• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Good Hearted Woman logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Comfort Food
    • Cooking Basics
    • Condiments
    • German Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Sourdough
    • Snacks
    • Sweets
    • 30-Minute Meals
  • Cozy Living
    • Arts & Crafts
    • For Music Lovers
    • Food Holidays
  • US Travel
    • One Day in...
    • Pacific
    • Rocky Mountains
    • Southwest
    • The South
    • Hikes Near & Far
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cozy Living
  • Road Trips
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cozy Living
    • Road Trips
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » For Music Lovers

    Acoustic & Uplifting: Songs for Funerals, Memorials & Celebrations of Life that Won't Make Everyone Sadder

    June 20, 2019 • Updated: June 24, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Songs for Funerals, Memorials & Celebrations of Life that Won't Make Everyone Sadder | The Good Hearted Woman

    Music has the power to comfort and uplift during life’s most difficult times. Each of these songs was carefully chosen to inspire and encourage those who mourn, as they celebrate and pay tribute to loved ones lost.

    Autoharp and guitar in boho tiny home.

    If you've ever had to choose the music for a funeral, memorial, or celebration of life for someone dear, you understand what a daunting task it can be. Over the past few years, Mr B and I have been given the chance to sing and/or play music at a handful of memorial services, and without exception, the hardest part is always choosing the perfect song.

    When my little brother died last year - unexpectedly and far too young - we struggled to find a song that would celebrate his life without making everyone even sadder in the process. I went online to search for inspiration, but found nearly all of the songs suggested were depressing at best, and often profoundly heartbreaking. It was as if the guiding premise was:

    Funerals (i.e., Memorials, Celebrations of Life, etc.) are sad. Super sad. In keeping with this theme, we only want to sing or hear songs that are going to make us even sadder (and/or make us feel terrible about ourselves) - because that's how our loved one would want us to honor and remember them.

    ~ Said No One Ever

    I mean, I suppose that there are some people who expect their loved ones to wail and moan and be miserable indefinitely after they pass, but my little brother was not one of them. Nor were any of the other beloved family and friends we have lost in the last year or so. Each one of them lived a life that, as we remember them, reminds us daily to cherish one another, and count every moment a blessing.

    The music we remember our loved ones by should reflect who they were, and comfort and uplift those who mourn. The song(s) you choose don’t have to be traditional funeral music. Choose songs for funerals that will have significance in some way to the person you are honoring.

    Five Tips for Choosing Songs for Funerals

    1. Consider the person you are memorializing. What were some of his or her favorite songs or genre of music? What message or tone would they want their service to reflect?
    2. Carefully read the lyrics of each song you choose word by word, and be sure you are familiar with the entire song. Sometimes lyrics don’t say what you think they are saying, and a funeral is the last place you want to hear a song that doesn’t send the right message.
    3. Ask friends and/or family members for suggestions. They may have insight or ideas you never even thought of.
    4. Decide whether you will play prerecorded music or have a live performance. This can dramatically influence your choices.
    5. Consider the tone of the music, and how it fits with the mood you want to set at the service. Whether you are aiming for reflective, or comforting, or even celebratory, the music you choose will help set that tone.

    In the process of choosing a song to play at my little brother's memorial, we put together a short list of songs for funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life that have a meaningful, uplifting message - and won't immediately make everyone in the room burst into tears. It certainly isn't an exhaustive list, but even if you don't find something on it that you can use, hopefully it will provide inspiration.

    It is my hope you never need to use this list for its intended purpose, and that instead, it's just a sweet, easy-going (boomer-friendly) playlist. However, if you ever do need to choose songs for a funeral, it'll be here waiting. 

    10 Uplifting Songs for Funerals, Memorials & Celebrations of Life

    • In My Life
      • The Beatles • Written by John Lennon / Paul McCartney
      • Listen: YouTube | Bette on YouTube [see note]
      • The Beatles originally recorded this, but Bette Midler did a simply beautiful cover a few years back, accompanied by Jake Shimabukuro on ukulele. 
    • For a Dancer
      • Jackson Browne
      • Listen: YouTube 
      • This is the only song on the list that was actually written for a funeral, and is the one we played for my brother's memorial. 
    • Love, Me [If you Get There Before I Do]
      • Collin Raye • Written by Max Troy Barnes / Donald R Ewing
      • Listen: YouTube 
    • What a Wonderful World
      • Louis Armstrong • Written by George Weiss / Robert Thiele
      • Listen: YouTube 
    • When I Get Where I'm Going
      • Brad Paisley| Written by George Teren • Rivers Rutherford
      • Listen: YouTube 
    • How Can I Help You Say Goodbye
      • Patty Loveless • Written by Burton Collins / Karen Taylor-Good
      • Listen: YouTube
    • Time of My Life
      • Jennifer Warnes & Bill Medley • Written by John De Nicola / Donald Markowitz / Frank Previte
      • Listen: YouTube
    • You Were Loved
      • Whitney Houston • Written by Diane Eve Warren
      • Listen: YouTube 
    • Across the Great Divide
      • Kate Wolf
      • Listen: YouTube 
    • I Will Remember You
      • Sarah McLachlan • Written by Sarah McLachlan / Seamus Egan / Dave Merenda
      • Listen: YouTube

    Rest in Peace, Bro. It's been a long year and we miss you.

    For Music Lovers

    If making music* is part of your life, check out our new music-focused website, The Melody Bridge. (*Singing the shower counts)

    • Top 8 Things to Do in Nashville for Music Lovers
    • One Day in Tupelo, Mississippi
    • Beautiful Music: NW Handmade Musical Instrument Exhibit
    • Songfinch Personalized Song (Review)

    For more recipes and cozy living tips, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all of the latest updates.

    Do you have a song that should be on this list? Please share your idea in the comments below. 

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

    More For Music Lovers

    • A New Era at Graceland: Elvis Presley's Memphis
    • Memphis for Music Lovers
    • The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum: Why You Need to Visit
    • Home of 1000 Hits: RCA Studio B (Nashville)
    3710 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard

    About Renée B.

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Lewis Taylor says

      July 24, 2022 at 11:47 am

      Pink Floyd

      Reply
      • Renée says

        August 02, 2022 at 1:37 pm

        You're right! They have a lot of songs in their catalog that would work for a funeral or memorial. Off the top of my head, "Wish You Were Here," "Breathe," "Gig in the Sky"; but here are plenty more, depending on the vibe you're looking for.

        Reply
    2. Lynn says

      June 23, 2022 at 9:10 pm

      Thank you for sharing your wisdom with everyone. One song that should be added to your list is “Show Me Around” by Carly Pearce. My daughter heard it and shared it with me a few weeks after my husband, her father died of a sudden, massive heart attack while in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove a tumor from his colon. At first couple of listening, I cried like a baby. The more I listened, the better it made me feel. It’s been almost 2 years, and I still love the song; instead of making me sad, it reminds me that I will see him again, and it’ll be like the song says, “…we’ll pick back up like no time passed, yeah I pray it happens like that.”

      Reply
      • Renée says

        June 24, 2022 at 8:56 am

        I am so sorry for your loss. 💔

        Thank you for the song suggestion. I just had a listen and it's beautiful. I am in the process of compiling a second list for our new music-focused blog (The Melody Bridge) and I will be sure to put it on the list.

        Reply
    3. Kim says

      August 21, 2021 at 10:28 am

      Why do we not need to cry with picking music that is not sad? Emotions should never be held within. Sometimes tears from sadness while others are tears of laughter.
      Hilary's mom

      Reply
      • Renée says

        August 24, 2021 at 10:35 am

        Agreed.

        Perhaps you misunderstood the intent here. This isn’t to suggest in any way that you hold your emotions in; however, some people prefer to use uplifting music at their celebration of life, instead of music that inspires additional grief. Hence, the title, “won’t make everyone sadder."

        Reply
    4. Nancy Johnson says

      March 08, 2020 at 10:03 am

      Thank you for the thoughtful message. Three of your suggestions were ones I had considered. I wanted an uplifting message, you have helped me make an appropriate choice.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        March 08, 2020 at 6:42 pm

        Thank you for your comment, Nancy. I'm so glad we were able to help. Choosing your goodbye song is never an easy thing to do.

        Reply
    5. Jasmine Watts says

      June 24, 2019 at 3:31 am

      This is a very sad moment and a difficult situation in ones life. A good song would somehow relieve the pain.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        June 24, 2019 at 8:00 am

        Music does often bring a sense of peace in the moment.

        Reply
    6. Helen Little says

      June 22, 2019 at 7:16 am

      It's so important to choose personal, touching music that elevates, not depresses. I'm so sorry you lost your brother.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        June 22, 2019 at 9:09 am

        Thank you.

        Reply
    7. aisasami says

      June 21, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      My grandma had her favorite song, "Wind Beneath My Wings", played at her funeral. It was 14 yearsd ago but I cannot listen to the song or I will burst out crying now.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        June 21, 2019 at 5:38 pm

        I know just how you feel. ?

        Reply
    8. Rachel says

      June 21, 2019 at 11:29 am

      The Dirty Dancing song could be a fun video background song at a memorial.

      Reply
    9. Chelsea Pearl says

      June 21, 2019 at 11:11 am

      This is such a thoughtful list of songs! I love Brad Paisley, got to give that track a relisten.

      Reply
    10. Erin says

      June 20, 2019 at 8:57 pm

      Thanks for sharing these song ideas!

      Reply
    11. MarciaF says

      June 20, 2019 at 5:54 pm

      I’ve been to some funerals that had the most depressing music. This is a great list for people wondering what to use.

      Reply
    12. Leigh Suznovich says

      June 20, 2019 at 4:54 pm

      These events are always so difficult. A playlist like this would help for sure!

      Reply
    13. Tami says

      June 20, 2019 at 9:53 am

      I'm going to cry regardless, but these are some wonderful choices. I especially love Time of My Life. I'll have to make a playlist for my husband in case I go first.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        June 20, 2019 at 11:08 am

        The truth is, I'm going to cry too, always. But at least we don't have to make it worse by choosing songs that make people depressed on top of their sadness.

        Reply
    14. Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome says

      June 20, 2019 at 8:56 am

      This is a great playlist, no one wants to experience these events but music definitely helps

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Adorable middle-aged couple in forest setting. (i.e., Me & Mr B)

    Join me & Mr B for the best in home cooking and cozy living - from the beautiful Pacific Northwest and beyond.

    More about us →

    Follow Us

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

    fresh recipes

    • Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries
    • Classic Hot Buttered Rum
    • Cinnamon Roll Wreath (Danish Pastry Ring)
    • Orange Tea Ring (Danish Wreath)
    • Team Colors 7 Layer Dip
    • Orange Spiced Cranberry Sauce

    game day eats

    • Team Colors 7 Layer Dip
    • Crispy Sauerkraut Fritters (Easy Air Fryer Recipe)
    • 20 Best Game Day Food Ideas
    • Sweet & Spicy Grilled Buffalo Wings
    • Cool Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip
    • Roasted Garlic Spinach Artichoke Dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Statement
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Statement

    Follow

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Meet Me & Mr B

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 The Good Hearted Woman. All rights reserved.

    3710 shares
    3.7K shares
    We Value Your Privacy
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}
    We Value Your Privacy
    We use cookies to make this website a better place. Cookies help to provide a more personalized experience and relevant advertising for you, and web analytics for us. To learn more about the different cookies we use, check out our Cookie Policy.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}
    We Value Your Privacy
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}
    We Value Your Privacy
    We use cookies to make this website a better place. Cookies help to provide a more personalized experience and relevant advertising for you, and web analytics for us. To learn more about the different cookies we use, check out our Cookie Policy.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}