Death & what remains

What song would you like played at your funeral?

178 answers answered between 2007 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A fixed Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Add your answer

On the record

Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Science and medicine 3 Arts and letters 154 Politics and public life 6 Business and finance 8 Sport 7

Read by age Any age Before thirty 7 In their thirties 30 In their forties 35 In their fifties 55 In their sixties 33 Seventy and beyond 16

Order Earliest first Most recent Surprise me

Sue Johnston English actress

Do You Hear The People Sing? from Les Mis.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 January 2013 source ↗

Tony Ross British writer of children's books

On The Good Ship Lollipop, by Shirley Temple.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 April 2013 source ↗

Nicholas Parsons English actor, straight man and presenter

My wife says the Minute Waltz.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 August 2015 source ↗

Burt Reynolds American actor

The psalm would be the 23rd. I’ll have to think about the song.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 November 2015 source ↗

Yayoi Kusama Japanese artist

Yayoi Kusama’s Manhattan Suicide Addict.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 May 2016 source ↗

Terry O'Neill British photographer

Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 January 2017 source ↗

Shirley MacLaine American actress and author

The Nutcracker Suite pas de deux.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 July 2017 source ↗

Ronnie Wood English rock musician

The Resurrection Shuffle.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 September 2017 source ↗

Patricia Hodge English actress

One of my favourite songs is Being Alive, from Company by Stephen Sondheim, but it would hardly be appropriate.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 September 2018 source ↗

Engelbert Humperdinck British singer

I don’t like to think about that.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 February 2019 source ↗

Julie Andrews English actress, singer and author

Something triumphant, I couldn’t tell you what but something vibrant and joyous.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 October 2019 source ↗

Madhur Jaffrey Actress, cook, and TV host

None: I do not want a funeral.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 February 2021 source ↗

Alan Titchmarsh Gardener and broadcaster

Eric Idle’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. That’s me, really.

Recorded The Guardian, Honest playlist, The Guardian, 12 December 2022 source ↗

Gloria Gaynor Singer

A song I wrote called I Want to See You. It’s about reunion – about seeing your loved ones again in heaven. That’s the message I’d want to leave behind.

Recorded The Guardian, Honest playlist, The Guardian, 21 June 2026 source ↗

0 answers from members

Nobody has answered this one yet.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

On the record

0 answers from members

More on death & what remains