# You're on death row and are offered one last song before you go **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 12, 2026, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402 "2026-03-12T18:38:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/1 "2026-03-12T18:38:50Z")
What song do you choose? Please one song only! Do you pick something uplifting? Or melancholy? Do you pick your favorite song? Instrumental so you could think your final thoughts in peace? Or maybe something you’ve never heard so you could get to experience new music one last time. Would your choice be dependent on whether you were guilty or innocent and framed? What would you one song be? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/2 "2026-03-12T18:40:43Z")
[_Solitude_ by Black Sabbath](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yx13RY6Vdk). ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/3 "2026-03-12T18:41:55Z")
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, by Elton John/Bernie Taupin ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/4 "2026-03-12T18:42:15Z")
[Fuck Tha Police](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADdpLv3RDhA) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/5 "2026-03-12T18:47:18Z")
From Wikipedia: > _ **Longplayer** _ is a musical composition made by British composer and musician [Jem Finer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jem_Finer "Jem Finer") which is composed to play for 1,000 years without looping. It started to play[_[vague](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Vagueness "Wikipedia:Vagueness")_] at midnight on 31 December 1999, and is expected to continue without [repetition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetition_(music) "Repetition (music)") until 31 December 2999. I would even be reasonable and let them join in progress rather than listening from the beginning, so it would only last 974 years. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/6 "2026-03-12T18:47:47Z")
“House of the Rising Sun.” I hate that song with a passion. It’ll accomplish one of two things: it’ll either take forever to end, so I stay alive longer, or it’ll make me crave the sweet, sweet release of death. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/7 "2026-03-12T18:48:15Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2YTBgFmK_bs/maxresdefault.jpg "The Lament for the Rohirrim - Clamavi De Profundis") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YTBgFmK_bs) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/8 "2026-03-12T18:48:29Z")
Well, it _has_ been the ruin of many a poor boy. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/9 "2026-03-12T18:50:57Z")
I listened to a podcast about this one a while back - [As Slow as Possible - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Slow_as_Possible) - but I’d never heard of _Longplayer_. Pretty cool that it was written by Jem Finer of _The Pogues_ fame. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/10 "2026-03-12T18:52:49Z")
The original quartet version of _40 Days_ - Dave Brubeck. ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WbdpQ2pPlD8/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/WbdpQ2pPlD8?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDWbdpQ2pPlD8 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/11 "2026-03-12T18:54:24Z")
Alternatively if I want to go out spitting in the face of my killers… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Bz6GRPlZRNQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Now You're Not the Same (2 Minutos - Ya No Sos Igual, English Lyrics)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz6GRPlZRNQ) ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/12 "2026-03-12T18:56:26Z")
The violin instrumental Ashokan Farewell ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/13 "2026-03-12T19:02:07Z")
That’s my thought process also. Play “Free Bird” and I’ll be begging them to kill me! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/14 "2026-03-12T19:07:07Z")
I think I’d choose Bandera - Willie Nelson > **[Bandera](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=615FliyuqGI%2F)** > > Provided to YouTube by Columbia NashvilleBandera · Willie NelsonRed Headed Stranger℗ 1975 Sony Music EntertainmentReleased on: 1975-05-01Guitar, Mandolin: Jo... ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/15 "2026-03-12T19:13:10Z")
No laments or dirge, that’s for sure, and I won’t be in the mood for any damn reflecting on my life or the wonders of the human condition. I’d choose **Surfin’ Bird**. The ultimate “Fuck you, I don’t care” song. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/16 "2026-03-12T19:13:17Z")
I would request the vinyl LP version of Rush’s “By-Tor and the Snow Dog”. It was the last song on side 1 of their “Fly By Night” album, and the end of the song continued into the runout groove, endlessly looping over and over. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/17 "2026-03-12T19:26:46Z")
This question was asked of two condemned convicts. One requested “Achy, Breaky Heart.” The other begged “Please, kill me first!” 🤣 “Ashokan Farewell” is an excellent choice, just as “Be Thou My Vision” would be. I’d likely choose the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/18 "2026-03-12T19:29:09Z")
The music from “99,000,000,000 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall” with trombone, tuba, bagpipe and harpsichord sung by the duet of Bobcat Goldthwait and Gilbert Gottfried, with backup from Alvin And The Chipmunks. They will hand me a full pardon, the keys and a blank check just to go away. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/19 "2026-03-12T19:31:26Z")
Gotta be Dylan. I think “Every Grain of Sand” would be my choice, although I’m tempted by “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” on sheer length. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402/20 "2026-03-12T19:37:35Z")
My all-time favorite song: **All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix.** I’d want to savor his brilliant artistry one last time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-on-death-row-and-are-offered-one-last-song-before-you-go/1028402.md?page=2)