What song would you like played at your funeral?

I heard this at a funeral a few years ago.


I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by,
Weep not for the memories
Remember the good times that we had?
I let them slip away from us when things got bad.
How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun
Wanna feel your warmth upon me
I wanna be the one

I will rememeber you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

I'm so tired but I can't sleep
Standin' on the edge of something much to deep
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard

But I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

I'm so afraid to love you
But more afraid to lose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose
Once there was a darkness
Deep and endless night
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light

And I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
Weep not for the memories

Aida, and 1812 cannons. I have a story about those cannons, though the story is not of funereal content.

Colorbook, I appreciated your poem from the funeral and am filled with curiousity re how it related to the person who whose funeral it was....

Edgar, not to pass over your waltz. Your waltz lives.

On the 1812 overture, let me say I had an interesting boss, back in my medical heyday. He was a hematologist/rheumatologist, the common interest being immunology. He now writes medical thrillers. I used to spurn them, as sensational, though I like him, wish him well, etc., but they've gotten more interesting to me, as the series goes on. But never mind, that's not the point.
Our lab was a comfortable place where a lot of work happened but we also talked together in the meantime. He maintained a desk in the main lab, and one day he told about... how he got back at the people at the loud party.

He had been up way past midnight writing a medical paper. Let's say 2:30 a.m., due at work at, say, 9 a.m. He couldn't concentrate for the party going on. He asked at least twice for quiet, I think by phone, hard to remember now. The party only got louder.... and louder.

He put speakers in his windows, and set his stereo to play the cannon part of the 1812 at high volume at 5 a.m., or so. In retrospect from my point of view, this was not good for others in the building, but I thought it was great when I heard the story.

He fixed a timer. Yes, he was awake too, but mds just past residency years are used to that. Timer worked, the cannons went off, he pulled the stereos from windows, pulled curtains, there you go............ Cannon revenge.

Parts of this may be apochryphal in the telling.

Ahhhhhh, Colorbook, listening.

This thread is piquant.

There are so many possible choices, The Dust in The Wind is a powerful one, ones that I toy with - not sure of what I want include

Its the End of the World as we know it - REM
Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan
I'm almost with you - The Church
I did it my way - Frank Sinatra
Heat of the moment - Asia (Just loved that song)
Yesterday - Beatles
Its only the begining - Debra Conway
Non, Je ne regrette rien - Edith Piaf
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
Time of your life - Greenday (or Minority)
Closing Time - Semisonic
Die another Day - Madonna
Who wants to live forever - Queen
Too much Fandago - Ritz (Favourite song in my teens)
Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys

So many songs to chose from that had such strong meaning for me and some of which might just suit the occassion / mood!

The "March to the Scaffold" movement from Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique. That'll get'em all wondering!

Faure's Requiem. I sang it as a choirboy when I was about 12 and have never forgotten it.

In Paradisium is a delight - it transports me to a different place.

I don't really believe in God (or heaven, etc.) so it would be more about the music than the words!

KP

Bye Bye Blackbird.

Gonna pack up all my cares and woe,
Here I go singin' low,
Bye bye blackbird.

Where somebody waits for me,
Sugar is sweet, so is he,
Bye bye blackbird.

No one here can love and understand me,
Oh what hard luck stories, they all hand me.

So make my bed and light the light,
I'll arrive late tonight,
Blackbird, bye bye.

I'm gonna pack up all my cares and woe,
Here I go singin' low,
Bye bye blackbird.

This is the song I want played at my funeral.
Written and performed by Don Henley.


The Heart of The Matter

I got the call today, I didn't wanna hear
But I knew that it would come
An old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
She said you'd found someone
And I thought of all the bad luck,
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love's open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?
I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again
I've been tryin' to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
And people filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age?
The trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness
They're the very things - we kill I guess
Pride and competition
Cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us
You know it doesn't keep me warm
I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you, baby
And the more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I'd figured out
I have to learn again
I've been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down you know they hurt your pride
You better put it all behind you baby; life goes on
You keep carryin' that anger; it'll eat you up inside, baby
I've been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thought seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me
I've been tryin' to get down
To the heart of the matter
Because the flesh will get weak
And the ashes will scatter
So I'm thinkin' about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

"I Can See Clearly Now" is my choice. I once heard it
played at an Easter service and it just struck me as a
perfect statement of what I believe.


I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

I don't know who wrote this choral piece, but I have always loved the music and the words, and the harmony was beautiful and simple:

All in the April evening,
April airs were abroad,
The sheep with their little lambs,
Passed me by on the road.

The sheep with their little lambs,
Passed me by on the road.
All in the April evening, I thought on the lamb of God.

The lambs were weary and crying,
With a weak human cry.
I thought on the lamb of God going meekly to die

Up from the blue blue mountains
Green green pastures are deep(I think)
Rest for the little bodies,
Rest for the little feet.

But for the lamb, the lamb of God
Up on the hillside steep,
Only a cross, a cross of shame,
Two stark crosses between.

All in the April evening
April aires were abroad.
I saw the sheep with their lambs,
And thought on the lamb of God

Heaven can wait Meat Loaf
Thank you for the days Kirsty Mccall
or almost any track by Eva Cassidy


I'm not sure which one I want played,I'll just wait and see how I feel on the day.

A piper playing "Carrick Fergus"

lemme ask if - if your an atheist or nonbeliever why have a funeral at all? And errr really why at all - if you your are a Christian - I'd rather see every trying to get there organs donated.

Then ........


shut-up now

husker-

Even though I mentioned a song, I probably won't have a funeral. Saying that, funerals are not only for the devout. There are many people who utilize funerals as a way of having closure with the deceased.

I have gone to many memorial services. The deceased had been buried previously. Later a group of friends and family get together to say a final goodbye, and to reminice about the person who is gone. Many of these memorials have not had a word of religion mentioned.

I would be pleased to donate any usable part. Problem is, they probably would not want them because of my medical background. But it is ok with me to use my body for medical studies.

I didn't mean to have you think I was knocking it, after all closure and remembrance can be a good thing - people need to grieve, and after that? I dunno a plot seems like a waste of $$

Personally, I would just as soon be cremated, and have my ashes thrown into my favorite lake, the one with all the wildlife. My husband wants us to be cremated, and put into a niche in a national cemetary. That is ok with me too.