit wonders of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” fame), and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” to play.
Amazing Grace as stated before, with bagpipes.
Loreena McKennitt Dante’s Prayer
Linda Ronstadt Goodbye My Friend
Vince McGill Go Rest High On That Mountain
Only the Good die Young (Billie Joel)
Followed by a resounding chorus of “Another One Bites the Dust” (Queen)
And then the ultimate:
“The Lady in Red” (can’t hink of who did it)
I didn’t get married in red - so I’ll be buried in it!!!
I will be cremated and not buried and as they spread my ashes to the four winds I have let people know that there must be a piper playing.
This is the tradition in our family that a piper will play at the burial of a family member, my grandmother used to tell me that the music was played to clear a way for the spirit to make it’s final journey.
Should they neglect to grant me this final wish I have promised to return and haunt the living…
here is my short list of what i want them to play:
“Under Pressure” Queen and David Bowie
“Misty Mountain Hop” “Dancing Days” Led Zeppelin
“Plush” Stone Temple Pilots ----unplugged, ideally
“Rio” and “Ordinary World” Duran Duran
“In My Time Of Dying,” by Led Zeppelin.
I’m with the previous poster who listed “Spirit in the Sky”
Slight hijack.
A close friend of mine died suddenly, right around the time “Time Of Your Life” by GreenDay came out. She was one of those people who always had a “favorite new song”, and that was her favorite new song at the time.
The song played at her wedding 10 years previously was “Time Of Your Life” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack and her husband had both played at her funeral.
So sad. I can’t hear either one without thinking of her and bawling like a baby.
What is the line? “So make the most of this DEATH and don’t ask why…” OR “So make the most of this TEST and don’t ask why…” ?
Some people say it’s “test” but I swear he sings “death.”
As far as I know, it’s “test,” which makes more sense with the next line (“It’s not a question, but a lesson (answer?) learned in time.”) than “death” does.
Chris DeBurgh.
The Unforgiven (!)
or
Outlaw Torn, both from Metallica
Also Down in a Hole by Alice in Chains would be nice.
My father had chosen “On the Steppes of Central Asia”, a classical piece by Borodin. Since my father died in a foreign country we were not able to have a funeral for him. So I have the score tattooed around my right bicep, in memory.
Me? Good question. Back in Black?
“The Day is Yours” - Henry V soundtrack
and they can throw in the “Non nobis, Domine”, too. (Is that the one you meant, Zebra?)
Aw heck, play the whole soundtrack. My favorite.
Then again, according to the people who knew me way back when, “Highway to Hell” might be more appropriate.
Give me a good old bluegrass band at my funeral. A partial play list:[ul]
[li]Danny Boy[/li][li]There Is a Time for Us to Wander[/li][li]Look Down That Lonesome Road[/li]Amazing Grace (a cappella, with some nice high lonesome harmonies)[/ul]
If they ever play the wedding march in my honor, I hope it’s at my funeral. I’m never going to be ready for that one, as long as I live!
Your so vain. Carly Simon