Now I have actually been to a number of funerals, where the dead ones had requested that a particular song to be played. Strange, but not unusual (in a Tom Jones sort of way). You're dead - you don't have to listen to the shit anyway.
It did not surprise me at all to find out that Frank Sinatra's - My Way was the most requested song at funerals. I mean, to hear Old Blue Eyes burbling on about "The end is near...blah, blah, my way, blah, blah" - yeah, what a fitting send off that is (he said sarcastically).
BUT, this was 10 years ago now and now I find out Frank has been replaced by some dirge from James Blunt, whose surname rhymes with a word that I would use to describe him - and yes, it begins with a 'C'.
Curiosity killed the twat and so I looked for the top ten songs most requested at funerals (being Gothic and stuff) - and here they are (some are obvious, some not so obvious):
- Goodbye My Lover, James Blunt
- Angels, Robbie Williams
- I've Had the Time of My Life, Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley
- Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler
- Pie Jesu, Requiem
- Candle in the Wind, Elton John
- With or Without You, U2
- Tears from Heaven, Eric Clapton
- Every Breath You Take, The Police
- Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers
Then I started thinking, if I had to pick a song as my carcass burned and people laughed, what would I want the song in the background to be? It took awhile to narrow it down to one track but it would be:
The End - The Doors
So what would your choice be?
28 comentarios:
i did tell you, but here's a reminder:
the show must go on - queen
jerusalem - dunno
btw, my way was originally by claude françois. not many people know that.
At my grandfather's funeral, we played the music he heard every morning standing in his 'wheelhouse' kitchen - the BBC's Radio 4 medley that starts the day. Unfortunately we did not realise until halfway through that it includes "Danny Boy". There were no words to describe the wave of horror that swept through Lympstone Church. It was a good thing my father had foreseen an open bar at the wake.
I want 'It is done' from Peter Gabriel's Passion Mass. The one with the bells. It's about hope and resurrection.
And Arab women going ullalalalalalalalalalalalala. It's really very stirring.
lightening crashes-by live.
love that song.
Ya know, I don't think I'd want a bunch of sad songs to make people cry. I'd rather have a lot of songs that I'd liked my whole life... and long ones, so they'd have to sit a long time...
In A Gadda Da Vida
Layla
Johnny B Goode
The entire Rolling Stones catalog except for "Angie"
The entire Aerosmith catalog
ZZ Top's Greatest Hits
Bob Seger's Greatest Hits
Then finish up with: Stairway to Heaven
Queen.
Another one bites the dust...
Alternatively, I may write a little ditty called 'Taxi for the Tippler'.
Then again, what about this?
'Suicide is painless. So I smoked 60 fags-a-day instead and died of cancer. Which hurt.'
Or something.
Zoe, Claude's words aren't the same though.
'Comme d'habitude' it goes, etc. I know this because Winneker always sings it on karaoke nights.
Always look on the bright side of life!!
Every breath you take - The Police?!l
How scary is that. I would be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life if I heard that at a funeral.
Mine would probably be 'Perfect Day' by Lou Reed.
Zoe -> I know but I get so forgetful if you mention royalty or any of their hanger-on freaks
Aunty -> What's wrong with Danny Boy? Was your grandfather a shepherd?
Kimmy -> Live? hmmm
Sewmouse -> with you apart from ZZ Top (how can you have a band with big beards and the only one without one is called Frank Beard?)
Tippler -> I can't believe you brought potatoes into this - MASH I ask you....
JG -> That'll be you fantasizing about Brian again
Doris -> If, as was the question, it was your funeral, you wouldn't be looking anywhere on account of a small matter called 'being dead'
Aww, c'mon Goth! How could you not like having "Pearl Necklace" or "Tube Snake Boogie" at your funeral??? *laughing*
Yeah Live SG. Never heard of 'em? Really? Oh. Might I suggest listening to THROWING COPPER. Good tunes.
i'm sorry, i'm not gonna let go of the fact that you were watching Love Actually [which, is quite a great film] for a while.
goth, all tucked up in cozy blankets and a pint of ben and jerry's [you said you were trying to get in touch with your femme side...] touching himself when allen rickman thinks about diddling his little secretary, while his wife cries over joni mitchell.
are you trying to study before our lessons?
I'd want something completely inappropriate played- maybe something along the lines of Patricia the Stripper, or the Old Black Rum.
There's two ways it would go. If I'm completely honest, it'd be 'In the Mood' by Glenn Miller. I just like it and it's a bit jolly. If I was feeling a bit pissed off when making my request, it'd be the longest version of 'The Final Countdown' I could find. That'd teach the bastards to annoy me.
'Remember my name' from Dido and Aeneas.
If that's too poncey - Kossoff playing 'Alright now!'
or Bill Wither's 'Lovely Day' but the first best.
Disco Inferno - The Trammps
I've always said "Spirit In the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum...mostly cuz it would piss of my mother to have a "rock" song blasting at my funeral, but then I thought, shit...what if I outlive my mother? Oh well...good thing I like the song...
Stacie
Sewmouse -> me having 'pearl neckace' - nah, more of a giving person
Kimmy -> Of course I've heard of them just not really my taste
Yorlor -> I like Love Actually but not so keen on Ben & Jerrys - still, I'm open to education
Princess -> Well I was thinking f another Doors track - Show me the way to the next whisky bar
Tom -> I used to have the Final Countdown as the ring tone on my phone for exactly the same reason ;-)
Pat -> I quite like Dido but I'm not sure I'd want her playing at my funeral
Chopski -> nice choice
Stacie -> Spirit in the Sky, rock? Not in Goth World it isn't
I meant if I heard it played at someone else's funeral! It's a creeepy song anyway but if a dead person was watching my every move etc. it would be even worse.
Sympathy For The Devil
Doris -> I see your point now - would make quite an interesting post
Peach -> Excellent choice my dear but the Stones version or the GNR one?
Come on, Doris, you know it'll be "You'll Never Walk Alone" ! I'd like "Ernie, the fastest milkman in the West" by Benny Hill. It does end on a death and the protagonist going to heaven.
Daphne -> an interesting choice, at least you didn't pick that song where he chases all the women ;-)
'Fuck it Up' (Towers of London)
After all, they're bound to get something majorly wrong.
Besides that, it'll really piss the vicar off...
Nice choice Mr X and I particularly like the pissing vicar off bit :))
I had a Great Uncle who had them play 'Do Ye Ken John Peel'which got everyone smiling.
My son wants 'Wish You Were Here' by Incubus.
Brother Tobias -> I can well imagine the Peel song put a smile on people's faces
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