10 Funeral Songs for Mom – Best Tribute Songs for Mothers

After the death of a mother, life becomes harder for a time and responsibilities grow heavy. Planning a funeral is an enormous task for anyone, so it’s vitally important that the music meets the moment.  Here are our picks for the top funeral songs for mom.

Funeral Songs for Mom – Best Tribute Songs

Let’s begin with a song by the band We Three.

Heaven’s Not Too Far by We Three

In Heaven’s Not Too Far, We Three tells the heart-wrenching story of children losing their mother to cancer. The narrative goes between the mother’s point of view as she watches her children grieve, and come to understand what her death means, and the children’s perspective on their experience. This song perfectly describes the pain that comes with losing your mother, specifically to an illness. 

A line that, while repeated many times throughout the song, never loses its impact on me is “I’ve got to move up north, it’s just temporary.” Many times when you lose someone close to you, there is a sudden stroke of permanency. Each day, there is a new realization that things will never be the same, moments will be missed, and everything will be different. These realizations make it crucial to remember that though death may be permanent in many ways, as cliche as it sounds, her “spirit,” “character,” “personality”—whatever you may want to call it—will stay with you for the rest of your life. Some things will stay gone and missed, but others will continue to exist, just a little differently. 

• You Might Also Like: Songs About Losing Your Mom

Birthday Cake by Dylan Conrique

Birthday Cake by Dylan Conrique went viral on TikTok after it was released because of the power behind her words. The song impacted so many people with its simple, yet incredibly effective message that so many people who have lost their mothers needed to hear. A hard lesson to come to terms with is the lack of advice, talks, and support. Often I have found myself wondering what she would say about my choices, or if she would approve of how I have decided to continue living my life. 

Conrique shares the importance of continuing to live your life “as if the world was on fire.” She believes that mothers would want their children to live life to the fullest as if bad things don’t happen, as if she was still alive. This is a powerful message because of how easy it is to give up hope on life after losing a mother whom you were close with. 

• You Might Also Like: Songs About Losing Your Dad

Welcome to Wonderland by Anson Seabra

Thissong in particular transcribes the moment a mom realizes that she died, and her children are still living without her. “Wonderland,” feels like a reality where health is healed, debt is gone, and life is easier and magical. Death, whether you believe in an afterlife or not, means an end to the suffering that can come with life. As a person who lost their mother to a chronic illness, I believe that life after death is easier and brings relief to the constant struggle. 

At the same time, once the awe of a peaceful rest wears off, there is the realization that loved ones are still left to exist, and her children as still left to exist without her. “Everyone who leaves, has a heavy heart,” to me does not relate to leaving Wonderland, but to leaving life. Mothers do not want to leave their children, but sometimes it is what happens. 

• You Might Also Like: Songs About Losing a Friend

Slipping Through My Fingers by Abba

In Momma Mia, a classic movie for any close mother and daughter, Slipping Through My Fingersis a mother’s realization that her daughter is growing up, and she must hold on tight to any memories or moments they have together. After a mother’s death, this song holds a different meaning. 

Looking back on memories together, there is a deep desire to “Freeze the picture,” and stay in those moments forever. When remembering plans that never came to fruition, all you want is to be able to make them come true, or at least go back to when you were dreaming and scheming and hopeful. 

• You Might Also Like: Songs About Losing Your Dog

Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran

“Supermarket Flowers” is arguably one of the saddest songs Ed Sheeran has written and is a perfect candidate for this list. The song is written as a message from a child to their mom as they begin clearing out their mom’s house and come to terms with her death. In an interview with Capital FM Radio, Sheeran explains that the song is written about his grandmother’s death, from his mom’s perspective. He shared that he wasn’t planning on including the song in his album until his grandfather urged him to at his grandmother’s funeral. 

Sheeran replicates the emotional turmoil experienced in the aftermath of a mother’s death exquisitely. Though the story of the song is heart-wrenching, the message he ends up telling creates a comforting twist on the moment. As patronage to the life and love had with a mother, he mentions the snapshots of her presence that you see around you as the realization of her passing hits. The lyrics of this song are comforting when experiencing similar pain, and are a reminder to look beyond the sorrow of what is lost, toward the memories and love that you had. 

So, if you’re looking for funeral songs for mom from daughter, then this Ed Sheeran track needs to make your shortlist.  

• You Might Also Like: Songs About Losing Someone

Seven by Taylor Swift

While this song is not inherently about the death of a mother, the lyrics have a nostalgic feeling toward the innocence of childhood. The lyrics feature different snapshots of memories from childhood where the overarching feeling is joy. For me, these feelings also bring up memories of happy times with my mom and the child-like innocence I had then. Swift’s song is a great outlet for the reflection of childhood that often comes when planning or attending a parent’s funeral.

• You Might Also Like: Songs About Losing Someone to Addiction

Two of Us by Louis Tomlinson

Something you are told many times after the death of an important person in your life is that, while you can no longer live the life you imagined together, you can live your life for the two of you. Louis Tomlinson perfectly shares this sentiment in his song “Two of Us.” After the passing of his mother, Tomlinson used his experience to create a song that speaks to the painful hope that comes after the death of a mother. The musical air of the piece is somehow both somber and hopeful. It matches the message behind his lyrics as he promises to “live one life for the two of us.” 

In an article with The Rolling Stone, Tomlinson hopes that his song “can help just one other person who’s going through the tough time that I went through.” Knowing the message behind the song strengthens the comfort found in this song. Not only are the lyrics able to connect to the emotions and experiences behind the death of a mother, but the intention behind the song mirrors that as well. For those seeking funeral songs for mom from son, this song is definitely worth considering.

Visiting Hours by Ed Sheeran

A huge realization that hits after the loss of a mother is the inability to ask for advice or share life milestones. In “Visiting Hours,” Ed Sheeran expresses the desire for one more conversation, putting the feeling into lyrics. The beautifully somber melody and lyrics make for a more emotional song, one that will bring forth tears. 

Good Grief by Bastille

In a contradictory upbeat song, Good Grief by Bastille tells the experience of losing someone close to you, attending their funeral, or cremation and life afterward. This song in particular takes close listening to discover the meaning as the upbeat soundtrack is a red herring towards the true emotion of the song. 

One line that perfectly describes my experience with losing my mother is “caught off guard by your favorite song, now I am dancing at a funeral.” Since her death, I have wanted to celebrate her life more than mourn her passing, or dance at a funeral to her favorite song even though it hurts to hear. 

In an iHeart interview, Bastille describes the song as “trying to capture the messy, complicated process of any kind of loss.” The song captures this message perfectly and gives the listener permission to experience whatever emotion the messy process is giving them. 

Memory Lane by Haley Joelle

After the death of a crucial member of your life, memories involving them become sweeter and more meaningful. In her song, Haley Joelle reflects on this concept, expressing her trips “down memory lane” and the bittersweet emotions she experiences. This song in particular would be a great choice for any specific memorial part of a funeral, a slideshow, wake, etc.

Conclusion

The emotions that come with losing a mother are painful and challenging. Having to then plan a funeral on top of the emotional grieving can be an impossible task. Music is a great way to connect people together and bring comfort to complex thoughts and feelings. These ten funeral songs for mom will hopefully help bring a feeling of connection in times of hardship. 

• If you enjoyed the article, be sure to subscribe to my Devoted to Vinyl YouTube channel and Facebook page.