Best Funeral Songs for a Loved One

By Westchester Funeral Home ~ 16 May, 2018

Plain and simple, music is a powerful tool that can be used to evoke emotion and affect our moods. It doesn’t matter if your happy, mad or sad, music can change the way we feel. When a song is powerful and you really connect with it, it can give you goosebumps. When you hear a song that you haven’t listened to in ages, it can evoke memories from years past that you had all but forgotten. It’s incredible what it can do and the world of difference a song can make in just a few short minutes.

Traditional funeral songs can be found throughout many different genres of music. From country to r&b, there are many popular songs that families choose to have played during their loved one’s funeral service. When you are picking songs to honor the deceased, many families often like to pick music and artists that their loved one enjoyed listening to. Funeral music does not have to be limited to just your loved one’s preferences. There are many popular songs that are played at funeral services that aren’t necessarily reflective of the deceased’s taste in music.

How to Choose Funeral Music?

When it comes to choosing funeral songs, there is no shortage of options and types of music available. Something you should first take into account is what is the best kind of music to play at a funeral? The obvious answer to this is to play music that the deceased enjoyed listening to. The point of the service is to celebrate their life and allow loved ones to say goodbye. Playing music that resonated with them is one such way to accomplish this.

It’s important to keep in mind that you should also play music your guests will enjoy. While your loved one may have enjoyed listening to rock music or classic country, it may not be something your guests want to spend an afternoon hearing. Instead of only playing one type of music, play a selection of different types of music that all will enjoy and will be suitable for the different aspects of the funeral service.

When you select songs for a funeral service, you need to do some brainstorming and planning first. Think about what songs you think your loved one would want included and ask yourself some questions.

Do you want songs that speak about death and spending eternity in heaven?
Do you want songs that remind you of certain qualities and characteristics your loved one had?
Do you want songs that will allow you to reflect over fond memories with the deceased?
Do you want songs that your loved one enjoyed listening to?

Popular Funeral Songs

Now that we’ve discussed funeral music and how to select it, let’s take a look at some of the most popular choices. We’ve divided our list into three genres, country, modern and traditional.

In no particular order, here is our list of the best funeral songs.

Country Songs For Funerals

You Should Be Here

Cole Swindell

This chart-topping country song was written as a tribute to Swindell’s father who unexpectedly passed away weeks after Cole had signed a new record deal. The song is a ballad that is about those moments that are perfect and wishing that someone special could be there with you.

Broken Halos

Chris Stapleton

Inspired by the passing of a lifelong friend, Stapleton recorded the song the day after one of his longtime friends passed away. He has said the song was inspired by people who have passed away before their time.

Over You

Miranda Lambert

Over You was written by former country music power-couple, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. The country ballad was written about the passing of Shelton’s brother when he was a teenager. The duo decided that Lambert should record the song because of Blake’s emotional connection to it and the fear that he could not perform it on tour every night.

Drink a Beer

Luke Bryan

Regarded as one of the best singles off Bryan’s fourth studio album, Drink a Beer tells the story of a character honoring the passing of a friend. Despite its name, the song focuses around the raw and very real reaction a person has to the news of a friend’s death. In this case, the character pays tribute by continuing a long-running tradition they shared with the deceased.

Modern Songs For Funerals

See You Again

Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth

See You Again was written as the title track and a tribute to Paul Walker, who starred in the 2015 film, Furious 7. The song features dual perspectives. The first verse from the cast and crew’s perspective on working with him for over a decade. The second verse is from Walker’s perspective reflecting on the friendships formed with fellow actors and crew throughout his career.

Only One

Kanye West Performed by Kanye West and Paul McCartney

Only One was written for Kanye’s daughter North and his mother who passed away in 2007. Essentially, the song is about wishing his mother could be there to see her grandchild grow up.

Supermarket Flowers

Ed Sheeran

Although not originally intended to be released, Supermarket Flowers was written as a tribute to Sheeran’s grandmother. While recording his album, Sheeran’s grandmother passed away at the nearby hospital. The song is written from the perspective of his mother. Originally written as a way to cope with the loss, Sheeran’s father suggested he play it at the funeral service. After his performance, Ed’s grandfather insisted that he include it on his upcoming album.

Lay Me Down

Sam Smith

Lay Me Down describes the story of losing someone you love and expressing how much you miss them. In the song, Smith discusses the little things he misses about his partner and the how overwhelming the experience has been.

Traditional Songs For Funerals

Hallelujah

Jeff Buckley

(Also Performed by Various Artists)

With poetic lyrics and a soft melody, Hallelujah is a classic choice for funeral music. Originally made famous by Jeff Buckley, the song has been covered by hundreds of artists. The song is often selected to include in a service because of the way the bittersweet language of the song relates to saying goodbye to a loved one.

Let It Be

The Beatles

Inspired by a dream about his mother, Let It Be was written at a point when McCartney’s personal life and the band as a whole were in turmoil. Growing tired of his party lifestyle and sensing a breakup of The Beatles was imminent, McCartney states that he was visited in a dream by his late mother who offered the advice to let it be. The message behind the song is to reassure the listener that during times of trouble, everything will be ok and eventually get better.

I’ll Be Missing You

Puff Daddy

I’ll Be Missing You is a rap ballad performed by rapper Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) and singer Faith Evans. The song is a tribute to Christopher The Notorious B.I.G. Wallace. Prior to his death, Wallace was married to Evans and mentored by Combs. The song is the pair’s way of saying farewell to the rapper and discusses how they know Wallace is in Heaven and watching down on them.