Losing someone can be a painful experience. Be it a death or just growing apart, it’ll take time to come to terms with the fact that your loved one will no longer be a part of your life. In such times, music can be a great tool in helping you get over your loss and move on with your life. Because no matter how hard things may get, it’ll always get better eventually.
Music can be a way of processing the feelings that you’re bottling up inside. We’ve put together a list of some songs about moving on to help you get over your loss. Creating a playlist can serve as a distraction while also helping you process your feelings in the long run.
When creating a playlist consisting of songs about moving on, it’s important to keep in mind that the song selections that we’re recommending are just that. If there are songs that are personally significant to you, then you can definitely include them as well.
But with the vast variety of songs that exist, coming up with a mere 10 or 20 songs can seem like a daunting task. Well, we’re there for you, and we’ve made a list of the18 Best Songs About Moving On After A Loss.
1) Everybody Hurts (R.E.M)
While no one likes being sad, it’s one of the things that reminds us that we’re all humans. No matter how tough you are, it’s alright to feel pain and just cry it out once in a while.
2) My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion)
The instantly recognizable hit from Titanic, this song is a timeless classic that moves people through Dion’s melodic vocals while she sings about how her heart will go on, despite the losses.
3) See You Again (Charlie Puth)
Released as a tribute to the late Paul Walker, See You Again is a song about hope. The hope of seeing each other again despite parting ways right now. This makes it one of the best funeral songs for a friend that might have passed away.
4) Live Forever (Oasis)
This is a song that reminds us that our loved ones never truly leave us, for they live on through our memories of them. A funeral service is about remembering our loved ones, and this classic song reminds us that it’s never really over.
5) 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 song is a ‘Thank You Note’ to those who have always been there for you.
6) You’ll Never Walk Alone (Judy Garland)
A song about having your loved ones by your side, even when it might seem like they’re not, Garland sings that whatever happens in life, you’ll never walk alone.
7) Someone Like You (Adele)
Good breakup songs are hard to come by. And Adele is at the top of her game with Someone Like You. No one is replaceable, and losing a loved one is one of the hardest things that a person goes through. Be it separation or death. Even if we may never get over the loss, this song serves as a sort of self-assurance that everything will eventually be alright.
8) Who Wants to Live Forever (Queen)
As the mercurial frontman of Queen was suffering from AIDS, this song was written by lead guitarist Brian May. It discusses the innate human fear of death, while also asking the question of who would actually want to live forever.
9) I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston)
Moving on from a loss shouldn’t only be about pain. A bit of hope is always needed. A timeless classic, I Will Always Love You is a beautiful song about the eternal nature of love, and how love transcends everything, even death.
10) Smile (Nat King Cole)
Your parents play a major role in shaping who you are as a person. Cole sings about how this influence is carried through by singing about the advice that would be given to your younger selves.
11) Don’t Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin)
The iconic whistle, the straightforward, almost too simplistic lyrics, McFerrin’s jovial voice. This song was meant to lift moods, and it does a very good job of doing that. No matter how bad things may get, just weather through it because good times will come.
12) Someone You Loved (Lewis Capaldi)
Written after the loss of Capaldi’s aunt, Someone You Loved is about the pain that people left behind have to go through following the loss of a loved one.
13) Right Here (keshi)
Reconnecting with someone you were once intimate with can be hard. The memories you’d buried deep within may come rushing back. But no matter what, being there for that person as a shoulder to rely on is what Right Here is about.
14) Wake Me Up When September Ends (Greenday)
Greenday frontman Billie Joe Armstrong displayed his songwriting credentials through this song as he talks of moving on following the death of a loved one. The inspiration for the song came from Armstrong’s experience following the death of his father when he was 10.
15) In My Life (The Beatles)
A song about introspection, In My Life talks of how everyone leads different lives that ultimately has some meaning.
16) Cups (Anna Kendrick)
A song about valuing yourself, Cups is about how the person who’s no longer in your life will be the one to miss you, from the way you smile to the way you talk.
17) I Try [Macy Gray] (Jasmine Thompson Cover)
While the original has an upbeat tone to it, it’s this melancholic version by Jasmine Thompson that relates more to the lyrics about how we put up a strong front of letting go and moving on.
18) I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
A staple at karaokes, this upbeat is song is perfect for belting out your sorrows with its strong lyrics about self-empowerment. No matter what you’ve gone through, you’ll survive and come out stronger than ever.
19) Let It Be (The Beatles)
One of the most popular songs by the Fab Four, Let It Be is a song about just letting things be when it is clear that there’s nothing that we can do.
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. Now that you’ve got an idea on songs about moving on, check out the Top 30 Funeral Songs of All Time for a more comprehensive guide on creating a general playlist.
