# What songs do they always sing at funerals where you live? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286 "2009-10-10T04:41:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/21 "2009-10-12T00:58:22Z")
\ The Andy Song \ I’m glad somebody else knows that **Zsofia**. 😃 Southern here too and Episcopal. Episcopal funerals down south tend to get a bit maudlin with the funeral music. I know particular favorites seem to be: I Sing A Song Of The Saints Of God Amazing Grace In The Garden, AKA The Andy Song On Eagles Wings His Eye Is On The Sparrow and a particular favorite of mine that seems to have burst on the scene at funerals as of late… I Am The Bread Of Life ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/22 "2009-10-12T16:57:40Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > I Am The Bread Of Life swampie, is that the one with "And I will raise him up on the last day’? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/23 "2009-10-12T17:05:21Z")
Hereabouts the most popular songs are “My Way”, “Children of the Grave” and “Fire” (the Arthur Brown hit). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/24 "2009-10-12T17:30:53Z")
Amazing Grace is the one that seems to crop up the most often. My most memorable one was a coworker that had the MSU fight song played at his. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/25 "2009-10-12T18:14:55Z")
I had never heard of singing at funerals until this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/26 "2009-10-12T19:13:42Z")
No? Not as part of the service, as a congregation? Or a soloist? (Precious Lord is always a soloist and they get all wild and crazy with it.) ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/27 "2009-10-12T19:17:37Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > FREE BIRD! > (only half kidding) I’ve heard that once, but it was in the 1980s before it was quite that much of a cliche. “Amazing Grace” seems to be a favorite in Nebraska protestant services. Can’t really speak for otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/28 "2009-10-12T19:49:28Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > No? Not as part of the service, as a congregation? Or a soloist? (Precious Lord is always a soloist and they get all wild and crazy with it.) Never, this is the progression from death to grave in Cuba: 1. All night vigil in funeral home, much crying, talking, some drinking. 2. Trip to the cemetery, the casket usually rides in a car, everyone else walks. 3. Optional - for the religious there is a stop at the church where a funeral mass takes place, no singing in this mass. 4. Go to the cemetery, place casket in ground or in a vault. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/29 "2009-10-12T21:37:28Z")
At my mom’s funeral, we sang both “In the Garden” and “Softly and Tenderly”, as well as “The Old Rugged Cross”. Also, I had never heard “In the Garden” called “The Andy Song”, and was about to ask for an explanation, but then I got it. “Aaaaaan-dyyyyyyyyyy…” That’s hilarious. Unfortunately, now I’m going to be giggling at funerals. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/30 "2009-10-12T21:59:14Z")
That Andy sure gets around. You know, I’m not really sure about the purity of his intentions. ---
**Author:** ![CoffinMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@CoffinMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoffinMan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/31 "2017-06-29T23:43:03Z")
As a director with the oldest Japanese-American funeral home on the west coast in continuous operation under the same family since 1918 with the exception of a few years during WW2 when all Japanese were forcibly removed from the west coast and herded into concentration camps, my clients tend to be Japanese Americans many of whom originate from Hawaii. As such the most popular tune played at the majority of the services I have directed has become 'What a Wonderful World" by the late Hawaiian artist IZ. I hear it so often that I am sick of hearing it and now associate the song, which I used to really like, with funeral services. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/32 "2017-06-29T23:56:23Z")
I"ve met multiple people who said they wanted the song [always look on the bright side of life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ) played at their funeral. But I don’t recall ever actually hearing it. Probably because Life of Brian is only 38 years old, I’m assuming most people who want it played at their funeral heard it first as kids. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/33 "2017-06-29T23:56:34Z")
I know it’s a zombie but… Among the RenFaire community, it’s Parting Glass. If I never hear it again, I will be a happy happy girl. I’ve forbidden my family from playing/singing it at my funeral. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286/34 "2017-06-30T01:11:32Z")
**Moderator Action** Thread closed due to excessive thread bumping. **CoffinMan** , please do not bump every thread that you can find on a topic as you have done here today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-do-they-always-sing-at-funerals-where-you-live/513286.md?page=1)