James Blunt's 'Goodbye My Lover' has topped a recent poll of most popular funeral songs.
The UK's Bereavement Register recently carried out surveys of 5,000 funerals a collated a Top 20 Funeral Songs that reflected not only a leaning towards more contemporary tunes but also some tongue-in-cheek choices.The top three were James Blunt's 'Goodbye My Lover', Robbie Williams' 'Angels' and, obtusely, the Dirty Dancing theme song 'I've Had The Time Of My Life' by Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley (presumably a sentiment shared from beyond the grave).
While other tunes were completely expected - 'Candle In The Wind, 'Tears From Heaven', 'Danny Boy' et al - some suggest a healthy sense of humour from either the dearly departed or their kith and kin. The Police's 'Every Breath You Take' is a little creepy at 14, Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' comes in after the horse has bolted at 15, and Bon Jovi's 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead' makes an odd lullaby at 18.
Number 19, the theme song to the movie Fame, is the most incongruous: 'I Wanna Live Forever'. Isn't that rubbing it in a little?
