50 Songs About Losing a Friend, for Grief, Funerals and Friendships That Ended

What is a good song for a friend who passed away?

"Fire and Rain" by James Taylor, written partly about a friend who died, is the song most grief lists start with. "Here Today", Paul McCartney's song for John Lennon, imagines the conversation he never got to have. For a younger crowd, "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, written after the death of Paul Walker, has become the modern goodbye between friends.

Songs written about a friend who died

1. "Fire and Rain", James Taylor: partly about a friend who took her own life while he was away.
2. "Here Today", Paul McCartney: an imagined conversation with John Lennon after his death.
3. "For a Dancer", Jackson Browne: written after a friend died in a fire.
4. "Elephant", Jason Isbell: about sitting with a friend through cancer.
5. "Brendan's Death Song", Red Hot Chili Peppers: a celebration of their friend Brendan Mullen.
6. "Hear You Me", Jimmy Eat World: written for two friends of the band who died in a car accident.
7. "One More Light", Linkin Park: written after a friend of the band died, later tied to Chester Bennington.
8. "Angel", Sarah McLachlan: inspired by the death of a touring musician.
9. "Life Without You", Stevie Ray Vaughan: for his friend Charley Wirz.
10. "Gone Too Soon", Michael Jackson: dedicated to his young friend Ryan White.
11. "See You Again", Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth: a tribute to actor Paul Walker.
12. "I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy and Faith Evans: for The Notorious B.I.G.
13. "One Sweet Day", Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men: written about friends and family members both had lost.
14. "Candle in the Wind", Elton John: a tribute that became a farewell song for millions.
15. "Who You'd Be Today", Kenny Chesney: imagining the life a young person never got to live.

Comforting songs for grief

16. "Everybody Hurts", R.E.M.: you are not alone in this.
17. "Fix You", Coldplay: written to comfort someone after a loss.
18. "Bridge Over Troubled Water", Simon & Garfunkel: a promise to carry someone through.
19. "Lean on Me", Bill Withers: for the friends who are still here.
20. "Ripple", Grateful Dead: quiet acceptance.
21. "I Will Remember You", Sarah McLachlan: about keeping someone in your memory.
22. "To Where You Are", Josh Groban: feeling someone close even after they are gone.
23. "Tears in Heaven", Eric Clapton: about meeting again.
24. "Hallelujah", Leonard Cohen or Jeff Buckley: a reflective moment.
25. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", Bob Dylan: simple and haunting.

Country songs about losing a friend

26. "Drink a Beer", Luke Bryan: hearing the news and sitting by the lake to remember.
27. "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away", Justin Moore: wishing for one more visit.
28. "Go Rest High on That Mountain", Vince Gill: the country funeral standard.
29. "Over You", Miranda Lambert: about losing someone suddenly and too young.
30. "Holes in the Floor of Heaven", Steve Wariner: about loved ones still watching over us.

Songs to celebrate a friend's life

31. "Thank You for Being a Friend", Andrew Gold: gratitude, and a smile.
32. "With a Little Help from My Friends", The Beatles: for the friend who got everyone through.
33. "You've Got a Friend", Carole King or James Taylor: the friend who always came.
34. "Stand by Me", Ben E. King: what they did for you.
35. "In My Life", The Beatles: the people who shaped you.
36. "For Good", from Wicked: about how a friend changes you forever.
37. "Seasons of Love", from Rent: measuring a life in love.
38. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", Green Day: bittersweet and grateful.

Songs about losing a friendship

Not every lost friend has died. Sometimes the friendship ends, and that grief is real too:

39. "Bad Friend", Rina Sawayama: about being the friend who drifted.
40. "Old Friends", Simon & Garfunkel: a picture of friends grown old.
41. "Graduation (Friends Forever)", Vitamin C: about friends going different ways.
42. "Photograph", Nickelback: old pictures and old friends.
43. "Good Old Days", Macklemore featuring Kesha: missing a time and the people in it.
44. "Somebody That I Used to Know", Gotye featuring Kimbra: written about a breakup, often used for friendships too.
45. "Where'd All the Time Go?", Dr. Dog: about drifting apart without noticing.
46. "Fifteen", Taylor Swift: about a best friend's heartbreak at fifteen.

Rock songs about losing a friend

47. "Wish You Were Here", Pink Floyd: about a friend who was no longer the same.
48. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", Pink Floyd: a tribute to their founding member Syd Barrett.
49. "Say Hello 2 Heaven", Temple of the Dog: Chris Cornell's tribute to his friend Andrew Wood.
50. "Let It Be", The Beatles: comfort when there is nothing left to say.

Songs about losing a best friend

When the friend you lost was your person, the songs that help most are the ones that name the bond: "You've Got a Friend", "For Good", "See You Again" and "I'll Be Missing You". Making a playlist of the songs you two shared, the ones from road trips and late nights, is often more healing than any list. More in our list of songs about best friends.

Songs about losing a friend to cancer or illness

For a friend who fought a long illness, "Elephant" by Jason Isbell is painfully honest, "One More Light" is gentle, and "Fix You" speaks to the people who cared for them. At a service, families sometimes play "Ripple" or "Here Comes the Sun" to remember the person before the illness.

Songs for a friend's funeral or memorial

Plan three moments: a song as people arrive ("In My Life" or "Fire and Rain"), one for reflection during a slideshow ("See You Again" or "Hear You Me") and one to close ("Thank You for Being a Friend" or "Good Riddance"). Ask the family first: they may have a song in mind. Our list of memorial service songs has more ideas.

How music helps with grief

• Let yourself feel it. A sad song can release tears you have been holding back.
• Listen to their music. The songs your friend loved keep their voice in the room.
• Share a playlist with the friend group: it gives everyone something to do together.
• Talk to someone if the grief feels too heavy. A song helps, but it is not a replacement for support.

A song written about your friend

Every song above is about someone else's friend. A personalized memorial song can be about yours: their name, how you met, the inside jokes, the trip you always talked about, the way they made a room feel. Families often play it at the memorial and keep it as a way to hear their story again. See our guides to a memorial song for a friend and a memorial song for a best friend.

How to create a song in memory of a friend

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: acoustic, rock, country, gospel-inspired and more.
2. Add your friend's name, or the nickname everyone used.
3. Share three memories, each with one concrete detail.
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 the friend group can share and the lyrics as a PDF.

Keep their story alive in a song: create a memorial song and hear four previews for free.