So everyone's had at least one say as to what thier favorite "feel-good" songs are. What about the songs that make you cry. More specifically, the song you want played at your wedding, and the song you want played at your funeral. For my wedding - The Wonder of You by Elvis My funeral - Little Wing by Stevie Ray Vaughn ( I actually have a whole soundtrack list for my funeral, including Talkin' to my Angel by Melissa Etheridge, and My Way by Sinatra ) Also it depends on the weather. If the sun is shining, skip Little Wing, and use the theme to Gone With the Wind. What's your list??

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Answers

There's a hymn and/or spiritual song called (I think) "For the Beauty of the Earth" that I want at my funeral. I last heard it on the soundtrack for the Winona version of Little Women. I also heard Judy Collins singing it somewhere, but durned if I can find it on any of her albums.

When The Husband-Type Man and I got married, I was surprised that there was one particular song I HAD to have. Totally banal choice, but I still love it.... "The Wedding Song," by Paul Stookey. Yeah, yeah, here're your barf bags.

We actually had that playing during a candle-lighting ceremony at our wedding, in which the whole congregation passed candles around. I remember that was the one Moment during the wedding where I got to stand still and observe something deeply moving and spiritual happening. It was really special.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

'Follow you, Follow me' by Phil Collins makes me weep. 'In Your Eyes' by Peter Gabriel does the same. Anything by Nina Simone makes me very sad. And there is one song by (I hate to even say it) Donna Summer, but I don't know the name of it something about an old shoe and knowing someone all their life, like that... I could cry for hours.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

My uncle has always, ALWAYS said that he wants a banjo to play at his funeral because there is no such thing as a sad banjo and he doesn't want us sad. If you can get past the whole "Deliverance" thing that the poor banjo's got, he's right. Banjos are happy, people!

And, a little off topic, but cheesiest wedding song I've ever heard of had to be at a wedding my friend went to...they walked in (or out? Can't remember, doesn't really matter.) to "We Go Together" from Grease. Makes you want to just gag, don't it?

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

I want my funeral to be fun, so I think "Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead" would be a fun snappy tune to have sung.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

For my funeral, I want that "Just a Gigolo" song. You know, the one that goes something like,

But EVERYBODY knows, that you're JUST a gigolo! And LIFE goes on, without you!

A snappy, stylish end to a snappy, stylish life.

ps: please not the Van Halen version.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Nick and I walked back down the aisle to "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morrisette. We had been planning it for a while, mostly because of the line, You're the best listener that I've ever met, you're my best friend...best friend with benefits...what took me so long?

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

I sing in a choir, and traditionally choristers who get married can usually persuade friends to come and sing for them. I want 'I Was Glad' at my wedding (can't remember who by), and at my funeral, Pink Floyd's 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' and Lotti's 'Crucifixus' (another choral piece). For some reason choral/classical seems to 'go' with such traditional ceremonies as weddings and funerals, although I'm not in the slightest religious.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

My two teary songs are Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler and Mr. Jones by Counting Crows. I think the second one is kind of pathetic but it really does make me cry. I love that song but I think about the words and the feelings. As you can tell it doesn't take a lot to make me sad. Wind Beneath My Wings now just reminds me of Beaches and how they sing it at the end where she dies.

Ugh I am too weepy for words.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Songs don't usually make me burst out in a fit of tears. If one was going to, it would probably be "We Don't Need Nobody Else" by Whipping Boy ("Consider this as the wine takes hold"). As for funeral music, I'll figure that out when the time comes. Lead contender there, though, would probably be the unfinished Contrapunctus from Bach's Art of Fugue as played by Glenn Gould. Not specifically religious, of course, but unspeakably beautiful.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

i want my song to be in the worst taste possible. i mean, if i die of cancer, i want 'the cancer song' by the doug anthony allstars ('..then her uterus prolapsed, ooh, look, mummy's grown a tail..'). and i at least want 'the happy phantom' by tori amos somewhere ('..and if i die today i'll be the happy phantom, and i'll go chasin' the nuns out in the yard..'). i haven't thought about weddings. truthfully, the idea of a wedding depresses me more than the idea of a funeral (i'm a taoist, i believe in reincarnation, that's not as morbid as it sonds). i guess 'bachelorette' and 'joga' by bjork would have to be in there, as well as 'i cover the waterfront' by billie holliday.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Wedding: There's a Tom Waits song that goes "you're cold and you're cruel but I'm blind...but I don't want you catching your death of cold out walking in the rain." It's a sad song but man would it be better than the Dan Fogelberg crap friends of mine had at their nuptuals.

Funeral: The hands down winner is They Might Be Giants off of Flood- "So it's over and I'm dead and I haven't done everything that I want or I'm still alive and there's nothing for me to do.." It's a jaunty little ditty, but it always makes me cry.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Ok... schlock ahead...

The wedding song that makes me blubber like a toddler is unquestionably Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." I danced with my dad to that song at my wedding, and I get all teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Ironically, the song that I'd like played for my funeral is one that I just sang a few weeks ago at my cousin's wedding: Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu." It's an absolutely stunning duet for two sopranos, and I had a devil of a time singing it without crying at the wedding.

The reason I say "ironically" is 'cause the Pie Jesu (pee-yay yes-sue, not Jesus Pie, as my ever-witty husband calls it) is from LW's Requiem. Translated, the latin is something like, "Merciful Jesus, who takest away the sins of the world, grant them rest, grant them eternal rest." I dunno about you but that text just SCREAMS wedding to me, no?

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

So I started thinking about this, and realized there's one choice for each that immediately comes to mind. For the funeral, which is a lot more likely than a wedding in my future, it would be the Smiths, 'Asleep' - which never fails to make me stop and think about the ends of things.

The wedding song that came to mind was Bill Pritchard's 'We Were Lovers', The line, "I never knew talking could be so touching, and walking through Presto's pricecheck, so perfect" sort of sums up the whole idea that the person you want to spend the rest of your life with has to make even the most mundane activity sublime.

Now I have to listen to that album...

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

We actually had this discussion at work the other day. Though I don't have a wedding song (since I'm not getting married), I said my funeral songs would be:

"Angel Band" by Emmylou Harris "Farther Along" by Dolly Parton, Linda Rondstadt and Emmylou Harris

and, just when everybody was about to wander away at the end, the strains of the Temptations' "My Girl" would waft across the graveyard.

No really. Can't you just see everybody's faces?

Dum dum dum dum dum dum Dum dum dum dum dum dum I got sunshi-eyine on a cloudy day When it's cold outside I got the month of May ...

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Wedding: I'll Stand By You (The Pretenders) Funeral: Feed Jake (Pirates of the Mississippi)

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

my wedding song was roxy music's 'avalon'. at my funeral, for sure, leonard cohen's 'who by fire'

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

At my wedding, my father/daughter dance song was Puff the Magic Dragon. We were also supposed to do the Hokey Pokey (we got married during the Macarena craze, and I'd have no part of it), but the DJ never played it and I was to busy to remember it until weeks later. But maybe I'll make everyone do the Hokey Pokey at my funeral. That would be hilarious.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

I'm blanking on a wedding song.

But funeral? Got it down. You'll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

For my funeral: When I'm back on my feet again, by Michael Bolton

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Wedding song: would have to be two (we each get to pick one - I pick "At Last" by Etta James - that song just wrenches up something in me - its the melody, I guess. His song: "Don't want to miss a thing" by Aerosmith (don't laugh - its our song and ever time we hear it we slow dance to it and he will sing me the words in my ear) :)

Dance with Dad: "Cecelia" by Simon and Gurfunkle - because when I was a baby my dad and I used to dance to it in the living room as he played the record on the old hi five....I would have not even been 2 years old. I pick that cuz its funky and would bring back that memory for him :) I think he liked it because he'd replace "Cecelia" with "Shelagh" so it was a song about me (or so I thought at the time!)

Funeral: I don't know, to be honest.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

For my wedding, i want to dance with my hubby to "How 'Bout Us?" The chorus goes "Some people were made for each other, some people can hold it together, how 'bout us?" and so on.

For my funeral i have always said that i want "Amazing Grace" played on bagpipes. Not a CD of bagpipes. I want actual pipers there in their kilts.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Oh boy.

Funeral. There's a song by Green Day that I want played at my funeral. I don't know the title, but if you watched the last Seinfeld episode, you heard it. The last line is "I hope you had the time of your life". Every time I hear it I think it's the perfect song for a funeral.

Wedding. Um. Gosh. I like 'Grow Old Along With Me' by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and then there's Pacabel's Canon in D, which I always thought had to be my processional, and I do like 'The Wedding Song' (yes, I'm sappy). Up until recently I never really gave it all that much thought but suddenly I'm going to be planning a wedding and gee I guess I'd better think about this stuff, hmm?

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Wedding: I can think of a million, but I have to have Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin played at the reception

Funeral: Birds by Neil Young When you see me fly away without you... shadow on the things you know. Feathers fall around you, and show you the way to go. It's over.

Lauren

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

i haven't given any thought to this, though my mother has. at HER funeral, she wants her sister to play "wake up, little susie" by the everly brothers on the organ.

my mother's name is susan.

she has extremely poor taste.

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

The song I MUST have at my wedding is "Storybook Love", the theme from The Princess Bride. Instrumental for the ceremony and the words version for the dance.

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

OK - first of all, I have to say BRAVA to Wendy for bringing up Little Wing by Stevie Ray Vaughan. This is my husband's favorite song in the world, and while I don't like to think about it, I *will* make sure it gets played at his funeral. Every time I hear the song, I get chills, and I think what a terrible, horrible shame it was to lose Stevie so early - he was a man with a true gift and soul, unlike many I've heard. I mean - Clapton's cool and all, he has talent.. but Stevie had a gift. I'd put him right up there with Mozart.

Since I'm already married, I can share what music we had. Keep in mind I'm a musician myself, so I had strong preferences on our music selection. Our "down the aisle" song was Bach's Air on the G String. Our "return trip" tune was Vivaldi's Spring - both of these were done by string quartets. We had Malotte's The Lord's Prayer sung, and also One Hand, One Heart from West Side Story. Cheezy, I know, but hey, it's me :) As we were ushering guests out (cause receiving lines suck), we had sung Storybook Love from The Princess Bride. Our first dance was Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes - it's been 'our song' forever. I've sung Shania Twain's From This Moment On at several weddings, and a couple years ago, my friend and I sang The Flower Duet from Delibes' Lakme (an opera) for our best friend's wedding.

As far as my funeral, I guess I don't care, since I will be dead. I love the entire Mozart and Brahms Requiems, and the Webber Requiem is nice too. Procol Harem's Whiter Shade of Pale always reminds me of funerals (it's a long story).

The ultimate "feelgood" artist for me is Stevie Wonder. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours puts me into an instant good mood, whenever I hear it.

Currently I'm putting together some music compilations to relax me during childbirth, which is 2 months away. I have quite a few Chopin pieces on there, some Beethoven, The Flower Duet, a few Celtic tunes (think Titanic theme) and two of the most calming pieces ever written - Bach's So Sheep May Safely Graze done by a boy choir, and Faure's Pavane.

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

Hmmm.. Wedding: this sounds twisted but "Closer" by NIN ("...I wanna f*ck you like an animal...") is our joke song; otherwise "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith (possibly live as a favor... joe perry buys his guitars from my uncle) :) Maybe "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle just cuz... :)

Funeral: Amy has the right idea (wicked witch) :) But I plan on a celebration of my life rather than a funeral, as it's a much happier setting. In which case... Dance music! :)

Oh and Jenipurr: it's called "Dammit (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day :) (it was my class graduation song)

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

Oops I'm mistaken, it's called "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" and it's on the "Nimrod" album :)

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

I'm getting married on July 1st (just two weeks!!!) and the one song that we insisted on playing is Beloved One by Ben Harper. It such a beautiful song and he such a soulful voice, it's perfect. If you have never heard this song it is on his newest CD, "Burn to Shine".

You were meant for me, I believe you were sent to me from a dream, straight into my arms hold your body close to me, you mean the most to me we will keep each other safe from harm -from Beloved One by Ben Harper

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

The cheesy choice for my wedding song is hands-down "Rain or Shine" performed by Billie Holiday. Another one I've thought of is "Dance me to the End of Love" by Leonard Cohen. Actually I have a whole list of these in my "hope chest" along with crocheted tablecloths and ten sets of baby booties...just kidding. With my badass single attitude of late, a better choice might be "Ball and Chain"...

My funeral would be a much more important occasion, because I myself am so damn important. I've vacillated between the entire Requiem by Mozart, "Funeral for a Friend" by Elton John, "Vincent" by Don Mclean (I am a painter after all, and frequently prone to bouts of self- pity) and just plain ol' "Nearer my God to Thee" - string quartet, not organ, no singing. I'm not really religious but it would make my mom happy as well as being a reference to the untimely sinking of a great, memorable seagoing vessel. Because, yes, I AM that important. Yeah.....

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

Our wedding song was "You're The Best Thing" by The Style Council. For years, I thought it would be, "When I Fall In Love" by Nat King Cole, but a couple of weeks before the wedding, it suddenly didn't speak to me the same way as it had in the past.

I danced with my dad to "Moonlight Serenade" by Glenn Miller and with my father-in-law to "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" by Elvis (he's a huge Elvis fan).

I've already come close to my own funeral, so I've already thought about this and I've had the song picked out: "Since I Lost You" by Genesis.

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

I am so down with Mozart's "Requiem" at my funeral...totally dramatic and beautiful...

As far as my wedding (which is this August), I want Frank Sinatra played during the entire reception. Frank is romantic.

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

I just got married last week - we had a trio with flute, violin and cello and had a Bach cello partita while we said our vows - simple and lovely (I asked for a flute one, but given that we organised them the day before, they didn't have time to learn it). Miss punctuality, me.

Funeral - no question - "Into my arms" by Nick Cave - "I don't believe in an interventionist god/but I know darling that you do/and if I did I would kneel down and ask him/not to intervene when it came to you./Not to touch a hair on your head/ to leave you as you are/ and if he felt he had to direct you/ to direct you into my arms ..."

Just lovely.

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

At my wedding: SLAYER!!! At my funeral: Type O Negative, or maybe the other way around would be more appropriate....

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

I don't like much of the music I used in my wedding nine years ago. Of course, part of that might be because I've been divorced for six years. ;) I went down the aisle to "Maid Marian" from (I have no shame!) the Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves soundtrack. Say what you will about the movie, I love Michael Kamen's music.

I haven't thought about my funeral at all. I sang a spiritual at my dad's ten years ago, "Going Home". I think maybe I'd like that. Someone mentioned Webber's "Pie Jesu" for a wedding, I might like it for my funeral too, because it's breathtakingly beautiful. My ex- husband used to say he wanted the Hallelujah Chorus at his funeral.

Of course, if we'd stayed married, I certainly would have been singing that at his funeral... ;)

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Wedding song- either "Follow you,Follow me" by Genesis, or "The Way You Look Tonight" by Francis A Sinatra..and to end it all, "My Way" by Frankie S as well, one of the best written songs in my opinion, and it sums it all up........Jg

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

I got married at the start of January. We had a string trio play Pachelbel's Canon in D as I walked down the aisle, and the rest of the time it was Irish traditional music all the way (not Riverdance - the real thing). We didn't dance at the reception, but if we *had* danced, our song was either going to be a song from the band that my husband and I played in, or "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" as sung by the Afghan Whigs.

I've gotta have Irish dance music at my funeral as well. I want the whole Irish wake thing: lively music, copious amounts of food and alcohol, and everybody getting drunk and raving on about what a fantastic person I was when I was alive! :)

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

I can't even remember what was played at our wedding. We had no time to stress about it because we got married on the other side of the world, so two days before the wedding we visited the organist and he played us some tunes, and we said yay! It was classical, but it wasn't 'Here comes the bride' and that traditional leaving the church one.

What we had always planned on was 'It's Great When We're Together' by Finlay Quaye, because that is so our song. Without doubt. Actually, I'd like that played at my funeral, and I'd play it at Tristan's. And because I'm bored and Finlay is British and you may have never heard of him, here's a sample (it's kind of reggae sounding ... can you dig it?)

It's great when we're together Sun or rain I know that I can't live without you But you're just like the weather When you change And you refrain to speak to me

Sometimes I feel lighter than the air When you smile, you brighten up my day Sometimes I feel lighter than the air When you smile, you brighten up my day

Whether or never, it's the same And I know that I'm not new to you Got to be clever Don't fool around with me - I treat you good

(repeat chorus) (repeat verse 1 and chorus)

Super cool.

The other funeral song for me is 'Lightning Crashes' by Live, because it was played at the funeral of a guy I was at school with, who died when he was 22. It always makes me cry now.

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

I want that song from Casablanca (you know the one Sam is always playing??) played at my wedding and the instrumental from La Bamba (when he dies) played at my funeral.

I had better get the names straight or else someone will have to decipher this and I may end up with the actual song La Bamba played!

This is why you shouldn't wake and bake with roomie before work...

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

Wedding: "Some Day My Prince Will Come", as played by Bill Evans

Funeral: "Steal Away," as played by Charlie Haden and Hank Jones

"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child," by the same.

Note that I am neither religious not a fan of Walt Disney. It's jazz, yo, and it rocks.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

I have two songs in mind that I really will fight for at my wedding:

"Ave Maria" and Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring".

At my funeral, I'd like to hear Bach's "Tocatta & Fugue in D Minor". Mozart's "Requiem for the Mass" wouldn't be a bad choice, either.

So I'm a bit of a traditionalist. Sue me.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000