Want an Easier Way to Plan a Memorial Event? Get our FREE guide

“7 Ways to Create an Amazing Celebration of Life”

Get the Ebook

SevenPonds / Music to Express Love & Loss / Funerals & Celebration of Life Songs

Funerals & Celebration of Life Songs

Perfect for services, these songs honor loved ones with dignity and beauty. From traditional hymns, contemporary tributes and unique cemetery songs, find the right music to celebrate a life well-lived and saying goodbye.

nat king cole smile

“Smile”

By Nat King Cole

Although the song, “Smile” may not seem like one well-suited for a funeral or memorial, its sentimental overtones convey…

Read our magazine review

dancing queen cover

“Dancing Queen”

By ABBA

At first glance, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA may not readily come to mind as a funeral song choice. While classical, traditi…

Read our magazine review

Frank Sinatra's My Way

“My Way”

By Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra released the beloved melody “My Way” on January 1, 1969, as the title song on an album of the same name. “…

Read our magazine review

“Brokedown Palace”

By The Grateful Dead

Few bands have earned status as cultural icons in the way the The Grateful Dead has. The band formed in 1965 in the hipp…

Read our magazine review

"Fall on Me"

By Andrea and Matteo Bocelli

The first duet ever recorded by opera superstar Andrea Bocelli and his youngest son, Matteo, “Fall on Me” is a lovely pi…

Read our magazine review

“Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding”

By Elton John

Those searching for an emphatic way to commemorate their loved ones need look no further than “Funeral for a Friend / Lo…

Read our magazine review

"Host of the Seraphim"

By Dead Can Dance

With a musical style and tempo that refuses to be boxed and categorized, Dead Can Dance consists of the core duo of Lisa…

Read our magazine review

"Seasons in the Sun”

By Terry Jacks

1974, Canadian singer Terry Jacks’ folksy song “Seasons in the Sun” topped the U.S. charts, ranking No. 2 on the Billboa…

Read our magazine review

"Con Te Partirò/Time to Say Goodbye"

By Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli is one of the world’s most famous and beloved operatic tenors. A native of Italy, Bocelli’s roots are fir…

Read our magazine review

"Danny Boy"

By Frederic Weatherly (and Rory Dall O’Cahan)

The lyrics of “Danny Boy” have a certain ambiguity, lending themselves to function as a universal lament about separatio…

Read our magazine review

"Keg on my Coffin"

By Chris Trapper

“Keg On My Coffin” by Chris Trapper is a lighthearted folk song written from the perspective of someone who has died. In…

Read our magazine review

News of the World album with We Are the Champions

"We Are the Champions"

By Queen

For those of us who came of age in the 60s and 70s, the word “Queen” evokes memories of the rock & roll band led by sing…

Read our magazine review

"Look for Me in Rainbows"

By Vicki Brown

Vicki Brown was a vocalist from the United Kingdom who gained popularity during the 1970s. During her musical career, sh…

Read our magazine review

"If"

By Bread

It’s often difficult to put into words how much you care for someone important in your life. Many of us squander the sma…

Read our magazine review

"Make You Feel My Love"

By Adele

A little over two years ago, a fire destroyed the building where I was renting an apartment. Fortunately, no one was inj…

Read our magazine review

"The Parting Glass"

By Robert Burns

The traditional Scottish farewell song “The Parting Glass” is best paired with a loved one’s favorite drink and some war…

Read our magazine review

"Amazing Grace"

By John Newton

My grandmother was a sweet, gentle soul. She never lived in a town with a population greater than 2,000 people. She was …

Read our magazine review

"Grace"

By Jeff Buckley

Like many of Jeff Buckley’s songs, “Grace” has taken on new meaning almost 20 years after the singer’s death. Buckley di…

Read our magazine review

"Will The Circle Be Unbroken"

By Ada R. Habershon and Charles H. Gabriel

In 1907, Ada R. Habershon, an English Christian hymnist, and Charles H. Gabriel, who is said to have written or composed…

Read our magazine review

"For Once in My Life"

By Stevie Wonder

Gone are the days of somber memorials defined by a dreary black dress-code and a slew of sad songs. It’s important to cr…

Read our magazine review

"Changes"

By Seu Jorge

Seu Jorge’s 1972 song “Changes” is a rock classic. It’s merited many covers since its debut, but none have proved as mov…

Read our magazine review

George Harrison sitting in a field with text in the sky that says all things must pass

"All Things Must Pass"

By George Harrison

Letting go is one of the most difficult things in the world, but George Harrison might make it a little easier. His song…

Read our magazine review

"Taps"

By Major General Daniel Butterfield

When it comes to funeral music, there is one haunting melody that reigns supreme in the minds of Americans. Having origi…

Read our magazine review

"Rue's Farewell" in "The Hunger Games"

By James Newton Howard

For those of you who have not seen the film The Hunger Games, it’s a nonstop action cliffhanger mixed with the unexpecte…

Read our magazine review

“Today’s The Day”

By Lucy Kaplansky

In 2007, singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky released a sweet and reflective song called “Today’s the Day.” This song serve…

Read our magazine review

“Unforgettable”

By Nat King Cole

Creating a playlist for a loved one’s funeral can be a difficult task. What kind of message are you looking for in a fun…

Read our magazine review

“I’ll Be Missing You”

By Puff Daddy, Faith Evans and 112

For everyone who loved the big hits of the nineties, this might be a great send off song. “I’ll Be Missing You,” while a…

Read our magazine review

"Sheltering Sky"

By Ryuichi Sakamoto

The film, Sheltering Sky evokes the most exotic and memorable moments of life through a musical score perfectly suited a…

Read our magazine review

Find More in our Healing Library

Books

Music

Sayings

Humor

Films

Poetry