Funereal Music

[Twelvetrees 10]

I have mine all picked out, great dirge by my favourite singer (sorry Lady G. - Fish comes a close second), Peter Hammill

 

 

Holy mother of God and all the saints - there are other Peter Hammill fans amidst this madness! I'd prefer the ever cheerful take on immortality that is Van der Graaf Generator's "Still Life" - it makes death seem the better option.

 

http://www.lyricsdomain.com/22/van_der_gra...still_life.html

 

Either that or Siegfried's Funeral March by Wagner.

[Godot 148]

Holy mother of God and all the saints - there are other Peter Hammill fans amidst this madness! I'd prefer the ever cheerful take on immortality that is Van der Graaf Generator's "Still Life" - it makes death seem the better option.

 

http://www.lyricsdomain.com/22/van_der_gra...still_life.html

 

Either that or Siegfried's Funeral March by Wagner.

 

More still, Hammill lives. This is why I love this site. I might go for VdG Refugees (http://www.lyricsdomain.com/22/van_der_graaf_generator/refugees.html), particularly the last few verses:

 

West is where all days will someday end;

where the colours turn from grey to gold,

and you can be with the friends.

And light flakes the golden clouds above all;

West is Mike and Susie,

West is where I love.

 

There we shall spend our final days of our lives;

tell the same old stories: yeah well,

at least we tried.

Into the West, smiles on our faces, we'll go;

oh, yes, and our apologies to those

who'll never really know the way.

 

We're refugees, walking away from the life

that we've known and loved;

nothing to do or say, nowhere to stay;

now we are alone.

We're refugees, carrying all we own

in brown bags, tied up with string;

nothing to think, it doesn't mean a thing,

but we'll be happy on our own.

West is Mike and Susie;

West is where I love,

West is refugees' home.

[BrunoBrimley 83]

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean.... by Blind Lemon Jefferson

 

Well, there's one kind of favor I'll ask of you

Well, there's one kind of favor I'll ask of you

There's just one kind of favor I'll ask of you

You can see that my grave is kept clean

 

And there's two white horses following me

And there's two white horses following me

I got two white horses following me

Waiting on my burying ground

 

Did you ever hear that coffin' sound

Have you ever heard that coffin' sound

Did you ever hear that coffin' sound

Means another poor boy is under ground

 

Did you ever hear them church bells tone

Have you ever hear'd them church bells tone

Did you ever hear them church bells tone

Means another poor boy is dead and gone

 

Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold

And, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold

Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold

Now I believe what the bible told

 

There's just one last favor I'll ask of you

And there's one last favor I'll ask of you

There's just one last favor I'll ask of you

See that my grave is kept clean

 

__________

Note: Blind Lemon Jefferson's most famous folk song contains a wish that has been fulfilled by some of his many admirers. A group of contemporary artists came together to get him a new headstone. The grave is in the segregated section of the Wortham, Texas, cemetery on Highway 14, some 85 miles south of Dallas.

[Guest Guest]

If You Don't Want To F_ck Me Baby, F_ck Off - Jane County And The Electric Chairs.

[BrunoBrimley 83]

If You Don't Want To F_ck Me Baby, F_ck Off - Jane County And The Electric Chairs.

Would that be Gas Chamber music?

[philglossop 0]

my first ever post, but couldn't resist this.

 

If a Heart attack gets me, I want Heartbreaker by Dionne Warwick

 

[Magere Hein 1,397]

my first ever post, but couldn't resist this.

 

If a Heart attack gets me, I want Heartbreaker by Dionne Warwick

 

Such horrible taste.

 

Welcome to DeathList Forum, philglossop, where bad taste is not a deadly sin.

 

regards,

Hein

[Lady Grendel 137]

If You Don't Want To F_ck Me Baby, F_ck Off - Jane County And The Electric Chairs.

 

I hardly think anyone would want to F*ck you if you are dead, unless you are playing this for Jimmy Savile's benefit?

[Slave to the Grave 22]

How about a stripper to interpret your choice of music in an artistic way....and to swell the congregation.

[in eternum+ 20]

How about a stripper to interpret your choice of music in an artistic way....and to swell the congregation.

As well as ordering an end to the practice, officials have also said residents can report "funeral misdeeds" on a hotline, earning a reward for information.

I wonder what else might qualify as a 'funeral misdeed'.

[BrunoBrimley 83]

Looking at this topic title I am forced to wonder...is there inappropriate funeral music? Would that perhaps, perchance, perwhatever be better suited for a new topic all of its own and will Barnshoes ever post again?

[Banshees Scream 107]

and will Barnshoes ever post again?

 

Yes.

[BrunoBrimley 83]

and will Barnshoes ever post again?

 

Yes.

Oh goody! He's back...however his signature line is somewhat unclear...

[Tuber Mirum 119]

and will Barnshoes ever post again?

 

Yes.

Oh goody! He's back...however his signature line is somewhat unclear...

[Canadian Paul 93]

Jesus, I can't even escape my Arabic studies on this forum...

[The Pooka 24]

An acquaintance of mine plays the organ at the crem. Sometimes he only has to put a tape on. One day he had the task of selecting the right song from a compilation of songs that saw us through the war and then pressing 'Play'. The aim was that the departed would disappear to the tune of 'Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover'. However he cocked it up and while half of those gathered pissed themselves and half wept, the coffin disappeared to a raucous rendition of 'Roll out the Barrel'.

 

Brilliant! It could have only been surpassed by the song being Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes.'

 

Or possibly the Crazy World of Arthur Brown's 'Fire.'

 

 

Although I doubt either of those would have been on a compilation of songs that saw us through the war...

Just to pick this up - Arthur Brown has just been on South Today. Despite the ravages of male pattern baldness, Arthur is entirely recognisable as Polydor's pyromaniac star of yesteryear. I believe that he is to reform the Crazy World and may well be available for the 'odd' cremation.

[Anubis the Jackal 76]

A guy I know who runs a club in Brighton decided to get Arthur Brown to appear. His appearance fee went up by a couple of hundred quid if they wanted him to include the famous 'helmet of fire' in his act. Needless to say the club coughed up, and Mr Brown was a roaring success by all accounts

 

[The Pooka 24]

A guy I know who runs a club in Brighton decided to get Arthur Brown to appear. His appearance fee went up by a couple of hundred quid if they wanted him to include the famous 'helmet of fire' in his act. Needless to say the club coughed up, and Mr Brown was a roaring success by all accounts

 

So that may not be male pattern baldness - just scar tissue.

[Rotten Ali 599]

Find it strange that no ones said that the old Norman Greenboumb (or what ever his name was) song "spirit in the sky" would be kind of suitable.

"When I die and they lay me to rest, I want'a go to the place that's the best."

etc. etc.

Who in their right mind want's to put a durge out to their friends and family? - that's just cruel!

[Tempus Fugit 212]

Most popular song played at UK funerals is no longer Angels, but James Blunts Goodbye My Lover

 

[maryportfuncity 10,017]

One album into his career that's a hell of an achievement for James Blunt.

 

I wonder how many people sit there at funerals envying the dead who've gone somewhere away from endless plays of 'You'er Beautiful' on the radio.

[in eternum+ 20]

Most popular song played at UK funerals is no longer Angels, but James Blunts Goodbye My Lover

 

TF - by no means do I question your sources. However, given the demographics of those dying at the moment, I would assume the most popular funereal song to be Sinatra's I Did it My Way. Bit of a cliche of course, but then most older people are.

[maryportfuncity 10,017]

That's solid research IE, I think the result is skewed because it only counts the songs requested. The most popular music of all will be one of a number of stock classics or hymns but since these are either held on CD in the crematoria and/or played by the organist they were outside this survey. The cliched oldsters probably go that route rather than raiding their CD collections, assuming they have CD collections.

[Tempus Fugit 212]

Most popular song played at UK funerals is no longer Angels, but James Blunts Goodbye My Lover

 

TF - by no means do I question your sources. However, given the demographics of those dying at the moment, I would assume the most popular funereal song to be Sinatra's I Did it My Way. Bit of a cliche of course, but then most older people are.

You're quite right to be sceptical ie+, I never believe the BBC on these crucial matters.

[in eternum+ 20]

That's solid research IE, I think the result is skewed because it only counts the songs requested. The most popular music of all will be one of a number of stock classics or hymns but since these are either held on CD in the crematoria and/or played by the organist they were outside this survey. The cliched oldsters probably go that route rather than raiding their CD collections, assuming they have CD collections.

My goodness! How quickly they (aka I) forget! It didn't even occur to me t actually click on the link...

 

So I see this election of song is referring to the choices alive people are currently making about the future. I guess that makes sense, then. Of course, the question that arises in my mind is: how many of these 51% answered that they wanted Angels played if and/or when they were asked the same question a few years ago? Fickle bastards.

 

As you noted, mpfc, there is a significant margin for error in these stats (how typical of the news media to propagate skewed facts to fit a snappy headline!). My own experience suggests that funereal music requests are typically made by the bereaved to the funeral director, who then arranges things appropriately. Let's not forget that in such matters the dead have no rights, so even if I die and request a specific funeral song in my will or in pre-need arragements, immediate family members can override that decision if they so choose.

 

[Edit:

You're quite right to be sceptical ie+, I never believe the BBC on these crucial matters.

TF - is it possible I'm reading snarkiness and/or facaeciousness* in the tone of this post? Surely not, seeing as how you posted the link in the first place. Not my fault you elect to consume the biases of the news media.

 

*(Okay, I have no idea how to spell that, nor does Cambridge Dictionary Online. But you take my point I'm sure.)]