30 Military Funeral Songs, from Taps to the Service Hymns

What song is played at a military funeral?

"Taps" is played at every military funeral with honors, usually by a bugler, after the rifle volley and before the flag is folded. Families often add "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes, the hymn or song of the branch the person served in, such as "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" for the Navy, and a country tribute like "Arlington" by Trace Adkins. Most military funeral songs fall into three groups: ceremonial music, branch songs and hymns, and personal tributes.

Ceremonial music

1. "Taps": the 24-note bugle call played at every military funeral.
2. "Amazing Grace": most often played on bagpipes.
3. "The Flowers of the Forest": the Scottish bagpipe lament for the fallen.
4. "Going Home": the melody from Dvořák's New World Symphony.
5. "Hymn to the Fallen", John Williams: from Saving Private Ryan.
6. "Ashokan Farewell", Jay Ungar: the fiddle tune from Ken Burns' The Civil War.

Service branch songs and hymns

7. "The Army Goes Rolling Along": the U.S. Army song.
8. "Anchors Aweigh": the U.S. Navy song.
9. "Eternal Father, Strong to Save": the Navy Hymn, sung for those at sea.
10. "The Marines' Hymn": the U.S. Marine Corps hymn.
11. "The U.S. Air Force": the Air Force song, often called "The Wild Blue Yonder".
12. "Semper Paratus": the U.S. Coast Guard song.
13. "Semper Supra": the U.S. Space Force song.

Hymns for a military funeral

14. "Battle Hymn of the Republic": the Civil War-era hymn.
15. "How Great Thou Art": a favorite hymn for any service.
16. "It Is Well with My Soul": peace in loss.
17. "Abide with Me": the evening hymn sung at many military memorials.
18. "On Eagle's Wings": a Catholic favorite.

Country tributes to soldiers

19. "Arlington", Trace Adkins: told from a soldier laid to rest at Arlington.
20. "If You're Reading This", Tim McGraw: a soldier's letter home.
21. "Some Gave All", Billy Ray Cyrus: honoring those who gave everything.
22. "American Soldier", Toby Keith: the citizen soldier's song.
23. "Travelin' Soldier", The Chicks: a young love and a soldier who did not come home.
24. "Letters from Home", John Michael Montgomery: a soldier reading mail from family.
25. "Riding with Private Malone", David Ball: a car and the soldier who owned it.
26. "Go Rest High on That Mountain", Vince Gill: the country goodbye.

Patriotic songs

27. "God Bless the U.S.A.", Lee Greenwood: the patriotic anthem.
28. "America the Beautiful": the patriotic hymn.
29. "God Bless America": Irving Berlin's prayer for the country.
30. "Bring Him Home", from Les Misérables: a prayer for a young soldier.

What happens during military funeral honors

• Rifle volley: a firing party fires three volleys, a tradition of honoring the fallen.
• Taps: played by a bugler, or a recording when no bugler is available.
• Folding of the flag: the flag covering the casket is folded thirteen times into a triangle.
• Presentation of the flag: the folded flag is presented to the next of kin on behalf of a grateful nation.

Eligible veterans are entitled to military funeral honors, which at minimum include the folding and presentation of the flag and the playing of Taps. The funeral director can usually request them for the family.

Where each song fits

At the funeral home or church, families choose hymns, a branch song and one or two personal favorites. At the graveside, the honors follow their own order and music: the volley, Taps, then the flag. Bagpipes often lead the procession or play "Amazing Grace" as the family leaves. A slideshow at the reception can use the country tributes and patriotic songs. For slideshow ideas, see our memorial slideshow songs.

Choosing military funeral songs with the family

Start with what the service member loved: their branch song, a hymn from their home church and one song from their own playlist. Ask friends from their unit, who often know the song that meant the most during deployment. Military funeral songs do not all need to be solemn; many families end the reception with an upbeat favorite.

Songs for a Gold Star family

For families who lost a service member in the line of duty, "Some Gave All", "If You're Reading This" and "Bring Him Home" are often played at memorials and on Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day, the last Sunday in September.

Songs for a veteran who served long ago

For a World War II, Korea or Vietnam veteran, songs from their era mean a lot: "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn, "God Bless America" and the branch song they sang in training. For more, see our Veterans Day songs.

More funeral music

For hymns and faith songs, see our Christian and gospel funeral songs, and for a wider list, our funeral songs and celebration of life songs.

A song about their service and their life

A personalized song can honor a service member by name: their branch, where they served, the people they protected and the family they came home to. Families play it at the reception, share it with fellow veterans and keep it for Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

How to create a tribute song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: country, acoustic, rock and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share their branch, where they served and three memories.
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 and the lyrics as a PDF.

Honor their service with a song about them: create a song and hear four previews for free.