Funeral Songs
If you are looking for the right song for a funeral or memorial service, this is the master list. The songs below are the ones families and funeral directors return to most often, grouped so you can find the one that fits the person and the service.
The songs
Suggested in no particular order — choose what fits them best.
Amazing Grace
The single most chosen song at funeral services in the US and UK. Works sung by the congregation, as a soloist piece, or on bagpipes.
Wind Beneath My Wings
A near-universal choice for a parent's service. The lyric is about the quiet, supporting love of someone who shaped a life.
How Great Thou Art
A standard Christian hymn. Strong choice for older generations and traditional services.
Tears in Heaven
Eric Clapton wrote this after losing his son. Quiet, acoustic, suited to a smaller service.
You Raise Me Up
Recognisable and uplifting. Often used at the end of the service or during the slideshow.
Hallelujah
Widely used across both religious and non-religious services.
Time to Say Goodbye
Powerful for the recessional. The build of the piece carries the room through the moment of parting.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Gentle, hopeful, and a frequent slideshow choice.
On Eagle's Wings
One of the most recognised Catholic funeral pieces.
Be Not Afraid
A familiar Catholic memorial choice, with a direct and reassuring text.
Ave Maria
A long-standing choice for Catholic and traditional Christian services, usually performed by a soloist.
In My Life
Warm and simple. Works for a parent, grandparent, or close friend.
Songbird
Short, beautiful, and easy to follow. The lyric reads as a love letter to whoever it is sung for.
Fields of Gold
Soft, pastoral imagery — fits services with an outdoor or country feel.
What a Wonderful World
Warm, recognisable, and a common closer for slideshows.
I'll Be Seeing You
A favourite for older generations. The phrasing speaks directly to memory keeping a person present.
Photograph
Pairs naturally with a photo slideshow.
Supermarket Flowers
Written by Ed Sheeran for his grandmother's service. Quiet and specific.
See You Again
A common choice when younger family members are involved.
I Will Always Love You
Either version works depending on the service. Dolly's is gentler; Whitney's carries a larger room.
If Tomorrow Never Comes
A country standard at funerals. The lyric is about making sure people know they were loved.
The Dance
Reframes a difficult ending as worth the life that came before it.
I Hope You Dance
Often chosen for a mother's service. Reads as advice from a parent to a child.
Humble and Kind
Used when the family wants to highlight values rather than loss.
Go Rest High on That Mountain
Written after Vince Gill lost his brother. Widely used in the US South.
When I Get Where I'm Going
Country with a clear spiritual reading. Works for services blending both.
Angels
Among the most chosen songs at UK funerals.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
A song about being held up by another person — fits a parent, partner, or close friend.
Spirit in the Sky
Often chosen when the family wants the service to end on a confident note.
I Can Only Imagine
A modern Christian standard for memorials. Frames the moment of arrival in heaven.
Here Comes the Sun
Used for celebrations of life and outdoor services.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
A familiar choice when the family wants a softer, less formal moment.
Lean on Me
Often sung at memorials for community-focused people.
Stand by Me
Warm and recognisable. Good for a recessional or wake.
My Way
Chosen when the person lived life on their own terms. Common at celebrations of life.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
An unconventional but increasingly common pick. Used when the family wants to send people out with a smile.
Three Little Birds
Light, warm, and reassuring. Fits outdoor or celebration-of-life services.
Hymn to the Fallen
An instrumental piece often chosen for veterans and military services.
Nimrod
From the Enigma Variations. A long-standing UK funeral choice, especially for traditional services.
Pie Jesu
Frequently sung by a soloist or choir during a sacred service.
Still nothing feels right?
If no existing song captures who them was, we'll write one. Original lyrics built around your stories, them's name, and the things you loved.
How to pick a funeral song
There is no formula. Most families arrive at the right pick by thinking about a few things at once:
- What did they actually listen to? The song from the kitchen radio often lands harder than a 'correct' funeral song.
- What is the service? A traditional church service leans toward hymns. A celebration of life leans toward songs from their life. A graveside service tends toward shorter, simpler pieces.
- Where in the service? Entrance, communion, slideshow, and recessional reward different moods. Many families pair two songs — one traditional for the religious portion, one personal for the slideshow.
- Who is in the room? A song that means everything to you may not land for an older generation, and vice versa. The right song is often the one that connects the most people in the room to the person being remembered.
When you cannot find the right song
Some people do not fit a list. The relationship was too specific, or the songs everyone suggests feel borrowed. That is the reason we write original funeral songs — one piece, written for one person, produced and delivered by email.
Share who they were and what you want the song to feel like. We write and produce the song, then send the finished file. Standard delivery is three days; rush delivery is twenty-four hours.
Questions families ask
Other ideas
- Funeral songs for MomSee suggestions →
- Funeral songs for DadSee suggestions →
- For the older generationSee suggestions →
- Country funeral songsSee suggestions →
- Christian funeral songsSee suggestions →
- Uplifting funeral songsSee suggestions →
- Modern funeral songsSee suggestions →
- Best funeral songsSee suggestions →
Write a song just for them.
Share who them was — the stories, the things you loved — and we'll write and produce an original song with them at the heart of it.