Songs for Mum's funeral: memorial music for a beloved mother
It's not always easy choosing songs for Mum's funeral. In this guide, we share 7 songs and hymns that might strike the right mood.
Choosing songs for Mum's funeral isn't easy. Whatever relationship you had with your mother, it can be tricky to choose appropriate music for a woman you've likely known all your life. How can you distil decades of emotions into three, four or five minutes of music?
Should you choose songs that you knew your mother loved? Should you play it safe and stick to tried and tested funeral songs? Or should you go with your gut and opt for music that strikes an emotional chord with you?
The short answer is that it's your decision. But we know that doesn't make the decision any easier.
We hope this guide helps. We've picked out a few popular songs for a funeral for Mum, plus a selection of Christian hymns. All are beautiful and affecting in different ways. Why not listen to a few and see if any feel right for the funeral you're planning?
Songs for a mother's funeral
Kate Bush – This Woman's Work
Kate Bush is most famous in the UK for her 1978 number one single "Wuthering Heights". But while that song sounds big and dramatic, "This Woman's Work" is a gentle ballad about childbirth, struggle and the strength of a mother's love.
The song is tinged with sadness yet bristling with hope. "Give me these moments back", sings Bush over sparse piano chords, "Give them back to me / Give me that little kiss / Give me your hand".
It's a beautiful piece of music that would make the ideal funeral song for a mother from her daughter or son. It would especially suit the committal – the part of the funeral that represents the last goodbye.
Taylor Swift – The Best Day
Are you looking for modern songs for Mom's funeral? This upbeat folk-pop tune, originally from Taylor Swift's 2008 album Fearless, might be a good fit.
"The Best Day" is all about childhood memories of a loving, caring mum. Swift remembers her mother cuddling up to her on car journeys, consoling her after arguments with pals and taking her on shopping trips. And through it all, no matter what they did, they always had "the best day".
It's a heartfelt song with a bittersweet feel. It reminds us that while Mum is gone, those happy, nostalgic memories will always live on.
Adele – Sweetest Devotion
Here's another catchy modern tune about motherhood. While the lyrics don't mention death or grief, it could still work as a song for Mum's funeral if you want to strike an upbeat mood.
Adele wrote "Sweetest Devotion" as a tribute to her son, and the song is full of references to maternal love. "I've been looking for you, baby / In every face that I've ever known", she sings. "And there is something 'bout the way you love me / That finally feels like home."
This song might be best as funeral exit music – the music that plays when people leave the funeral venue. After the sadness of the service, its big, joyful sound will remind everyone that life goes on and we all have lots of love left to give.
ABBA – Slipping Through My Fingers
This 1981 ballad tells a bittersweet tale about growing up and growing apart. It was inspired by Linda Ulvaeus, the daughter of band members Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog.
The song is sung from a mother's perspective. She watches as her daughter grows into a young woman, and she yearns for more time with the "funny little girl" she once knew.
Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
The effect is both sentimental and regretful. It might make a good Mom's funeral song if you want to strike a mournful, nostalgic mood.
Funeral hymns for Mum
Are you planning a Christian funeral and want to include some religious music? Here are some beautiful funeral hymns for Mum. Each seems to capture something about the eternal bond between a mother and her children.
Hymn of Promise
This modern funeral hymn was written in 1985 by the American composer Natalie Sleeth. It's also known under the title "In the Bulb There is a Flower".
The hymn uses nature as a symbol for the mysteries of life and death. Just as a bulb will become a flower, it says, and a cocoon will turn into a butterfly, troubled times and dark days will pass. Even death will blossom into new life – but we can't know exactly what that new life will look like. Instead of second-guessing, we must put our faith in God to guide us through life and the afterlife.
Faith of Our Mothers
"Faith of Our Mothers" is a popular Mother's Day hymn that might also suit a funeral service. It's all about how our mothers guide us through life and through faith, and how we'll carry those lessons until our dying days.
Faith of our mothers, living still
In cradle song and bedtime prayer;
In nursery lore and fireside love,
Your presence still pervades the air.
Faith of our mothers, living faith,
We will be true to you till death.
Mother Dear, O Pray for Me
Popular in the Catholic Church, this beautiful hymn asks for help navigating the struggles and temptations of life. "Mother dear, O pray for me!", the narrator exclaims. "Whilst far from heav'n and thee / I wander in a fragile bark / o'er life's tempestuous sea."
The "Mother" in the lyric is Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, if you're grieving your Mum, it might also speak to the valuable advice and unconditional love that only a mother can give.
We hope this guide helped you choose suitable funeral songs for Mum. Are you in London and need funeral advice or planning support? At Akshardham Funeral Directors, we work with people of all faiths and cultures to help them arrange the funeral they want. We're ready to support you, too. Just call 020 8355 7876 at any time, any day of the year.
