Posted on 10/03/2006 7:44:35 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
LONDON (Reuters) - James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover" is the song most requested at British funerals and remembrance services, closely followed by Robbie Williams's "Angels," according to a survey released on Monday.
Research for the Bereavement Register found just over a half (51 percent) of people ask for a specific song be played at their funeral and 79 percent have talked with family and friends about possible song choices. The survey of 5,000 people also uncovered some unusual final choices for the final goodbye with rock songs like "I'll Sleep When I am Dead" by Bon Jovi, competing with classical tracks and soul.
"The top 20 really shows how far we have come in terms of saying goodbye. Gone are the days dirges of yore, instead we are seeing contemporary music that is easier to relate to," said Mark Roy, founder of the Bereavement Register, which removes the names and addresses of people who have died from databases to reduce junk mail.
"Everyone has a favorite song that means something very special to them, often connected to a particular time and place. When the song is played this can be a very emotive reminder of that person," he said in a statement.
Although fashions change there have been some consistent favorites over recent years like "Wind Beneath My Wings" at number four and "Candle In The Wind" -- a reworked version of which played at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 -- which was at number six.
Many of the songs represented the different ages of the deceased.
Songs like "Danny Boy" (number 11 in the list) tended to be played at the funerals of the elderly while S Club 7's "Reach For The Stars" (number 20) was more usual at children's funerals, the survey showed.
Others in the top 20 included "Knocking On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan and, perhaps unexpectedly, Fame's "I Want To Live Forever."
The top 10 requested songs were:
1 - "Goodbye My Lover" - James Blunt
2 - "Angels" - Robbie Williams
3 - "I've Had The Time Of My Life" - Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley.
4 - "Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler
5 - "Pie Jesu" - Requiem
6 - "Candle In The Wind" - Elton John
7 - "With Or Without You" - U2
8 - "Tears In Heaven" - Eric Clapton
9 - "Every Breath You Take - The Police
10 -"Unchained Melody" - Righteous Brothers.
???? Huh?
No "Funeral For A Friend" by Elton John?
For my funeral I'm ordering up "Enter the Sandman" and at the end I'm gonna have a spring mechanism make me sit up in the coffin. I just want to make my relatives pee their pants one more time.
She had mostly gospels songs played but the "finale" was "You saw me crying in the chapel."
I'll sleep when I'm dead, Bon Jovi??
That song is by Warren Zevon, is it not?
Probably the "I'll be watching you" line confuses them. They think it's about someone watching over them but it's about someone obsessed with someon else.
I was about to suggest that myself, any rendition. It's a beautiful song, and perfect for a funeral.
Well I looked at the sea, seemed to say I took your baby from you away I heard a voice cry in the deep Come join me baby in my endless sleep
The cannons would be a nice touch. Fire!
My pic is...
Joe Walsh- Life's Been Good to Me So Far!!!
want it on my tombstone too!
;-)
Hah!
Sorry, honey! Just for you, I'm gonna show up and play "Muskrat Love"....
My vote:
"Somewhere Down the Road" by Amy Grant
From the rock world I think "To Live Is To Die" or "Fade To Black" by Metallica would be great funeral songs.
Take me down little Susie, take me down I know you think youre the queen of the underground And you can send me dead flowers every morning Send me dead flowers by the mail Send me dead flowers to my wedding And I wont forget to put roses on your grave
I was just at a funeral last weekend - the song played was "Knock knock knocking on Heaven's Door". Don't remember who does that song but it was very moving.
A good one for those probably going into the "FIE-YAH!".
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Stones.
I always loved that scene in The Big Chill.
Amazing Grace, I'll fly away, How great thou Art., I bet songs in the USA would have some or alot of religious songs. I can not imagine a funeral without Amazing Grace.
In Heaven There Is No Beer!
There's a Michael W. Smith song that I've heard at some recent funerals, too.
I think Bob Dylan was the original writer and there have been renditions of it by lots of artists. The most recent popular rendition that I know of was by Guns 'n' Roses back in the early '90s.
My wife's mother (an old mountain woman) has requested "I Shall Not Be Moved" by Johnny Cash. I had to look high and low to find it so we will have it on hand. I sure hope we won't have to use it anytime soon!!
A vote goes to "The Dance" by Garth Brooks and "I Believe" by Brooks and Dunn.
'If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie'.....Hank Jr.
then came the annoncement over the loud speaker would those having realitives and friends on flight 1203 please report to the chaplin across the street at once. then I felt a burning great deep inside and I knew the ebony, heavenly skies, has taken my life's most wonderful prize my beautiful ebony eyes. If I ever get, to heaven,I'll bet, the first thing that I'll recognise, she'll smile at me, and I know she will be, my beautiful ebony eyes.
What a depressing thought!
Throw in a little "For Whom the Bells Toll" or even "Frayed Ends of Sanity" and we got ourselves a soiree.
My kids tell me I talk to much so how about
Simon and Garfunkels "The Sounds of Silence"
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.
Refrain
Come home, come home;
ye who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!
2
Why should we tary when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me?
3
Think of the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me.
No "Stayin' Alive"?
I'll drink to that!
A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request
by Steve Goodman (1983)
A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request
By the shore's of old Lake Michigan
Where the "hawk wind" blows so cold
An old Cub fan lay dying
In his midnight hour that tolled
Round his bed, his friends had all gathered
They knew his time was short
And on his head they put this bright blue cap
From his all-time favorite sport
He told them, "Its late and its getting dark in here"
And I know its time to go
But before I leave the line-up
Boys, there's just one thing I'd like to know
Do they still play the blues in Chicago
When baseball season rolls around
When the snow melts away,
Do the Cubbies still play
In their ivy-covered burial ground
When I was a boy they were my pride and joy
But now they only bring fatigue
To the home of the brave
The land of the free
And the doormat of the National League
Told his friends "You know the law of averages says:
Anything will happen that can"
That's what it says
"But the last time the Cubs won a National League pennant
Was the year we dropped the bomb on Japan"
The Cubs made me a criminal
Sent me down a wayward path
They stole my youth from me
(that's the truth)
I'd forsake my teachers
To go sit in the bleachers
In flagrant truancy
and then one thing led to another
and soon I'd discovered alcohol, gambling, dope
football, hockey, lacrosse, tennis
But what do you expect,
When you raise up a young boy's hopes
And then just crush 'em like so many paper beer cups.
Year after year after year
after year, after year, after year, after year, after year
'Til those hopes are just so much popcorn
for the pigeons beneath the 'L' tracks to eat
He said, "You know I'll never see Wrigley Field, anymore before my eternal rest
So if you have your pencils and your score cards ready,
and I'll read you my last request
He said, "Give me a double header funeral in Wrigley Field
On some sunny weekend day (no lights)
Have the organ play the "National Anthem"
and then a little 'na, na, na, na, hey hey, hey, Goodbye'
Make six bullpen pitchers, carry my coffin
and six ground keepers clear my path
Have the umpires bark me out at every base
In all their holy wrath
Its a beautiful day for a funeral, Hey Ernie lets play two!
Somebody go get Jack Brickhouse to come back,
and conduct just one more interview
Have the Cubbies run right out into the middle of the field,
Have Keith Moreland drop a routine fly
Give everybody two bags of peanuts and a frosty malt
And I'll be ready to die
Build a big fire on home plate out of your Louisville Sluggers baseball bats,
And toss my coffin in
Let my ashes blow in a beautiful snow
From the prevailing 30 mile an hour southwest wind
When my last remains go flying over the left-field wall
Will bid the bleacher bums adíeu
And I will come to my final resting place, out on Waveland Avenue
The dying man's friends told him to cut it out
They said stop it that's an awful shame
He whispered, "Don't Cry, we'll meet by and by near the Heavenly Hall of Fame
He said, "I've got season's tickets to watch the Angels now,
So its just what I'm going to do
He said, "but you the living, you're stuck here with the Cubs,
So its me that feels sorry for you!"
And he said, "Ahh Play, play that lonesome losers tune,
That's the one I like the best"
And he closed his eyes, and slipped away
What we got is the Dying Cub Fan's Last Request
And here it is
Do they still play the blues in Chicago
When baseball season rolls around
When the snow melts away,
Do the Cubbies still play
In their ivy-covered burial ground
When I was a boy they were my pride and joy
But now they only bring fatigue
To the home of the brave
The land of the free
And the doormat of the National League
LOL!
No "This is for my Dead Homiez" by Ice Cube?
The Irish (and police and firemen) must surely have made Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) into one of the top US funeral songs.
Time to Say Goodbye-Sarah Brightman
Steve Goodman's ashes are under home plate in Wrigley Field.
"I'm diggin' up bones" by Randy Travis? Anyone?
I'm with ya too on Amazing Grace. I also like How Great Thou Art. I wouldn't want ANY of those listed part of my funeral.
"Dust in the Wind" and "The Impossible Dream"
I just cracked open a 22 oz. Yuengling Lager!
America's Oldest brewery! Cheers!
At the military funerals of our young men Killed in Our Current Wars I play 'Flowers of the Forest'.
For the Old Goat Generals who die in their sleep I play 'Lochaber No More'.
The only difference between piping at a wedding and piping at a funeral is at a funeral there is one less critic of your playing.
My own request, on pipe at my funeral: "Caenn Drochaid Mhor", "The End of the Great Bridge"....
Really, the pop tunes named in this article stink on ice....
Or 'Cheyenne Anthem' by Kansas.
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