Songs to Play at My Own Funeral: Timeless Gems to Make Farewells Uniquely My Own
Have you ever thought, “If they play a song at my own funeral, I’d like it to be this one”? Some of you may also have felt, “I want to send off someone precious to me with this song.” In this article, we’ve gathered songs that are perfect for playing at your own funeral or for expressing gratitude to those who have supported you until now.
From massive hits to little-known gems, we’ve selected a wide range of tracks.
If you’re looking for music to color a final farewell, please use this as a reference.
- [Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Spotlight on Requiems and Dirges Praying for Peace
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- [Thank-You Song] A song to convey your feelings of “thank you” to someone special
- [Memorial Song] A moving classic and love song dedicated to a beloved person embarking on a journey to heaven
- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
- A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
- Masterpieces of requiems and dirges
- Songs that Teach the Value of Life | A Collection of Masterpieces Celebrating the Wonder of Living
- Masterpieces that sing about various lives. Recommended popular songs.
- [Classic and Contemporary Hits] Emotionally Stirring, Heart-Touching Songs
- Love, bonds, parting, cheers… songs so moving they pierce the heart and make you cry uncontrollably
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
Songs to Play at My Funeral | Timeless Gems to Color Your Farewell in Your Own Way (1–10)
NonfictionHirai Ken
This is a song by Ken Hirai that powerfully voices the pain and sense of defeat in life.
Its striking lyrics reflect on a lost friend and question the meaning of living.
Released in June 2017, it was also used as the theme song for TBS’s Sunday drama “Little Giant.” Set in a nighttime amusement park, the music video beautifully fuses Hirai’s vocals with a dancer’s performance.
Expressing life, death, and the emotions that sway in between, this piece is a song that gently accompanies those facing a final farewell.
The Final RiverCHEMISTRY
Saigo no Kawa, CHEMISTRY’s 22nd single released in 2007.
The song was the theme for the film The Elephant’s Back, which portrays family love through the story of a protagonist who has been given a terminal prognosis.
Both the original story of the film and the song’s lyrics were written by Yasushi Akimoto, and the lyrics, which link closely with the story, are deeply moving.
While songs in remembrance of the deceased often reflect the feelings of those left behind, this one depicts the feelings of the person who has passed away, the one who set off on the journey first.
Thank youikimonogakari
This is the 18th single by Ikimono-gakari, a two-person band that made their major debut after performing street lives and is known for having tie-ins for all their A-side singles since debut.
Written as the theme song for the NHK morning drama Gegege no Nyobo, it is one of Ikimono-gakari’s signature tracks.
Its lyrics of gratitude, expressed in simple words that anyone can understand, can be taken as messages from those left behind to the departed, and from the departed to those who remain.
It’s a number that adds a bright touch to a funeral—seen as a new departure—while instilling a positive feeling.
Songs to Play at My Funeral: Timeless Gems to Personalize Your Farewell (11–20)
Happyaimyon
A farewell song that’s so very Aimyon, included on the album “Ai o Tsutaetai da toka.” It portrays the feelings of standing before the coffin where a beloved person rests.
Even though the melody isn’t overtly sad, it’s a song that makes your heart ache.
Losing someone you love first is so hard.
On one hand, you feel you have to keep living properly on your own; on the other, as the final lines of the song express, the desire to stay together forever overflows.
It’s a track that somehow feels nostalgic and brings back memories of someone precious.
White lilies on my birthdayFukuyama Masaharu
Masaharu Fukuyama’s 13th single, “On Your Birthday, Pure White Lilies,” was released in 2013.
The song depicts a scene of visiting someone who has passed away every year on their birthday, bringing white lilies.
For those who have lost a father or mother, this song will surely strike a deep chord.
It conveys gratitude for having been born, reflecting on and looking back at one’s younger self.
It is also recommended as a song to express thanks to those who will send you off after you’re gone.
A song dedicated to my belovedKuwata Keisuke
Keisuke Kuwata, who suits the summer and the sea so well.
Although this song expresses feelings for a loved one who has passed away and is no longer here, it still has a refreshing quality—very characteristic of Kuwata.
“A Song Dedicated to My Beloved” is included on Kuwata’s third best-of album, “I LOVE YOU -now & forever-,” released in 2012.
It’s a song that makes you inevitably think of someone important, and the tears begin to fall naturally.
Even if I’m not there.Hirai Dai
Gaining widespread support for its storytelling, “Even If I’m Not Here.” It tells the story of a man who is about to pass away writing a letter to a child he has yet to meet.
Most of the lyrics are composed as the text of that letter, filled with messages cheering the child on until they grow up.
Pay special attention to the final line, which ties in with the song’s title.
Since the song never explicitly states who the letter is addressed to, it’s also appealing that listeners can reinterpret the parent–child relationship as a romantic one or a friendship, making it easier to empathize.
