By tigtog on October 4, 2006
From a list of the UK’s most popular funeral songs:
1 – “Goodbye My Lover” – James Blunt
2 – “Angels” – Robbie Williams
3 – “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life” – Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley.
4 – “Wind Beneath My Wings” – Bette Midler
5 – “Pie Jesu” – Requiem
6 – “Candle In The Wind” – Elton John
7 – “With Or Without You” – U2
8 – “Tears In Heaven” – Eric Clapton
9 – “Every Breath You Take – The Police
10 -”Unchained Melody” – Righteous Brothers.
Selection number 9 just goes to show that some people never learn to actually listen to the lyrics. Poor old Sting is bemused enough already by people who insist on playing the song at their weddings, let alone funerals.
I’m trying to persuade mr tog that the Ding! Dong! song from the Wizard of Oz will lighten the mood nicely when my time comes, but he’s too much of a sentimental softie to go along.
Posted in arts & entertainment, Life | Tagged music, nostalgia, procrastinations |
Puke.
Not your idea, of course, I like that.
I am quite surprised though not to see Amazing Grace on that list…
heh, good wheeze, tiggers.
I’d probably go for
“I’ll fly away” sung by Alison Krauss, Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and Beethoven’s 9th.
All of it.
I want Jarvis Cocker to sing Disco 2000.
I don’t even know that song, but just reading the title has given me a Disco Duck earworm. Not even Jarvis Cocker could redeem that song.
We sang “I’ll Fly Away” at my sister’s memorial service. There was a gospel choir from her church and they were all in tears, and yet managed to sing it right out. I’ll never forget that.
I do NOT get “I’ll Be Watching You.” No, not at all. Unless the deceased requested it just to creep out the survivors. I can see that.
@Liam – you’re thinking about the important part of your brain somewhere in a field in Essex?
BK & Liam,
you guys coming to Kate’s grogblog at the Warren View next week?
Sorry, I’ll be out of town. It’s the second invitation for next week I’ve had to refuse :(
It wasn’t actually at the funeral, but when my sister died I was in a hot air balloon with our Dad, her friends and her music therapist, singing Up Up and Away.
Our poor Mum called a doctor to do a death certificate. The doctor asked if there was any family who could come and sit with her. She looked a little surprised that the relevant people had been sent ballooning by the dearly departed.
I think I would have been a little surprised too, Kate, even though I think that was a really cool thing for your sister to do.
The only place that James Blunt has at a funeral is in the coffin.
Okay, so that’s a little harsh; harsh but fair.
‘Highway To Hell’ and BB King’s version of ‘Let The Good Times Roll.’
That’ll send me on my way.
And I plagiarize myself (and Blind Lemon Jefferson and Son House to say):
“And when I’m gone there is one kind favour that I’ll ask of you, See That My Grave is Kept Clean. For they say there ain’t no heaven, there ain’t no burnin’ hell. Where I’m going when I die nobody can’t tell.”
Don Quixote – wouldn’t the banging on the inside of the lid be distracting?
I’ll get dumped on for this but I want the theme from the movie ‘Titanic’. If you can get past Celine’s singing and listen to the words, they’re great and mean a lot to me.
It’ll also annoy the bejebus out of everyone who turns.
‘up’ sorry itchy trigger finger tonight.
I’m surprised ‘I Did it My Way’ isn’t there – that was played at a funeral co-parent went to last week. At my father’s I had ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’ played and thought it worked fantastically.
I really like the idea of a golden cornfields song at a funeral, susoz. A sense of immense peace, joy at the beauty, and growth yet to come.
I Did It My Way definitely suits some personalities, but it has become a cliche. It was probably only just a bit lower down the list.