Country songs are known for their focus on love and life, sometimes to a philosophical extent. If your loved one was a fan of country songs, then they certainly would like a couple of country songs to be included in their funeral playlist.
When choosing the country funeral songs to include in the playlist for your loved one, it’s important to keep in mind that the song selections should be in accordance with your loved one’s tastes, rather than just playing popular songs.
But with the vast variety of songs that exist, coming up with a mere 10 or 20 songs can seem like a daunting task. Which songs to include? Which ones would be apt? Well luckily for you, we’ve made a list of the top 20 country funeral songs to play at a funeral or memorial service.
Top 20 Country Funeral Songs
1) If I Die Young (The Band Perry)
The death of younger ones is always painful due to their often unexpected nature. This song is about being grateful for living their best albeit for a short while.
2) Believe (Brooks and Dunn)
A beautiful song that involves a man reassuring his loved ones that he won’t be alone when in death because he’ll finally get to catch up with those who died before him.
3) Live Like You Were Dying (Tim McGraw)
A song that was inspired by McGraw’s relationship with his father, Live Like You Were Dying is about living life to its fullest by treating every day like it was your last.
4) A Song For Dad (Keith Urban)
Fathers are often the supporting pillar that silently takes on all the hardships for the sake of their families. Urban’s song is a tribute to all the fathers who always put family first.
5) Sissy’s Son (Alan Jackson)
A song written in memory of a woman who worked for Alan Jackson, Sissy’s Son can serve as a comforting reminder that people who have lost a special someone are still living life.
6) Drive [For Daddy Gene] (Alan Jackson)
A song for the dads who were all about their cars, Drive [For Daddy Gene] celebrates the motorhead that your loved ones once might’ve been.
7) Go Rest On That Mountain (Vince Gill)
Written as a tribute to the singer’s brother who died suffering a heart attack, this song provides an insight into the intricacies of both life and death.
8) Drink A Beer (Luke Bryan)
Sometimes, mourning is best done when you are by yourself. With a beer in hand, take some time to process your feelings and eventually move on.
9) If Heaven (Andy Griggs)
A slow country song about being happy for your loved ones for they, in turn, are happy in heaven.
10) There You’ll Be (Faith Hill )
Throughout our lives, there are some people that we grow to rely on. These people are with us throughout thick and thin and they could be your friend, parent, better half, or even your pet. This is one of the funeral songs that serves as a ‘Thank You Note’ to those who have always been there for you.
11) Broken Halos (Chris Stapleton)
Just like us, the ones we lost should also move on. Because life goes on. Broken Halos is a song about how your loved ones eventually become angels that guide others.
12) Roses for Mama (C.W. McCall)
Losing your parents as a young child is a harrowing experience. Roses For Mama is about a young boy who’s buying flowers for his mother’s grave.
13) Never Alone (Jim Brickman )
Like many other songs on this list, Never Alone is about how your loved ones are always with you, even in death. No matter how much time passes, those precious to us will never make us feel alone.
14) If Tomorrow Never Comes (Garth Brooks)
Human beings are often victims of not living in the moment. They worry about what may be or what was rather than focusing on the present. If Tomorrow Never Comes is about not taking our lives for granted and living every day to the fullest.
15) If I Had Only Known (Reba McEntire)
If I Had Only Known talks of the unpredictability of life. None of us know when or how we may die. So, it is important that we make the most of the time we have with our loved ones.
16) You’re Gone (Diamond Rio)
Sometimes, the fact that you’ve lost someone doesn’t immediately sink in. It’s something that you might have never even considered happening. Diamond Rio is about when it eventually hits you that you’ve lost someone.
17) Holes in the Floor of Heaven (Steve Wariner)
Sometimes, the ones who guided us through life might eventually leave us behind. Holes In The Floor Of Heaven is a sort of reassurance that even though they might’ve passed on, your loved ones are watching over you from the beyond.
18) Just a Dream (Carrie Underwood)
Just A Dream is a modern country song which reinstates that death is never easy, and it’s easy to hope that all the sorrow was just a part of a dream.
19) Life Without You (Stevie Ray Vaughn)
Moving on after your loved one passes away is important. Because life goes on. But you should also come to terms with the fact that life will always be different without that person in your life anymore.
20) Country Roads (John Denver)
A timeless hit, Country Road is one of the classic country songs that is perfect for those who were lovers of great journeys and adventures.
Funerals can be somber affairs, and it should be noted that creating a playlist and playing it is done in accordance with the deceased’s wishes from when they were alive. For a more comprehensive guide on creating a general playlist, check out the Top 30 Funeral Songs of All Time.
