50s funeral songs: our favourite memorial music from the 1950s
If you're arranging a funeral for an older person, you may want some songs from the 1950s. Hear 10 powerful and nostalgic tracks.
When arranging a funeral, loved ones often choose music to be played.
Sometimes, the choices make themselves: if, for instance, the person who died had a favourite song, artist or genre.
At other times, however, it can be tricky to decide on the right song. This is especially true if you don't know much about the person's taste or the music they loved.
Here at Akshardham Funeral Directors, we believe there are no right or wrong ways to grieve. So, it follows that there are no right or wrong song choices. If the song rings true for you and would ring true for the person who has died, you're on the right track.
Nevertheless, you may be looking for some guidance in choosing a song. For that reason, we've put together this guide to 10 songs from the 1950s that could be suitable for a funeral. We hope it helps.
1. "You Belong to Me" by Jo Stafford (1952)
This gentle ballad with its swelling horns and shivering xylophone expresses a simple but powerful sentiment. Wherever her loved one goes, he belongs to her:
See the pyramids along the Nile
And watch the sunrise on a tropic isle
Just remember, darling, all the while
You belong to me
The classic version by Jo Stafford is delivered with a dreamlike yet powerful vocal. There's also a breathier, woozier
version by Peggy Lee.
2. "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley
This song needs no introduction. It's a simple and unforgettable love ballad.
We think "Love Me Tender" would perfectly suit the funeral of someone who grew up in the 1950s or has a passion for 1950s music.
3. "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" by Doris Day (1956)
This song by American actor and singer Doris Day popularised the phrase que sera, sera – Spanish for "what will be, will be". It can be a comforting thought at a time of loss.
Each verse is a chapter from the singer's life story: "When I was just a little girl", "When I grew up and fell in love" and "Now I have children of my own".
She asks what lies ahead, and the chorus replies:
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
4. "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page (1950)
This signature song by American country-pop singer Patti Page has a dreamlike quality that sounds like it's being broadcast straight from the past.
The song is about the singer losing her darling to the strains of the Tennessee Waltz. The echoey sound and harmonised vocals add to the sense of loss and nostalgia:
I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes, I lost my little darling on the night they were playing
The beautiful Tennessee Waltz
5. "Only You (And You Alone)" by The Platters (1954)
The Platters were an influential group in the early days of doo-wop and rock and roll. This classic love ballad features a powerful vocal that swoops, soars and cracks with emotion:
When you hold my hand, I understand the magic that you do
You're my dream come true, my one and only you
6. "True Love Ways" by Buddy Holly
With its tender vocal, heart-tugging melody and dreamy instrumentation, "True Love Ways" could make a reflective and moving addition to a funeral programme.
Just you know why
Why you and I, will by and by
Know true love ways
7. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers (1958)
For some, this song is the sound of the 1950s. Its trembling electric guitars and close vocal harmonies instantly conjure up the era.
But "All I Have to Do is Dream" doesn't just sum up the decade. It also sums up a feeling of youthful longing that could be appropriate at the funeral of someone who had been in a partnership for many decades:
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you
All I have to do is dream
8. "Where or When" by Dion and the Belmonts (1959)
This song by the New York vocal quartet Dion and the Belmonts is full of tenderness. It describes a couple experiencing déjà vu. Surely they've met before?
It seems we stood and talked like this before
We looked at each other in the same way then
But I can't remember where or when
9. "Sleep Walk" by Santo and Johnny (1959)
With "Sleep Walk", brothers Santo and Johnny Farina created a nostalgic instrumental that's as 1950s as a white picket fence.
Led by acoustic guitar and pedal steel, it's a throwback that's bound to pull at the heartstrings.
10. "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" by Ella Fitzgerald
Nicknamed "the Queen of Jazz" and "the First Lady of Song", Ella Fitzgerald has an unforgettable voice perfectly suited to this simple, heartfelt song of farewell:
Every time we say goodbye, I die a little
Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little
AFD is a team of independent funeral directors based in London. We work with people from all faiths and walks of life to arrange the funerals that feel right for them. Do you need our support? Please call on 020 8355 7876 or get in touch online. We're here to help, 24/7.
