What are your funeral songs?

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Appreciate it's a bit of a morbid question, but an important one (I feel) nonetheless. My family have always been quite pragmatic and have wills, but also a document entitled 'in the event of my death' My Mum keeps a copy of hers in her mobile phone case.

I think it's a last opportunity to tell people who you are / how you feel / what music you loved. Apart from that, it's also an opportunity to leave some potential comforting 'words'

My sister died young - aged only 29 - of complications from a heart issue related to her Downs Syndrome. At her funeral she had Alone by Heart and Lily The Pink played. She alos had the theme from Heartbeat. For a short time afterwards I couldn't listen to the former, but now it makes me smile. Lily The Pink made us all smile, as did Heartbeat as it was what made her smile too.

Anyway, mine are:

Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis, and
White Lies by Stereophonics (I love them, amd this is my favourite song of theirs)

Apologies to anyone recently bereaved. I hope this isn't upsetting.

For my Mum, going in, we picked, Dance little dolly by the Andrew sisters because she sang it to her children and my children. Coming out was Rock around the clock because she loved to dance, especially jive.
I'm thinking of direct cremation. It was going to be Frankie goes to Hollywood, the power of love and Ella Fitzgerald, at last. My youngest DD's are, cry little sister and in the shadows (lost boys sound track). My DP is Mr Brightside and YNWA.

Incidentally we’ve just had the funeral for my father in law which was beautiful:
Going in. Adagio in G Minor - Albarini
Hymn . We plough the fields & scatter (he was a farmer)
Reflection. I will always love you - Dolly Parton
Committal. Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics
it was just perfect

I haven’t decided, but I’m thinking of:

There is a light that never goes out (The Smiths)
Last stop, this town (Eels)
Wonderful life (Black)
We are all made of stars (Moby)

My friend wants Ca plane pour moi (Plastic Bertrand)

Alan Parsons project old and wise
Pink Floyd comfortably numb
Dr and the medics spirit in the sky

I’m a mixed bag, for a hymn it would be how great thou art.

as I rise again clubland remix

Ed Sheeran photograph

Celine Dion im Alive and the final countdown for the cremation part 🙈

@Demonhunter yeah he loved James and omg he nearly made my ears bleed singing Laid haha the very last message/video I ever got off him was him singing along to Oasis and I remember watching it and just thinking aww look at my baby with his beard and his gruffly voice singing to his mum with not a care in the world and just 2 hours later he was gone after being hit by a car and I would give anything to hear him sing again but maybe not Laid 😂 my poor ears

Everyone who knows me knows that I don't want any kind of funeral but it won't actually be up to me - my family can take my wishes into account but it's up to them. I have a recording of the dawn chorus I made years ago - it's mainly blackbirds - it's 3hrs long and over the years I have often listened to it to help me nod off to sleep - I have it on an MP3 player and on several computers - I've always said the sound of blackbirds, especially after rainfall, is one of my favourite sounds - the people that matter know this - if anything - they will know to choose that.

Mine were decided a long time ago - the Masterplan by Oasis for the sad bit and then lyric sheets and strict orders to boogie to Always by George Michael and Mary J Blige.

One of the biggest honors of my life was choosing the hymns for my beloved gran’s funeral. And singing one as she was carried in.

At mine I want ‘Be Thou My Vision’.

My gran had “The Last Waltz with You”. Not a dry eye in the church.

Half the World Away Oasis
Kiss of Life Sade
Different Corner George Michael
To the End Blur

No hymns!

Satellite of love - Lou Reed
The Water - johnny Flynn and Laura Marling

Tom Waits - Green Grass
Wicked - For Good
Billy Bragg - Jerusalem (I wanted it for my wedding but my mum insisted it's a funeral song!)
And then loads more than I fluctuate between including:
Jo Hamilton - Think Of Me
Jeff Buckley - Satisfied Mind
Nina Simone - Feeling Good

Great thread and some fantastic choices. My start song changes but currently is a band called Skipinnish and a song called Walking on the waves. Going out one has always been the Saw Doctors with Never mind the strangers.

Going in, I would have Son's Gonna Rose by Citizen Cope
When the curtains close round my coffin: Fire by Arthur Brown
Reflection time: You and me by Yelawolf
And going out Sabbath bloody Sabbath by Black Sabbath.

Elton John - Tiny Dancer (going in)

The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home (middle)

Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill (going out)

Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Gravedigger - Dave Matthews Band

Numb - Instrumental only, I'll find Chester on the other side for the lyrics.

Mine will be Purple Rain (although I'd prefer a direct cremation and everyone just have a piss up and karaoke)

I'm having a Direct Cremation then a party down the pub once I'm in my urn
I'm compiling a Spotify playlist titled 'Popped the Clogs' to be played on the night

Popped the Clogs Spotify list is a brilliant idea (and also incredibly organised!)

@larkstar I love the fact that you made a Dawn chorus recording like that. I'm a birder, and have always had an affinity with blackbirds in particular. I had one in my childhood garden, and if I whistled his song, he would 'whistle' it back to me. The current one in my garden I call Shadow as he follows me around when I'm weeding (waiting for me to uncover worms for him)

I think we've all thought we could sing like Tim Booth when singing Laid, so I can imagine your poor ears!😂

I'm so sorry for your loss, the circumstances making it even harder. Your son sounded like a real character, and for being so young especially, had fantastic taste in music.

Spinnin' And Spinnin' by Syreeta, and Funkin' For Jamaica by Tom Browne.

@Demonhunter I take full credit for his taste in music lol he really was amazing and I'm so lucky to have millions of memories of him. We always said if Oasis got back together we would go so I already know when I see them next year it's gonna be emotional for me and my 15 year old daughter because there will be someone missing, well 2 people missing because I lost my partner in February too and as it goes he was also a terrible singer 😂 life can be incredibly cruel but we must go on.

We sing this song at choir - it’s one of our favourites. So gentle.