Dusty Springfield funeral songs: stirring music from the UK soul star
Dusty Springfield is one of Britain's best-loved singers. Hear 8 of her songs that could be played at a loved one's funeral.
Music has been an integral part of funerals for centuries. And while there are lots of tried-and-tested funeral songs, many people choose to play music loved by the person who died.
Take Dusty Springfield, for instance. She was a UK soul star with a catalogue of songs beloved by people of all ages. Her richly emotive songs are often played at funerals.
Born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, Dusty Springfield was one of the biggest pop stars of the 60s and beyond. Her blonde beehive and dark eye makeup are instantly recognisable – but it's her voice that has cemented her reputation.
Here, then, are eight classic Dusty Springfield songs that might suit a loved one's funeral. We hope it helps you choose the right music for the occasion.
1. Losing You
Dusty's 1964 UK hit contains many hallmarks of her early 60s work: stirring strings and brass, keening backing vocals and a soaring, passionate chorus.
It's a song of romantic loss that works equally well as a funeral song:
It would take a miracle
But someday maybe I'll find
That I'm in the loving arms of someone…
Who'll kiss all the heartache away
And come that day
I won't mind losing you
2. Son of a Preacher Man
"Son of a Preacher Man" was written by the American songwriting team of John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins. An international hit, it had a second wind in the 1990s on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction.
The song is taken from Dusty's 1968 album Dusty in Memphis and is a classic slice of Memphis soul. Its horn-driven refrain and expressive vocals make it a much-loved track. It could work well for the funeral of a person who loved music and high spirits.
3. Goin' Back
Funerals are often a time for reflection, and many people find themselves remembering their childhood. The feeling that the innocence of childhood is long gone can be hard to shake.
This is movingly reflected in "Goin' Back", a 1966 single from Dusty written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It's a gentle reflection on the passing of time and the possibility of "thinking young and growing older".
The song was later covered by The Byrds. Theirs is an equally reflective rendition, featuring a jangly country-pop arrangement and reverb-soaked harmonies.
4. I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten
A hit in the summer of 1968, "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" is Dusty at her most bombastic, her impassioned vocals towering over classical piano and orchestration.
Its two sections highlight different sides of romantic love: desire, happiness and excitement. This could be a good choice for the funeral of someone who lived life with their feelings at their fingertips.
5. I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
One of Hal David and Burt Bacharach's most beloved compositions, "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" is a song of romantic loss. But like "Losing You", it encapsulates feelings that relate to death, too:
I just don't know what to do with myself
I'm so used to doing everything with you
Planning everything with you
Like many of Dusty's finest songs, it's a performance that ebbs, flows, builds and cascades – and above all showcases her vocal prowess.
6. Some of Your Lovin'
Another cut from 1968's Dusty in Memphis, "Some of Your Lovin'" is a dreamy story set to an arrangement as rich as chocolate gateau.
Against a backdrop of ethereal backing vocals, creamy strings and gently rippling piano, Dusty makes the case for herself as a romantic partner:
Now I don't expect you to guarantee
Your faith and devotion to only me…
But baby when I need you
Don't you tell me "No"
7. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me
Dusty had a voice capable of expressing a wide gamut of emotions. In "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", she gives voice to full-throated romantic despair.
Translated from the Italian song "Io che non vivo (senza te)", "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" has something of the operatic aria about it. Opening with pure orchestral melodrama, the song cycles through the feelings of someone trying to accept that their loved one has gone away:
Believe me, believe me
I can't help but love you
But believe me
I'll never tie you down
8. The Windmills of Your Mind
Our final choice from Dusty in Memphis, "The Windmills of Your Mind" is a swirling, kaleidoscopic song that encapsulates the aura of the 1960s.
The song was composed by the French composer Michel Legrand with English lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It was made famous by Noel Harrison in the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair.
Dusty herself didn't like the song, saying she "hated it because she couldn't identify with the words". Generations of music fans beg to differ, finding much to like in the whimsical, hard-to-pin-down lyrics:
Like a snowball down a mountain or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that is turning, running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Alternately dreamlike and uptempo, "Windmills of Your Mind" could be a suitable choice for the funeral of someone who loved the 60s.
Akshardham Funeral Directors is an independent London funeral home. Follow our blog for more funeral ideas and planning guides.
