Songs, Poems and Arrangements for a Funeral

I posted this in another forum but thought it might spark an interest on its own.

I went to my first humanist funeral yesterday. It was pleasant enough, just a bit naff. But at least god wasn't splashed about all over the place like it was ok for my mate to die because, well, godidit.

In god's place as the panacea for death we had love, family, friendship and memories etc.

As a service of remembrance it worked ok, but personally the last thing I want is all that miserable malarky pretending that the deceased was perfect.

I'm straight off to the crem - on my own - and then delivered in a bottle to the local pub where I'll be buying everyone drinks. My kids are going to put me in a firework and blow me up over the sea at midnight whilst playing Pink Floyd.

It's called a Direct Funeral, or, as the Guardian newspaper called it, a disposal service. It became fashionable after David Bowie did it.

I want Pink Floyd but I'm not sure which one. Comfortably Numb is the obvious one. As is Crazy Diamond - but that's reserved for one guy really. Granchester Meddows is lovely but I can't see it going with fireworks.

Favourite poem for sad times (even though the poet now hates it and it's now too well known for my liking):

'Sometimes'

Sometimes things don’t go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don’t fail.
Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war,
elect an honest man, decide they care
enough, that they can’t leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best intentions do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen; may it happen for you.

Sheenagh Pugh

The Great Gig In The Sky seems like a decent choice - the voiceover at the start is appropriate as a bonus.

Or there’s Waiting For the Worms - although the title is better than the lyrics for that one!

For remembrance of lives lived I'd like "Mercedes Benz" including the chuckle conclusion.

Edited by jar, : No reason given.

I don't think Waiting for the Worms would go down well - but, hey, why should I care?

Mercedes Benz

Janice Joplin?

Yup. Janis. That's All Folks!

Edited by jar, : No reason given.

Not quite. It's an afterward on one of the recordings of that song but also a reminder that it was the last song she recorded.

"That's it"

Edited by jar, : fix sub-title

Is Anybody Out There?

I'm hoping they (friends and family) will spend a day listening to all 230 Pink Floyd and David Gilmour on my phone and feasting and drinking and toking and remembering all the fun times!

Does it have to be Pink Floyd?

Also sprach Zarathustra

Your rockets (multiple) timed to explode at each apex and finale.

Edited by AZPaul3, : No reason given.

Tug the heart strings, jar. Uniquely beautiful lady.

AZP writes: Does it have to be Pink Floyd?

Only for me.

A friend chose 'Days' , the Kinks. Caught a few of us out.

the Kinks

Oh, that's old. Why caught out? That was good stuff.

Does it have to be Pink Floyd? Only for me.

Ok. How about Learning To Fly? Or are you looking more to their psychodelic era like something from The Wall or Wish You Were Here?

Add in Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra, Rick Wakeman, Alan Parsons Project and maybe a few more and it could be a week long wing ding. At a lake, with dragonflies!

If in Arizona, I'll bring the weed.