I’ve long thought that the piano version of Bad Religion’s “Cease” would be a gorgeous song for an atheist/secular funeral — especially the third verse. “It evokes such pain and signficance / What was once is reduced to remembrance. / And the generations pass without recompense…. / What pretension, everlasting peace. Everything must cease.” Nelson C., maybe you should check it out. It’s really a gorgeous song.

Re: #4 (Usual Suspect) When my ex-fiancee’s father passed away, one of the many songs played at his open-casket service was “Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World” ukulele mashup performed by Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole. His wife & daughters joined in. His wife picked that one. Oddly enough, she didn’t request it for her own funeral just over a year later. Then again, she’d been deathly ill for so long she probably figured she’d survive this hospital visit too…

The only time I’ve found “Amazing Grace” tolerable is at Spock’s funeral in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” It’s probably Scotty’s Highland pipes segueing into James Horner’s orchestration that does it. Unless my remains are being jettisoned into space, though, I really wouldn’t want it at my service.

One piece I always thought would be perfect for my own funeral, however, is Robert Schumann’s lieder “Widmung.” It’s actually a love song, set to a then-popular poem. However, the music always conveyed this “sailing into the great unknown” quality to me, especially in Liszt’s rather lush transcription for solo piano. Interestingly enough, I’m not the only one in my family to have connected this love song with funerals! It was played at the mingling of my Grandma’s ashes with those of her husband (who’d died a number of years previously), and I believe both of my parents have agreed that it would be a nice piece to play at their funerals.

And, yes, I love how they do funerals in New Orleans! As a “Star Trek” fan, I greatly enjoy the bit in the TNG episode “The Next Phase” in which Cmdr. la Forge and Ensign Ro enter Ten-Forward to attend their own memorial service — to find a party in full swing, complete with jazz combo! When I first saw it, I found myself saying “No, it’s perfect!” right along with Geordi.

Here in SW Oklahoma, Garth Brooks’ “The Dance” gets a lot of play at funerals.

One funeral for a guardsman I did had as its musical numbers:

Led Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven” (full version, with the funeral director back in the sound booth doing air guitar)
“Nearer My God To Thee”
Four Non-Blondes’ “What’s Going On?”

The greatgrandma passed out during the last one and had to be rolled out by the EMTs.

But how about Elton John’s “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”?

Or the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (for “Big Chill” fans, as boomers start shuffling off this mortal coil)?

My other choice would be the Dead’s Truckin’- “lately it occurs to me what a long strange trip it’s bee.”

no, seriously…”Soulfinger” by the Bar-Kays.

I have, at times, thought about what might be the playlist of my funeral mix CD. (Yeah, I’m greedy, but it’d be a nice keepsake for the attendees.) Among other choices I know a definite track would be “The Day I Tried to Live” by Soundgarden.

I’m surprised Sia’s “Breathe Me” isn’t more prevalent with its brilliant use in the series finale of Six Feet Under.

One of the saddest funeral songs I’ve ever seen was at that of a three year old boy who’d drowned in a pool while unattended, from his favorite movie: “Somewhere Out There” from An American Tail.

Not a Fargo reference, this is something I’ve threatened my family with for two decades.

“I’m not leaving anyone anything except $200 to rent a decent wood chipper and $200 to pay a guy to clean it out afterward.”

#17: love that song. Damn, now I’ll have set aside another $200 for a dj to play it (while I’m being lowered into the chipper).

I think I’d go with something interactive like the Hokey Pokey. I’d love to see my klutzy family gathered around my grave hole sticking their right foot in and their right foot out – at least one of them’s gonna fall in. Ha ha ha ha.

The article also says that the most popular traditional hymn is ‘Amazing Grace.’ The reason for that is simple — it’s about the only hymn tune (bar none) 95% of people with an Anglo-Saxon background are likely to be familiar with. If folks want a religious service with a hymn, that’s a pretty safe bet.

I’ve conducted my fair share of funerals in my time. It’s not uncommon for the family to want to sing the late Aunt Betty’s favourite hymn. With all respect, I tend to discourage it. There’s nothing makes a funeral drag on than seven verses of a song nobody (bar me and the guest of honour) has a clue how to sing. Seriously, most people come away wishing they were in the casket.

Enya – If I Could Be Where You Are
Faye Wong – Eyes On Me
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Natalie Merchant – Beloved Wife
R.E.M. Everybody hurts
Joe Cocker – You Are So Beautiful
Sarah Mclachlan – In the Arms of the Angels
Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers

i feel these really drive home a message. i completly fall apart listening to them, so i may never hear them again….afterwards.

my aunt was a season ticket holder for 30 years for our professional baseball club here.

that was a pretty surreal moment.

• Champion the Wonder Hearse
• Some Embalming Evening
• I’m Getting Buried in the Morning
• (I Dig It) My Way
• I Can’t Get No Putrefaction
• Please Deep Freeze Me
• You’re Just My Jack in the Box
• Top Hat and Nails
• Hey You (Get Off My Shroud)
• I Bereave
• Laid Out in Red
• Yes (We Have No Embalmers)
• I Wanna Hold Your Handle
• Where Have All the Flowers Come From?
• Return To Sender
• Come On Baby, Light My Pyre

clue

The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out
The ones that crawl in are lean and thin
The ones that crawl out are fat and stout
Your eyes fall in and your teeth fall out
Your brains come tumbling down your snout
Be merry, my friends
Be merry.

She (my wife) has subsequently made me promise to play “Is That All There Is?” at her funeral if she goes first.

My in-laws have a piano roll from a funeral home that plays “Hearts and Flowers music”. (The evil sounding stuff they played in funeral homes in the 20s and 30s.) I would love to get it translated to MIDI and converted to popcicle truck-style music for my funeral.

Currently I favor Stevie wonder’s “Higher Ground”

Bust a Move by Infected Mushroom is a great tune, but perhaps a bit of an obvious choice (“Aliens – they infected us, about time we infected them” – I just wish I could be there to see the confused looks).