40 Funeral Songs for a Son, from a Mother or a Father

What song do you play at a son's funeral?

The song chosen most often is "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton, written after his four-year-old son died. Many mothers choose "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, a mother's advice to her son, and many fathers choose "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" by John Lennon. For a young man, "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth is the modern favorite, and "Danny Boy" is the traditional one.

There is no wrong choice. If he had a favorite song, start there. The lists below are for when you need ideas, sorted by who is choosing and what kind of service you are planning.

Songs written about losing a son

1. "Tears in Heaven", Eric Clapton: written after the death of his four-year-old son, Conor.
2. "I Drive Your Truck", Lee Brice: inspired by a Gold Star father who drives his fallen son's truck.
3. "Who You'd Be Today", Kenny Chesney: imagining the man he would have become.
4. "Held", Natalie Grant: about being carried through the loss of a child.

Songs for a son from mom

5. "Simple Man", Lynyrd Skynyrd: a mother's advice to her son, chosen by many moms.
6. "You'll Be in My Heart", Phil Collins: a mother's promise, from Tarzan.
7. "Angel", Sarah McLachlan: one of the most played memorial songs.
8. "I Will Remember You", Sarah McLachlan: quiet and full of love.
9. "A Mother's Prayer", Celine Dion: a mother praying for her child.
10. "You Are My Sunshine": the song many moms sang at bedtime.
11. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: gentle and hopeful.
12. "Fly", Celine Dion: about letting go of someone young.
13. "Danny Boy": the Irish ballad of a parent saying goodbye to a son.

Songs for a son from dad

14. "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)", John Lennon: written for his son.
15. "Time in a Bottle", Jim Croce: written for his son before he was born, about wishing for more time.
16. "Forever Young", Rod Stewart: a father's blessing for his children.
17. "Bring Him Home", from Les Misérables: an older man's prayer for a young man.
18. "Go Rest High on That Mountain", Vince Gill: the country funeral standard.
19. "You Should Be Here", Cole Swindell: about missing someone at the moments that matter.
20. "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away", Justin Moore: wishing for one more visit.
21. "The Dance", Garth Brooks: glad for every moment, even knowing how it ends.
22. "Live Like You Were Dying", Tim McGraw: for a son who lived fully.

Christian songs for a son's funeral

23. "I Can Only Imagine", MercyMe: wonder at where he is now.
24. "Homesick", MercyMe: about missing someone who is already home.
25. "Scars in Heaven", Casting Crowns: picturing him free of pain.
26. "Praise You in This Storm", Casting Crowns: faith in the hardest season.
27. "Blessings", Laura Story: about finding God in pain.
28. "Even If", MercyMe: trust when the answer is not the one you prayed for.
29. "It Is Well with My Soul": written by a father after he lost his four daughters at sea.
30. "Precious Lord, Take My Hand", Thomas A. Dorsey: written after the death of his wife and newborn son.

Songs for a baby or young son

31. "Small Bump", Ed Sheeran: about a baby lost before birth.
32. "Thy Will", Hillary Scott: written after a miscarriage.
33. "Glory Baby", Watermark: for a baby who went to heaven first.
34. "Remember Me", from Coco: a lullaby for a child far away.

Songs for a teenage or grown son

35. "See You Again", Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth: for a young man gone too soon.
36. "Gone Too Soon", Daughtry: for a life cut short.
37. "One More Day", Diamond Rio: asking for one more day together.
38. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", Green Day: grateful for the time you had.
39. "Free Bird", Lynyrd Skynyrd: for a free spirit.
40. "Hallelujah", in Jeff Buckley's version.

Country songs for a son's funeral

Country fans often choose "I Drive Your Truck", "Who You'd Be Today", "Go Rest High on That Mountain", "You Should Be Here", "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" and "One More Day". Many families add his own favorite country song as the last song of the service.

Songs for a son's memorial slideshow

For a video of his life, open with "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" or "You Are My Sunshine" over baby pictures, move to "Forever Young" for the school years and close with "See You Again" or "Tears in Heaven". Three songs carry about 150 photos. See our memorial slideshow songs for timing tips.

Songs for his birthday and the anniversary

Many parents play one song every year on his birthday or on the day he died. It does not have to be sad: his favorite song, the one he sang in the car, can become a way of keeping him in the room. Some families gather to light a candle and play it together.

Support for parents who lost a son

Losing a child is a grief like no other, and no list of songs fixes it. The Compassionate Friends runs free support groups for families after the death of a child of any age, in person and online. Many parents say that hearing from other parents is what helped most. For more songs about grief and hope, see our songs about heaven.

A song written about your son

Some parents want a song that says his name. A personalized song can tell his story: his nickname, what made him laugh, the things he loved and what you want him to know. Families play it at the service and on his birthday each year. See our guide to a memorial song for a son.

How to create a song in memory of your son

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: acoustic, country, pop, rock and more.
2. Add his name.
3. Share three memories, the things he loved and what you want to say to him.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page you can share with family and the lyrics as a PDF.

Keep his story in a song: create a song and hear four previews for free.