Funeral songs for Mom
Updated
For a mother's funeral, the songs families choose most are "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Bette Midler) for a mom who held everyone up, "Supermarket Flowers" (Ed Sheeran) for its quiet, everyday grief, "Amazing Grace" for a church service, and "Over the Rainbow" (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) for a gentler, hopeful goodbye. UK families searching "funeral songs for mum" will find the same songs here.
For the service
| Song | Artist | Year | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Grace | Traditional hymn | 1779 | The most familiar funeral hymn; most guests can sing along without a sheet. |
| How Great Thou Art | Traditional hymn | 1949 | A strong choice for a mom whose faith mattered to her. |
| Abide with Me | Traditional hymn | 1847 | A calm evening hymn about not being alone; a British funeral staple. |
| The Lord's My Shepherd (Crimond) | Traditional hymn | 1872 | Psalm 23 set to music; especially loved in Scotland and the UK. |
| Ave Maria | Franz Schubert | 1825 | Beautiful sung or played as an instrumental while people arrive. |
| Pie Jesu | Andrew Lloyd Webber | 1985 | A short, pure soprano piece that suits a quiet moment of reflection. |
Songs about mothers
| Song | Artist | Year | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Beneath My Wings | Bette Midler | 1988 | A thank-you to the person who made everything else possible. |
| Supermarket Flowers | Ed Sheeran | 2017 | Written after a family loss; it captures clearing out a loved one's things and carrying on. |
| A Song for Mama | Boyz II Men | 1997 | A direct, heartfelt tribute to everything a mother gave. |
| Mama | Spice Girls | 1997 | An apology and a thank-you from a grown child; lovely for a younger family. |
| The Best Day | Taylor Swift | 2008 | Memories of childhood days with Mom; works well over a photo slideshow. |
| Because You Loved Me | Celine Dion | 1996 | For the mom who believed in you before anyone else did. |
| You Raise Me Up | Josh Groban | 2003 | A soaring song about strength drawn from someone else. |
Classic goodbyes
| Song | Artist | Year | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World | Israel Kamakawiwo'ole | 1993 | Gentle ukulele and a hopeful tone, for a goodbye that isn't only sad. |
| What a Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong | 1967 | For a mom who found joy in small, ordinary things. |
| I Will Remember You | Sarah McLachlan | 1995 | A promise to keep her memory close. |
| Angel | Sarah McLachlan | 1997 | Soft piano and comfort; one of the most played memorial songs. |
| Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò) | Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman | 1996 | A grand, emotional choice for the end of the service. |
| Unforgettable | Nat King Cole | 1951 | Warm and timeless, for a mom who loved the old standards. |
| We'll Meet Again | Vera Lynn | 1939 | Familiar to older generations and hopeful about meeting again. |
| I'll Be Seeing You | Billie Holiday | 1944 | About seeing someone in all the familiar places they used to be. |
| Smile | Nat King Cole | 1954 | Gentle encouragement to keep going; good for the end of the gathering. |
| Fields of Gold | Sting | 1993 | A love song about remembering; lovely for a mom who loved her garden or the countryside. |
| Hallelujah | Jeff Buckley | 1994 | Widely chosen at memorials; check the verses suit your service before using it. |
How to choose
Most services have room for three pieces: one as people arrive, one during the service (often a hymn or a reading set to music), and one as people leave. A slideshow at the gathering afterwards can take several more.
Choose at least one song she actually loved, even if it isn't a "funeral song". The songs people remember are the ones that sound like her.
If the service is in a church, check with the minister or priest which recorded songs are allowed; some ask for hymns only during the service itself.
Read the full lyrics of any pop song before choosing it; some verses are about romance or breakups even when the chorus fits.
A song in their own words
Some families create an original tribute song from their memories, with her's name in it, to play at the service. You read the lyrics and hear a preview before deciding.
Create a tribute songQuestions
What is the most popular funeral song for a mother?
Hymns like "Amazing Grace" are the most widely used at services, and "Wind Beneath My Wings" is one of the most common songs chosen specifically for a mother.
How many songs do you need for a funeral?
Usually three: one for arrival, one during the service and one for leaving. Add more if there is a slideshow or a gathering afterwards.
Can we play a recorded song at a church funeral?
Often yes, but some churches limit recorded music to before and after the service. Ask the officiant early.
Sources
Song titles, artists and years are taken from the artists' published discographies and the songs' Wikipedia pages. Hymn years are when the text or tune was first published. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@bestsonggift.com and we'll fix it.