This is a really difficult one and one I am going to have to continue to contemplate and refine. Don't know if I can choose. However, as I've learned, no decision in the end is itself a decision.
Right now what comes to mind are:
Brendan's Death Song: Red Hot Chili Peppers
My Friends: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rivers and Roads: The Head and the Heart
Simple Gifts: Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss
Can't Stop: RHCP (again)
Just Breathe: Pearl Jam
The Weight: The Band
Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiró): Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (too much? maybe)
Anyway, great post Tyler. Kinda makes me want to have all the songs that have been mentioned on my list as well! I might want to add some high energy fun stuff in there as well I think, depends on physical and mental state toward the end. Like who wouldn't want to hear The Boys are Back in Town?!
I saw PJ last Sept in Denver and early in the set Eddie Vedder pulled out the acoustic and played this song....with the keyboards kicking in half way through. Highlight of the evening (for me). I later checked the setlist and compared it to others and he hadn't played that song live since before COVID. I was lucky. I think I'd have that one on my hospice playlist!
Just Breathe. So good. That's really cool that you got that song and it hadn't been on the playlist recently! I love the Willie Nelson version, too. It features his son Lukas Nelson. A person song for Willie's aging voice.
Great songs, Beau. Thanks for sharing. Not surprised to see so much RHCP from you. And The Weight...of course! I think the on-the-nose Andrea Bocelli/Sarah Brightman tune may be just right. Depends. I can understand wondering if it’s too much. For instance, I wouldn’t want something as obvious as Boys II Men “It’s so Hard to Say Goodbye” or something like that. But for some folks, that might be perfect.
I love the thought of some uptempo tunes, too. Thin Lizzy strikes again!
I don't collect records - mostly b/c I'm afraid of the time and money I'll sink into it. My memories of albums were listening to my parents albums in the mid '70s. Englebart Humperdinck, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Linda Rostand, Star Wars.
As for my "deathlist" I've got a really weird one that I want played at my funeral/wake/memorial/or "on my way out":
The outro to Runaway by Kanye West.
I feel like it's Kanye West at his most vulnerable moment and somehow its universal....he is so misunderstood and no matter how hard he tries and the more and more he tries...the more distorted his words become and he never gets through to the listener.......but somehow, through this distortion of pleading and crying into the vocoder he is able to convey extreme emotion with notes of absolute greatness.
There is just something transcendent to this song that I'm not able to put in to words either.
I once told my daughter that this is the song I want played at my funeral and she immediately burst into tears.....at the thought....and at the emotion of the song....and now she can't listen to it.
That song is really powerful stuff. The outro...it's bonkers. So distorted. So strained. So sad sounding. Your poor sweet daughter! What a response.
I hope your funeral is many decades from now. And even if it's not an official part of the service, I hope that those who love you remember to play this song and smile thinking about you.
This is a really difficult one and one I am going to have to continue to contemplate and refine. Don't know if I can choose. However, as I've learned, no decision in the end is itself a decision.
Right now what comes to mind are:
Brendan's Death Song: Red Hot Chili Peppers
My Friends: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rivers and Roads: The Head and the Heart
Simple Gifts: Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss
Can't Stop: RHCP (again)
Just Breathe: Pearl Jam
The Weight: The Band
Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiró): Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (too much? maybe)
Anyway, great post Tyler. Kinda makes me want to have all the songs that have been mentioned on my list as well! I might want to add some high energy fun stuff in there as well I think, depends on physical and mental state toward the end. Like who wouldn't want to hear The Boys are Back in Town?!
Just Breathe - man, that's an amazing song.
I saw PJ last Sept in Denver and early in the set Eddie Vedder pulled out the acoustic and played this song....with the keyboards kicking in half way through. Highlight of the evening (for me). I later checked the setlist and compared it to others and he hadn't played that song live since before COVID. I was lucky. I think I'd have that one on my hospice playlist!
Just Breathe. So good. That's really cool that you got that song and it hadn't been on the playlist recently! I love the Willie Nelson version, too. It features his son Lukas Nelson. A person song for Willie's aging voice.
Great songs, Beau. Thanks for sharing. Not surprised to see so much RHCP from you. And The Weight...of course! I think the on-the-nose Andrea Bocelli/Sarah Brightman tune may be just right. Depends. I can understand wondering if it’s too much. For instance, I wouldn’t want something as obvious as Boys II Men “It’s so Hard to Say Goodbye” or something like that. But for some folks, that might be perfect.
I love the thought of some uptempo tunes, too. Thin Lizzy strikes again!
I don't collect records - mostly b/c I'm afraid of the time and money I'll sink into it. My memories of albums were listening to my parents albums in the mid '70s. Englebart Humperdinck, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Linda Rostand, Star Wars.
As for my "deathlist" I've got a really weird one that I want played at my funeral/wake/memorial/or "on my way out":
The outro to Runaway by Kanye West.
I feel like it's Kanye West at his most vulnerable moment and somehow its universal....he is so misunderstood and no matter how hard he tries and the more and more he tries...the more distorted his words become and he never gets through to the listener.......but somehow, through this distortion of pleading and crying into the vocoder he is able to convey extreme emotion with notes of absolute greatness.
There is just something transcendent to this song that I'm not able to put in to words either.
I once told my daughter that this is the song I want played at my funeral and she immediately burst into tears.....at the thought....and at the emotion of the song....and now she can't listen to it.
Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKH02u-2I_Q
That song is really powerful stuff. The outro...it's bonkers. So distorted. So strained. So sad sounding. Your poor sweet daughter! What a response.
I hope your funeral is many decades from now. And even if it's not an official part of the service, I hope that those who love you remember to play this song and smile thinking about you.
That’s such and amazing idea that you had and put into practice!!!
Your question is difficult. My initial thought is a medley of Beatles songs: Let It Be, Blackbird, In My Life, With A Little Help From My Friends.
But I’m sure there is so much more that I’d want for the final soundtrack.
Can’t go wrong with Beatles. How about Norwegian Wood and I Will?
Both great options. They just have too many to choose from.