I'm just an animal looking for a home

Funeral songs!

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First of all, obviously I am going to live forever. And this post shouldn’t be interpreted as me contemplating my death in some “cry for help” kind of way. When my friend died recently it made me realize that sometimes, maybe even usually, folks die when they aren’t really expecting it.  Ever since I got into music I’ve heard songs and thought “I’d like to have that played at my funeral.”  And with some songs this happens more than once, and I think “I really should keep a list of songs to be played at my funeral.”  So that’s kind of the purpose of this post.  I’m gonna have two lists.  One is songs I’m pretty certain I’d like to have played, and the other is songs about which I’m more on the fence.  My plan is to update this blog post as the lists evolve.

One other note — I’m pretty sure that after I die, I won’t give a shit what music is played at my funeral.  These are just songs that, when I picture my funeral, it makes me happy to imagine them playing.  I feel like the set the appropriate mood and/or send the appropriate message.  Well, maybe appropriate is the wrong word.  The desired mood and message.  As in, what *I* desire.  I suspect I’ll have no way to appreciate the actual event or know whether or not these wishes are carried out, unless I’m way off on what happens when we die.  So if for some reason this stuff isn’t played, don’t picture me pissed off in the afterlife, shaking my fist at you.  Or maybe picture that — it’s kind of a funny mental image — but don’t let it upset you that my wishes weren’t heeded.  Funerals are for the living, not the dead, after all.  Although perhaps if I end up knowing what is going to kill me, then I’ll be one of those folks who has a pre-death funeral service, just so that I can make it really awkward for everyone.

So, without further ado, the lists!

Definite funeral songs:

  • This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) by the Talking Heads (specifically, the version from Stop Making Sense)
  • Twelve Years Old Forever by Atom & His Package (don’t worry, it’s instrumental)
  • End Of The Line by the Traveling Wilburys

Possible funeral songs:

  • Ever Falls The Twilight by the Gothic Archies
  • The Dead Only Quickly by the Gothic Archies
  • Strangers by The Kinks

As I said, lists subject to updating, revision, change, etc, blah blah blah.

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Author: mitcharf

vegan, curmudgeon, animal lover, feminist, agnostic, cat whisperer, bookworm, hermit, Red Sox fan, Cthulhu enthusiast, softball player, man-about-town

2 Comments

  1. avatar

    May I suggest “Gravity” by A Perfect Circle

  2. avatar

    Mine are:

    — Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve)
    — Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)
    — Axis: Bold as Love (Jimi Hendrix)

    Extended funeral version:

    — With A Little Help from My Friends (The Beatles)
    — Lively Up Yourself (Bob Marley)
    — Jackass (Beck)

    New contender (it’s too soon to tell):

    — Runnin’ (Heartless Bastards)*

    * I suggest immediately looking up the lyrics to this one. I think it will resonate.

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