What music would you like played at YOUR funeral?

[Tony Walker]

As this is Halloween, my thoughts turn, naturally enough, to death. As both I and my wife (the Amazon Queen) have left our bodies for medical experimentation, there'll be none of that all-American ghoulish practice of propping the coffin lid open to take a peek at the corpse. I never quite figured out the reasons behind this - didn't you see enough of the person when they were alive?

No, we'll be carted off to some medical school, where no doubt our heads will be removed so that would-be plastic surgeons can practice their face lifting techniques. Our bodies and limbs will be sliced and diced, and when they've done all they can, any bits that are left over will be cremated and returned (presumably) to our daughter.

It's then that I'd like to have some sort of a memorial service - no god-botherers allowed there - where any surviving friends can get together over a few drinks and (hopefully) remember the good times we all had.

However, for you who are of a more traditional bent, perhaps you'd like a regular-style funeral, with mindless chanting by a priest, parson, rabbi, imam, medicine man, or some other type of shaman. So, what music would you like to have played as your box is carried out to the burying ground, or when the coffin slides behind the curtains at the crematorium?

Me? I'd like to hear Gracie Fields singing an old 1930s song, "Wish me Luck as you Wave me Goodbye".

How about you?

PLEASE, don't just give song or music titles; let us know the reasons behind your choices - you are supposed to be writers, are you not?

[Jon Lopes]

I can understand that, only I have just recently gotten into Frank Sinatra in the last Couple of years so he is still a little new to me. I'll think of another one.

Tony Walker said:

Jon Lopes said, "As for this discussion, I would want Frank Sinatra's "My Way". Hmm, I've lost count of the number of people who've said that's what they want played at their funeral. To me, it shows a certain lack of imagination - but that's just my opinion. A Church of England vicar was recently quoted as saying that if he had to listen to it again, he'd run screaming down the aisle of his church!

Also, as a 'by the way', I'm not sure if it's entirely legal to quote the whole lyrics of the song without attribution.

[Blindogg]

How did I miss this discussion? I must have been out Trick-or-Treating...

Anyway - the first song that leaps to my mind is the Beatles song "In My Life"

Even though in the song Lennon sings to "you" I prefer to see it as the collective "you" as in all of you.

I love life and I pretty much love everyone in my life (some more than others) so I would leave this song as a tribute to them. Sort of my way (no pun intended) of saying "Thank you for making my life what it was."

Of course after that I would naturally want it to be followed with "Dear God" by XTC..."Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones and "Shanty" by Jonathan Edwards (if you don't know it - you should, it's a great song.)

That's all I got.