Arriving, reflecting and departing - music for your funeral

[Newfoundfreedom]

10 hours ago, Velarian said:

What a great subject for a thread. 
 

I’ve given this a little thought but not fully formed the final selection. One track I’d love to be played is “Close to Home” by Lyle Mays, probably as the file out but it’s over six minutes long and the way it ends is something I’d like everyone to hear, so it’s likely that most wouldn’t hear it. Perhaps it should be the reflection but is it too long for that? I know many funerals are a bit of a time-limited conveyor belt so I suspect it may too long for that. Thinking about that I’d rather the music be played instead of people spouting platitudes because that’s what is expected. 
 

For the rest of it, I’m thinking Elgar’s nimrod played by the Grimethorpe Colliery band and probably Praise by the Pat Metheny Group.

 

So, if this would work in the usual funeral format, it would be: -

 

Arrival: Nimrod, Elgar

Reflection: Close to Home, Lyle Mays

File-out: Praise, Pat Metheny Group

 

 

 

 

 

Grimethorpe is about 5 miles from my childhood home town. I've seen the colliery brass band many times. Absolutely superb! 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by Newfoundfreedom

[Steve Browning]

Like my favourite songs, this does change at times. Current selection would be:

 

Arriving - Soulville - Ben Webster (a nod to my Dad, who was a phenomenal tenor player himself)

 

Reflection - struggling to choose between Sarah McLachan - Angel, and Billy Joel - Lullabye (I have two daughters)

 

Leaving - Widor - Organ Toccata (nice and loud!!) - I did play the church organ and this is a piece I managed to get a good way through (though never got to the end).

 

 

 

 

[diskwave]

I think the last four mins of this as the mourners leave will cement the day in everyones minds...and I have insisted on it being played very, very loud!

 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by greavesbass

[nige1968]

Arriving: Left Bank Two by the Noveltones.

 

Reflection: Stoneage Dinosaurs by Cardiacs

 

File-out: The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica), Captain Beefheart & his magics

 

Hopefully someone can sort this out when I cark it. Cheers

 

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by nige1968
Vidz — to make sure y’all get the right versions for ma rites

[PaulWarning]

arrival, Born a Rocker Die a Rocker, UK Subs

reflection, In My Life, Beatles

leaving, one of my own songs, Tightfisted, should make them smile, if you can't be self indulgent at your own funeral when can you be?

[snorkie635]

13 hours ago, Velarian said:

What a great subject for a thread. 
 

I’ve given this a little thought but not fully formed the final selection. One track I’d love to be played is “Close to Home” by Lyle Mays, probably as the file out but it’s over six minutes long and the way it ends is something I’d like everyone to hear, so it’s likely that most wouldn’t hear it. Perhaps it should be the reflection but is it too long for that? I know many funerals are a bit of a time-limited conveyor belt so I suspect it may too long for that. Thinking about that I’d rather the music be played instead of people spouting platitudes because that’s what is expected. 
 

For the rest of it, I’m thinking Elgar’s nimrod played by the Grimethorpe Colliery band and probably Praise by the Pat Metheny Group.

 

So, if this would work in the usual funeral format, it would be: -

 

Arrival: Nimrod, Elgar

Reflection: Close to Home, Lyle Mays

File-out: Praise, Pat Metheny Group

 

 

 

 

Sorry to have caused you consternation over this one @Velarian. Book a double service and play the lot. 😁

[Rich]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, our dear mate OldGit had a whole stack of fabulous and uplifting music at his planting. One that sticks in the mind was 'Redemption Song'. 

My ex-father in law had Eric and Ernie's  'Bring Me Sunshine' as his filing-out music -- he was a relentlessly cheerful bloke in life and it was absolutely perfect. 

[Saul Panzer]

I don't know anyone and doubt the council does anything ceremonial like hold a service or play songs for a random corpse when a government worker finds one.

I'd like to be listening to something by Sentenced when I die, maybe 'Lower the flags' or 'Luxury of a grave'.

[Velarian]

The mother of a mate of mine who was an Irish lady with a wicked sense of humour, at her funeral she had “here we go, here we go, here we go” played when the the coffin was being passed through the curtains for cremation and for the file-out it was “See you later alligator”. 😂

Edited August 13, 2023 by Velarian
Typo

[Graham]

I started thinking about this after my mother's funeral last year and made a Spotify playlist of the three songs I'd want so my wife could find it easily should it be necessary

 

Arriving: Cave In - Youth Overided (live from Roadburn)

The only thing that makes this explicitly live is the applause at the end and in all likelihood it will have been faded out by then. This was the opening song of an acoustic set the band played in tribute to their late bassist and is a beautiful arrangement of a brilliant song.

 

https://youtu.be/ATO-9zPeJ5w

 

Reflecting: We Lost The Sea - A Gallant Gentleman

I thought something instrumental would work well here, so immediately went for post-rock. This is from the album Departure Songs, written after the band's singer committed suicide and they decided to continue without a vocalist. All the songs on the record are about true failed journeys, this one about Lawrence Oates the explorer who walked out into the freezing Arctic to give his companions a better chance of survival

 

 

 

Departing: Mutoid Man - Bandages

Cave In are my favourite band, so more Steve Brodsky is appropriate. This is a very emotional song and quite appropriate I think

 

https://youtu.be/Hme25THmo9o

[G-Lo]

Right now, I'd say....

 

Arriving- I'm So Tired by Fugazi

Reflection- If You Want Me To Stay by Sly and the Family Stone

Departure- West One (Shine On Me) by the Ruts

[Jo.gwillim]

My daughter knew she was dying and specified what she wanted. Bless her she asked for bob Marley's 3 little birds. In our grief the "don't worry about a thing cos every little things going to be alright" was a lovely message to us all.

[knirirr]

A few years ago I went to a funeral where the organist cocked it up and, instead of the solemn hymn meant for when the coffin was brought in, we were treated to a cheesy waltz that was planned for later. The deceased was not the sort of chap who would have found this funny, unfortunately.

I've not given it much thought, other than that I find it amusing to imagine requesting Rhythm and Greens for the amusement of mourners.

[SteveXFR]

Starting with a song that just blows my mind, and incredible vocal performance and a brilliant piece of heavy music

Reflection to the soundtrack of a song which I just love. Beautifully dark. 

Departure to something much more upbeat. My favourite punk record of all time with a bass line I could never play.

 

 

Arrival 

 

 

Reflection

 

 

 

Departure 

 

 

 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

22 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

Starting with a song that just blows my mind, and incredible vocal performance and a brilliant piece of heavy music

Reflection to the soundtrack of a song which I just love. Beautifully dark. 

Departure to something much more upbeat. My favourite punk record of all time with a bass line I could never play.

 

 

Arrival 

 

 

Reflection

 

 

 

Departure 

 

 

 

Slightly off topic but I always feel sorry for Todd Strange - he played bass on two of the Greatest Metal Records Ever (Nola and Odd Fellows Rest) and you can't hear him on either of them. 

[SteveXFR]

1 minute ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Slightly off topic but I always feel sorry for Todd Strange - he played bass on two of the Greatest Metal Records Ever (Nola and Odd Fellows Rest) and you can't hear him on either of them. 

 

The bass is low in the mix on both but it's not the full Lars Ulrich mix.

NOLA is a really brilliant record, an all time metal great but I can't have Phil Anselmo at my funeral 

[tony_m]

Have to confess, I've not given it any thought whatsoever, but a mate of mine who died last year was a massive fan of Elvis and rock / blues music in general, so for his service the family chose the following:

 

Music on Entrance: Live Intro Into His Shows & CC Rider (Elvis Presley)

 

Moment of Reflection: Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley)

 

Closing Music: Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

 

Music on Leaving: Elvis Has Left The Building (Frank Zappa)

 

Definitely hit the right sort of vibe.

[lozkerr]

I've thought about this from time to time, and I'd probably go for

 

Arrival: Highway To Hell - AC/DC

Reflections: Sanctuary, by the Passions. The album version.

Departure: End Of The Line - the Traveling Wilburys.

[Graham]

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Starting with a song that just blows my mind, and incredible vocal performance and a brilliant piece of heavy music

Reflection to the soundtrack of a song which I just love. Beautifully dark. 

Departure to something much more upbeat. My favourite punk record of all time with a bass line I could never play.

 

 

Arrival 

 

 

Reflection

 

 

 

Departure 

 

 

 

I love Mariner so much, quite possibly my favourite album of all time

[wateroftyne]

I'm going to make my lot sit through Supper's Ready and Awaken. And they'd better pretend to enjoy it.

[ambient]

It’s got to be ‘who wants to live forever?’, even though I don’t like Queen.

[tauzero]

Arrival - Journey of the Sorceror, Eagles

 

Reflection - not sure, possibly Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Bach, the guitar version by John Williams

 

Departure - Toccata, Sky

 

It's tempting to get Freebird in there too, as the lyrics can be read that way. Although if I should happen to crash the bike and die that way, "Bat out of Hell" would fit better.

 

My dad had "Bring me sunshine" as his playout song. He died of cancer over a period of a few months so had plenty of time to plan.

[chris_b]

Apparently this is very popular. . . .

 

 

[SteveXFR]

10 hours ago, Graham said:

I love Mariner so much, quite possibly my favourite album of all time

 

It is certainly one of my favourites and it introduced my to Julie Christmas and her excellent band Made Out Of Babies.

I particularly enjoy this live version of Mariner

 

 

[toneknob]

Somewhere I have a list for this kind of thing. Of course I can't find it now 🤔

But well done for specifiying arrival/reflection/departure, I'd never considered it like that. But anyway, off the top of my head and subject to change:

 

Arrival - Driver, Phish

Reflection - something from Brian Eno & Friends "Apollo", probably An Ending (Ascent) or Deep Blue Day

Departure - Days, probably the Kirsty MacColl version

 

for those unfamiliar with Phish, here's Driver 

"I'll tell you about the driver who lives inside my head
Starts me up and stops me and puts me into bed
He opens up my mouth when it's time for me to talk
Fires up my legs when he wants me to walk
Keeps my eyes open most of the day
Adds to my memory the things that people say
When he makes decisions I don't have to wait
But sometimes it seems he's got to much on his plate
Like this morning when I woke up and he dressed me in this shirt
That looks a little ragged where he dragged me through the dirt
I'm moving through this life and I'm thinking about the next
And hoping when I get there I'll be better dressed"