# What Song(s) Do You Want Played At Your Funeral?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 28, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264 "2009-11-28T19:43:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![smsaks2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@smsaks2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smsaks2000)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/61 "2009-12-02T04:48:35Z")

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Detachable Penis by King Missile.

I prefer to go out in the same way as I live…giving everyone a smile.

Steve

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/62 "2009-12-02T19:04:15Z")

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During the funeral, glorious hymns like “Sing with All the Saints in Glory” and “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” and the beautiful “How Can I keep From Singing?”

When the Mass is over, “Blow Gabriel Blow” from De-Lovely.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/63 "2009-12-02T19:10:46Z")

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ETA: justification: Death is about hope for heaven and those hymns say it all for me. And Blow Gabriel Blow is fun and will give people a smile as they leave.

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**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:** [December 2, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/64 "2009-12-02T19:21:44Z")

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Hmmm…without turning it into a concert, either Prospero’s Speech by Loreena McKennitt, or the Rondo to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #5. If you hear the latter, that’s me laughing.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/65 "2009-12-02T19:24:25Z")

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Although I am not a top-ten type guy, I would like whatever song is the hit of the year in 2098 to be played.

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**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/66 "2009-12-02T19:30:06Z")

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I’d go with \*There Are Places I Remember \*by the Beatles and \*Highway to Hell \*by AC/DC.

If I get married again, I want to walk down the aisle to the second one.

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**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/67 "2009-12-02T20:09:31Z")

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Bill Douglas’ “Deep Peace”

and maybe a little “Spirit in the Sky”…

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**Author:** ![mo50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@mo50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mo50)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/68 "2009-12-02T20:17:22Z")

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The Parting Glass- Clancy Brothers

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**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/69 "2009-12-02T20:23:13Z")

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> [@Dragwyr](#):
>
> My wife has specific instructions to play,“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian” at my funeral.

Me too! And, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, the full version, not just the chorus. Most people don’t know that the lyrics to the first verse go like this:

Katie Casey was base ball mad.  
Had the fever and had it bad;  
Just to root for the home town crew,  
Ev’ry sou Katie blew.  
On a Saturday, her young beau  
Called to see if she’d like to go,  
To see a show but Miss Kate said,  
“No, I’ll tell you what you can do.”

Take me out etc, etc.

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**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/70 "2009-12-02T21:52:33Z")

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> [@mo50](#):
>
> The Parting Glass- Clancy Brothers

You beat me to it, dammit! I like the [High Kings’](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z33-qOXOWS4&feature=related) version better, though.

Plus, I’ll have an open bar! With blackjack, and hookers!

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**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/71 "2009-12-02T23:42:44Z")

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Rani Arbo did a great version of “Crossing the Bar” when she was with Salamander Crossing. That would be my choice.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Mumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Captain\_Mumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Mumble)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/72 "2009-12-04T05:34:05Z")

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Another vote for Python’s “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”.

Having been a blues guitarist for most of my adult life I’ll also go with Blind Willie Johnson’s “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground”.

-Mitch

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**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/73 "2009-12-04T06:51:11Z")

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I had a conversation with my brother about this recently.

Me: "I want that song from the movie Highlander played at my funeral.

My Brother: “You mean ‘Who wants to live forever?’ I guess that’s sort of appropriate.”

Me: “No not that one! ‘Princes of the Universe!’ That song totally sums me up.”

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**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/74 "2009-12-04T07:26:46Z")

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[This one.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3QSkux3vcQ)

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/75 "2010-09-29T14:27:54Z")

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[She Don’t Like Roses](http://lyrics.payplay.fm/Christine+Kane/She+Don't+Like+Roses).

Change “Jones Road” (I wish, that’s a very high end part of my town) to “Jane St” and “Detroit” to “Austin” and the song sums up my life.

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**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/76 "2010-09-29T14:59:59Z")

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John Denver  
Renaissance  
Gordon Lightfoot  
Acoustic Alchemy  
Michael Hedges

Just put the CDs on shuffle and let 'em rip!

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**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/77 "2010-09-29T15:38:41Z")

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[On Eagles Wings](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwl9k2Nu_A0&feature=related).

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**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/78 "2010-09-29T15:47:48Z")

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A friend once told me she wanted “If you don’t know me by now (you will never never never know me)” by Simple Red played at her funeral.

She wasn’t known for her humor and when she told me that I nearly died laughing. To this day that’s all I can think of when someone mentions funeral music and I still laugh out loud.

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**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/79 "2010-09-29T16:00:15Z")

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Mozart’s [Requiem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI).

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**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-do-you-want-played-at-your-funeral/519264/80 "2010-09-29T16:11:04Z")

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_Funeral for a Friend_ and stop it before it segues into _Love Lies Bleeding_.

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