The other week, when we were talking about those stealth music attacks, funerals came up a few times. Then last week I got to present on some wills and estate planning things and one of the other presenters talked about funeral planning. So it's been on the brain for me, of late (eh? late? eh...?).
So I'll put the question to you plainly: what do you want played at your funeral?
There are no wrong answers. Seriously. Even "Tubthumping" works... (Jokes are the best way to put the "fun" back in "funeral).
a. McCown's Longspur “Song” (Cornell Essential Set)
1. Bitchin Bajas & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy “You Will Soon Discover How Truly Fortunate You Really Are.” Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties
2. Khun Narin “Lam Phu Thai #2” Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band
3. Waylon Jennings “Luchenbach, TX” Daytrotter Session*
4. Folk Implosion “Wet Stuff”* Kids: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
a. White-winged Dove “Coos” (Dan Gibson: Wildlife Identification by Sound)
5. Matthew Dear “Slowdance”* Black City
6. Johnny Cash “Rusty Cage”* Unchained
7. Aphex Twin “Logon Rock Witch”* Richard D. James Album
8. Natalie Prass “My Baby Just Don't Understand Me” Natalie Prass
9. Orbital “Otoño” The Middle of Nowhere*
T. DJ Shadow “The Number Song” Endtroducing...
*Notes:
3. Released 3/5/2013, but obviously recorded much earlier. Not actually recorded by Daytrotter but some concert recording they released.
4. "Don't give me that dry food. I need more of that wet stuff."
5. Pretty easily my favorite song by Dear.
6. Soundgarden cover.
7. I don't think anyone's ever used the random percussion sounds from a MIDI board more effectively. Slidewhistles, Jaw Harps, etc. Somehow RDJ works that into a piece that evokes childhood memories like cartoon watching with major nostalgia.
9. This album was my soundtrack for driving out west in the summer of 1999: Montana, Northern Idaho, Southern Idaho, Utah. Craters of the Moon, Antelope Island...
Whatever is played at my funeral, I'm going to expect everyone to sing along.
Meanwhile, the thoroughly entertaining Legion series presented this gem a week ago:
Whatever is played at my funeral, I'm going to expect everyone to sing along.
Says the guy that likes instrumental music!
Heh.
Says the guy in choir and helps lead kids choir. But yeah, good point.
2017/03/24 - FMD
01. “All The World Is Green” – Tom Waits – Blood Money
02. “Quiet As A Mouse” – Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s – The Dust Of Retreat
03. “A Hundred Highways” – Dirty Beaches – Badlands
04. “Vessel” – Zola Jesus – Conatus
05. “Waiting For The Moment” – Haze – Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound
06. “Dave’s Song” – Whitney – Light Upon The Lake
07. “Exit Music For A Film” – Radiohead – OK Computer
08. “Boxing Day Blues” – Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
09. “Give Me Another Chance” – Big Star - #1 Record
10. “Answering Machine” – The Replacements – Let It Be
With all the funerals I do, I think about that sometimes. The problem is that there are so many songs I know that would be appropriate, I don't know how to choose. There will be at least a couple of traditional hymns. But "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" needs to be in there someplace, too. "My Life" by Iris DeMent would probably be in there as well.
I've only sung at one funeral, at it was with the folks that sing at the funeral home with me once a month, for one of our members who had died. Of course we sang one of the numbers we do -- Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky"
At Elaine's funeral I wanted Johnny Cash's Meet Me in Heaven (another great song from the American Recordings series Philo). As I had mentioned earlier we didn't talk about funeral arrangements but that is a song that we had long talked about as being perfect for a funeral, thus I was going to have it played.
Well, Catholics don't like songs not from the hymnal played during Mass so we had a little problem. We got around that by having the song played as people entered the Sanctuary, technically before the Mass. So make sure you understand what your place of faith allows, if it is an issue at all.
Also make sure you get the right version of the song. The musicians I had playing music weren't family with the song and when they googled it, came up with a different singer with a completely different arrangement. I literally made copies on a flash drive and dropped them off at their houses so that they knew exactly what I wanted. Fun times!
MLK from U2 is a great funeral song. I may have more.
My understanding is that it depends on the parish/priest, and that there is some flexibility at times. In high school one of our band classmate's father passed away suddenly, and they were able to get permission for the marching band to come in and play "Leia's Theme" from Star Wars. IIRC, that was after the sermon, but before the Eucharistic prayer. I know there was some hesitance, but ultimately the priest gave the okay.
In the United Methodist church it's entirely up to the pastor. I tend to be pretty flexible about it, but not everyone is.
I agree. At St. Joan of Arc, they'd probably allow you to play Cheaptoy's typical Friday playlist.
Heh, having grown up in that church, it might not be out of the question.
(Are they that notorious?)
I mean, they're not Pax Christi, but... yeah, they're known.
Haha, that's awesome. That's why I always liked those guys.
"Leia's Theme" is an instrumental. I wonder if that made the difference?
Catholics: set canon to your favorite pop/rock/hip-hop tunes, and you should be set.
Now let's all sing the "Our Father" (tune by Max Martin).
I like real presence and I cannot lie.
You other brothers can't deny (Jesus 3 times)
...
Jesus came back.
Not exactly what I meant. Not sure where you'd find Imprimatur or Nihil Obstat for that.*
Put the old, accepted words in the new musical arrangements.
*Yeah, not the right terms for hymns, but someone has to vet them right?
Oh, I figured I knew what you meant, but this was way more fun.
It's not a recognized hymn in my adopted faith,* but I really would like "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" played/sung, but only if they include the additional verse for Marines. The funeral rights are pretty set for Orthodox believers, but if I could request one Orthodox liturgical music, it would be an arrangement of Chesnokov's "Разбойника благоразумнаго (The Wise Thief)" by the church choir. It basically sums up my entire relationship with God.
Mrs. Hayes & I have a few songs with personal significance. We couldn't play it at church, but I'd like the Live in Dublin version of Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind" played at some point. Likewise Leon Redbone's "14th Street Blues."
I'd like "Taps" at the graveside service, but finding someone who can play it live is surprisingly difficult.
* This is a problem for most hymns I grew up with or that I otherwise enjoy. For example, I like traditional American hymns like "In the Garden," "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," "Precious Lord, Take My Hand," and "Peace in the Valley"; none of those would ever be sung in an Orthodox liturgy. Spiritual-but-secular songs like Levon Helm's "Wide River to Cross" are an even clearer no-go.
I'm going to have to check out that Chesnokov. In high school our band played "Salvation is Created" and I sing that one for the kids with some frequency. Now that I mention that, I want that one at my funeral.
My high school choir sang that piece one year; it was my first experience with Chesnokov. (Baritone is the second-most fun part. Pedal tone!) I think of it as a Nativity Fast (Advent) hymn, but it would fit very well at a funeral.
"Eternal Father, Strong to Save" -- The Navy Hymn!
I Love Everybody by Lyle Lovett
I kind of want a New Orleans Jazz Funeral type of thing... a nice brassy mashup of "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" and "When The Saints Go Marching In." I love that kind of sendoff. I once hear a group practicing a version of that while I was hanging out in a church, and it sounded amazing.
That wouldn't be my style. I want something poignant and leaves only the cynics with a dry eye.
I'm drawn to Zola Jesus.
But now that I read the lyrics to "Six Feet (from My Baby)"... it's about being dead and a mother? Or never having children at all and dying?
"Run Me Out"?
I want Dave Brubeck to play at my funeral. Unless he is dead.
Hmmm. Hopefully, my funeral won't be for many, many years. But I will want my friends and family to come together to share some laughs and a couple good beers. Play some classic rock.
That animated .gif syncs surprisingly well with any Mumford and Sons song.
They made me LOL.
Dido.
After High School senioritis hit, I wasn't in the mood for reading a serious book, so I did an oral book report on "The Horse Is Dead", my second reading of it.
I got in trouble for my witty aside/elision of the dog that kept humping his leg. I guess it came across as a reference about bestiality.
No particular order. But as I assemble this, I know who I want to sing each song, and who would be in the band. I would ask my wife to schedule the service down by the lake at Luthercrest, where we worship on Sundays during the summer.
"Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica (just a nice instrumental as people file in)
"Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd (College buddies put it on a mixed tape for me when I moved away to take care of, then bury, my mother)
"MLK" - U2 (beautiful song) or "One Tree Hill" - U2 (also beautiful)
"Perfect Day" - Lou Reed (perfect fit)
"My Immortal" - Evanescence ( my best friend/brother loves Amy Lee and it would make him squirm in his pew, next to his wife)
"Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen ( If KD Lang won't sing it at my funeral, I would ask Michael Shynes to, as he kills it)
"What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong (I used to crack my family up with a dead on Louis impersonation as a child-heck I might just record it and leave it with my lawyer)
"Street Spirit (Fade Out)" - Radiohead (their best, purest, and darkest song)
"King of the Road" - Roger Miller (my theme song with my friends and family - last song at my wedding)
"Snow Days" - Trip Shakespeare (to wrap it all up with some smiles)