Is it normal to plan to have songs played at a non-religious funeral?

Question

I was baptised Catholic. Respectfully I chose neither to believe or be a non believer in God (agnostic?) but would like to plan a non-religious funeral. Do funeral homes do this? I havn't been to a funeral where this is the case and I have never heard of anyone doing it, so that's why im asking. Music is kinda my thing and I want them to experience some of the music I would have listened to. Or is this just plain morbid? These are the songs I'M concidering.

Collective soul - Shine
Bad Company - Shooting Star
Nirvana - Something in the way
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
INXS - Never Tear Us Apart
Incubus - I Wish You Were Here
Nirvana - You know you're right & Marigold
The Yard Birds - Expecting to Fly
3rd Eye Blind - Jumper & How's it gonna be
John Lennon - Imagine
Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight & Disarm
Bush - Come Down
David Bowie - Space Oddity & Ashes to Ashes
MCR - Cemetery Drive & Helena & Ghost Of You
Verve pipe - Freshmen
Any suggestions?
Thanks

Answer 1

Nothing strange. If I ever get around to planning my funeral before they have it, I would like a New Orleans Jazz Band one.

Answer 2

Any music you like can be played at your funeral. If it to be non-religious, then it won't be in a church, so there will be no song from your list that is unsuitable.

Let your funeral director and family know what you want. No, it's not morbid to consider how you would like things to be, but you're not planning to go soon, surely?

Answer 3

Funeral homes will work with you to plan out any type of nonreligious funeral you want.
Funerals are as much for the bereaved as for the deceasaed.
Would your family be more consoled by a religious funeral?

You could play any music(that is not obscene)at your wake

Answer 4

I'm sure a funeral home would do anything you or your family requested. I went to one funeral where none of the music was religious but reflected who the person was.

Edit--Just thought of a song--Dust in the Wind-Kansas

Answer 5

Of course not. I've been to several funerals where there was a song played by the deceased. At my first cousins Wake, who was into camping and hiking, there was nature sounds, water falls and things. The person should have whatever they request.

Answer 6

It's your funeral - you can have it however you want. If you have specific music you want played there, then the funeral directors have to respect your wishes.

You might want to whittle that list down a bit though, friend - that's not a funeral service, that's a DJ set.

Answer 7

yes, that's possible. i went to a funeral at a funeral home where "Like a Rock" and "Knockin on Heaven's Door" were played, among others. i like your Bush and Smashing Pumpkins choices, as well as the John Lennon. it's your funeral, i think you can choose whatever you want.

Answer 8

i wonder; who you are leaving behind, and how they will react to/feel about the music in question? when my brother died, my sister in law had 'the wind beneath my wings' played. it's not something that i would be able to deal with, as a survivor, but, as it's been pointed out, it's your funeral. just, keep in mind, that while you love this music, and the funeral is ABOUT you, it's FOR your survivors, so be considerate.

you can always burn cd's with the music, well in advance, and have them available for mourners, as they leave.

Answer 9

I played several of my daughters favorite songs at her funeral. A friend suggested I play FLY by Celine Dion. It had everyone in tears.

Answer 10

I have sung at many funerals. Very few of the songs were religious. Usually, you want to hear something that reminds you of the deceased. Unless they were religious, it would be better to play their favorite songs.