Death Literacy Listening Station

Music can be a communication tool more powerful than words. It helps us build meaning and process our emotions. Listening to music that addresses love, loss, life, and death can be incredibly helpful in processing one’s feelings around our own mortality.

 

Build a Death Playlist

Whether you focus on lyrics or emotions brought on by a piece of music, use the exercise to process your feelings on mortality, or to build a playlist specifically for your memorial.

There are no hard and fast rules about what should be played at a  funeral or celebration of life. Music can be a way of communicating with your loved ones from beyond the grave, so to speak! So get creative and enjoy the journey. 

Celebrate Life

Songs to remind us why we’re here. 

Better Than Good | Stephen Fearing

I’m On My Way | The Proclaimers

Soul Shakedown Party (Remix) | Bob Marley & The Wailers

Vibracion Positive | Mista Savona

Build Me Up Buttercup | The Foundations 

Driving | Everything But The Girl 

Last Good Thing | JP Hoe

Sit Next to Me | Foster The People

Something Good | alt-J

Whole Wide World | Bahamas

Closer To Fine | The Wonder Stuff

Three Little Birds | Bob Marley & The Wailers 

Three Little Birds (Remix) | Bob Marley & The Wailers

Ahead By A Century | The Tragically Hip

All Alright | fun.

Darkest Days | Mohsin Zaman

Fireflies (remix) | Owl City

Lion Heart | jacksoul

(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes | Elvis Costello

Always Look On the Bright Side of Life | Monty Python

Ponder Mortality

Songs for contemplating life, death, why we’re here. 

Photograph | Ringo Starr

Grey Gardens | Rufus Wainwright

Long Live The Queen | Frank Turner

The Other Side | Scissor Sisters

And You Give | Matthew Barber

Carry On | Coeur de Pirate

Easily Bruised | Matthew Barber

I Will Be Light | Matisyahu

Lonesome Highway | jacksoul

Wander Far Away | Rebel Emergency

White Dove | John Vanderslice

Death Bed (remix) | Powfu, beadaboobee, blink-82

There is a Light That Never Goes Out | The Smiths

Cemetery Gates | The Smiths

Do You Realize?? | The Flaming Lips

Fortyfive | Bootstraps

Across The Universe (cover) | Rufus Wainwright

Are You Feeling Better Now | JP Hoe

The Cousin of Death | Beastie Boys

Go Your Own Way | Fleetwood Mac

Time for Leaving | Daniel Wesley

Travel So Far | Rebel Emergency

Traveling Light | Leonard Cohen

Last Damned Night | Elle King

Comfort in Loss

Songs to provide comfort during difficult times. Or to incite some cleansing tears. 

Love is a Radiation | The Black Seeds

Ain’t No Sunshine (cover) | Coeur de Pirate

Smile | Seal

Life Without You | Stevie Ray Vaughn

The Sound of Silence | Disturbed

Fairytale of New York | The Pogues

Darkened Sun | Mohsin Zaman

Fragile Bird | City and Colour

Last Goodbye | Rebel Emergency

Lost in The LIght | Bahamas

There’s a Light | Jay Malinowski

Stolen Days | Dear Rouge 

Since You’ve Been Gone | Hymn Marley

Remember Me | Miguel, feat. Natalia Lafourcade, Gael Garcia Bernal

Love You ‘Till The End | The Pogues 

Lullaby | Shawn Mullins

Ain’t No Sunshine | Bill Withers

Imagine | John Lennon

Bobcaygeon | The Tragically Hip

One For The Road | Arctic Monkeys

Fly Home | Mosin Zaman

If I Ever Feel Better | Phoenix

Long time Running | The Tragically Hip

Missing | Everything But the Girl

Beam Me Up | P!nk

Fix You | Coldplay

Beloved | Mumford & Sons