Music to Play at a Funeral or Wake

Music is incredibly important in any situation. Music helps us experience and understand our emotions, and in some cases, it energises and empowers us to move forward. If you are beginning funeral arrangements and want to utilise music during the funeral, there are many different ways to do this and many different songs to choose from.

You can pick anything from Beethoven to Billy Joel, music that will make you cry in remembrance or laugh in their honour.

Sentimental Songs

According to a study by McCrindle Research and commissioned by the Australian Funeral Directors Association, Australians who chose songs to play at their own funeral mostly lean towards a sentimental theme, with songs like:

• ‘I’ll be seeing you’ by Frank Sinatra (or remake by Billie Holiday)
• ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ from The Wizard of Oz
• ‘Time to say goodbye’ by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
• ‘What a wonderful world’ by Louis Armstrong
• ‘You’ll never walk alone’ originally by Frank Sinatra
• ‘Goodbye my lover’ by James Blunt

Religious Songs

Many people feel moved to play religious hymns and tunes at a funeral. The sombre notes and traditional music that everyone is familiar with is soothing and a good way to encourage acceptance. Some of the most popular religious songs to play at a funeral are:

• ‘Amazing Grace’
• ‘All My Tears’
• ‘Going Home’
• ‘Save a Place For Me’
• ‘Heaven Song’

Defiant Tunes

Funerals should be as unique as the life they are celebrating. Choosing a defiant and different song can be the ultimate expression of individuality. A few of the songs that people consider include:

• ‘I did it my way’ by Frank Sinatra
• ‘Highway to Hell’ by ACDC
• ‘Only the good die young’ by Billy Joel

Quirky and Happy Music

A good way to remember the deceased is to celebrate them, and that sometimes means choosing happy songs or even some stranger ones. Some popular songs to play at a funeral are:

• ‘Most people I know’ by Billie Thorpe
• ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ from Monty Python
• Football and rugby club theme songs
• ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams
• ‘Dancing Queen’ by ABBA

Choosing the music to accompany a funeral is not always an easy feat, so it helps to have the guidance and experience of a local funeral director when making funeral arrangements.

Alex Gow Funerals has been helping families throughout Queensland create meaningful tributes to their loved ones since 1840. If you require assistance with funeral arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact us or call our Brisbane head office on 07 3073 4816. We also have an online pre-arrangement form you can fill out.