50 Country Funeral Songs for Saying Goodbye

Updated May 7, 2020
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Country funeral songs are perfect for funerals because they often capture heartfelt messages in comforting ways. The best country songs for funerals are the ones that speak to who your loved one was or how everyone feels about them being gone.

Old Country Songs for Funerals

Older country songs from 20 or more years ago are ideal for older people and make good songs for a memorial slideshow because of their storytelling.

Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver

Written in 1970 by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver, this iconic song isn't about death or dying, but rather going home. Take Me Home, Country Roads could easily be interpreted as going home to heaven, especially since the first lyric is "almost heaven" and the rest of the lyrics do a lot of reminiscing.

A Picture of Me (Without You) by George Jones

Perfect for anyone feeling the extreme grief associate with the loss of a loved one, George Jones sings about how much it hurts to lose someone in A Picture of Me (Without You) from 1972.

I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton

Country legend Dolly Parton's 1974 single is self-explanatory. While I Will Always Love You wasn't written about death, the lyrics express deep love and care for someone you have to say goodbye to.

He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones

First released in 1980, He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones is a story about a man who never stopped loving a woman until the day he died. The sentiments make the song ideal for funerals of husbands, fathers, and grandfathers.

The Dance by Garth Brooks

This Garth Brooks song released in 1990 is sure to hit a soft spot as it talks about having one last dance or moment with the one you loved before he or she died. The Dance celebrates life and the way people have pursued their dreams, making it ideal for celebration of life events.

Go Rest High On That Mountain by Vince Gill

Vince Gill's Grammy-winning song was written after the death of his brother and released in 1994. The song acknowledges grief but gives hope for a peaceful afterlife for the deceased. Go Rest High On That Mountain is a staple of funeral and memorial services, especially for men because of the lyric "Son, your work on earth is done."

Gospel Country Songs for Funerals

Gospel country songs are a natural choice for religious funerals and memorials where the focus in on the deceased being with God or God helping mourners grieve.

Just a Closer Walk With Thee by Patsy Cline

Just a Closer Walk With Thee was originally written as a hymn, and country royalty Patsy Cline's version is appropriate for funerals and memorial services alike. The song touches upon the spiritual nature of death and promises an afterlife spent with God.

Angels Among Us by Alabama

Angels Among Us by country crooners Alabama was released in 1993. The song reminds everyone that people on Earth are angels sent from Heaven and when their time is through here, they will go back.

You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban

This Josh Groban hit is a new age country song released in 2002 that many would also consider gospel country. It can be interpreted in two ways: A tune praising God as He helps you carry the burden of the loved one's death or a dedication to the deceased person. You Raise Me Up is a powerful ballad that's perfect for funerals of parents or grandparents who have helped to keep you strong.

Why Me by Kris Kristofferson

While the song is not about death, lyrics like "Help me Jesus, my soul's in your hand." could be interpreted as a call from mourners to get help from God with their grief. Why Me is often also called Why Me Lord.

Pop Country Songs for Funerals

Many country singers have crossed over into the pop charts with beautiful songs about life, love, and death. These songs are great for younger people or to appeal to a broad audience.

One More Day by Diamond Rio

Made popular by Diamond Rio in 2000, One More Day is about what you would do if you had more time with someone you loved who has died. The song has been used in a memorial for racecar driver Dale Earnhardt and even for 9/11 tributes.

How Do I Live by LeAnn Rimes

Originally released by country singer LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood separately in 1997, this song reminisces about a person's life with the one he or she loved. How Do I Live is a love song, but it also reaches those mourning the loss of a spouse or any family member who might be wondering how they'll go on.

I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack

I Hope You Dance transcends musical genres. Though country, it's popular among Top 40 lists as well. It celebrates life, which is something that those who grieve need to be reminded of sometimes.

If I Die Young by The Band Perry

Released in 2010, this upbeat tune is a nontraditional choice for the funeral of someone who died young. If I Die Young by The Band Perry chronicles the sadness of dying at a young age.

Believe by Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn's hit Believe won the 2006 CMA for Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music video of the year. The song tells a story about an old neighbor who provided some wise words about life that were best understood after he died.

Contemporary Country Songs for Funerals

Country songs released in the last 20 years or so provide comfort and understanding at funerals of younger people. They often speak about specific types of deaths, making them feel more personal.

Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood puts her faith on full display in the 2009 song Temporary Home, which stresses the importance of remembering that life on Earth is temporary. It's a good choice for those wanting to highlight the joy of the afterlife instead of the sadness of death.

Go On Without Me by Brett Eldredge

Released in 2013, Brett Eldredge's Go On Without Me is great for any funeral because it shares the sentiment that your loved ones who have died would want you to go on living a happy life and they'll be with you how they can.

Broken Halos by Chris Stapleton

Broken Halos is a 2017 song by Chris Stapleton about people who died too soon. The song shares that you can't ever know the reasons why, but they do come to earth to help others after they've died.

Drink a Beer by Luke Bryan

Though the title sounds indicative of a rip-roaring country tune, it's a very touching ballad about coping with an unexpected death. Drink a Beer came out in 2013 and is a great song for funerals or memorial services for friends who have died.

When I Get Where I'm Going by Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton

When I Get Where I'm Going by country powerhouses Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton is a lovely song from 2005 about the promise of a joyful afterlife. It's a good song to choose if the message you want to convey is one of hope and knowing your loved one is happy in heaven.

Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney

Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney was released in 2007 and focuses on the importance of living every moment to its fullest. Though the message is more intended toward the living, it is still a powerful song to play at a funeral for someone who you feel was gone too soon.

If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away by Justin Moore

Written about wishing to visit in heaven with all the people he's lost, Justin Moore's If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away is a great song for any funeral as it will have friends and family thinking about all the people they love that are gone. This cover song was released in 2011.

I Drive Your Truck by Lee Brice

While the lyrics indicate this 2012 song is meant for a brother, it also works as a great tribute to a good guy friend or a son. I Drive Your Truck by Lee Brice chronicles how one man copes with grief by driving a deceased loved one's truck.

Country Funeral Songs for Dad

Losing your dad can be especially difficult. These country songs were written specifically about how losing a father feels.

Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle

Bob Carlisle's 1997 hit country song Butterfly Kisses is about a girl's relationship with her father. This country funeral song is popular at weddings and funeral services for fathers and grandfathers. It's also fitting for a daughter's funeral as the final lyrics include "I know I've gotta let her go."

Daddy's Hands by Holly Dunn

Holly Dunn's Daddy's Hands is a tribute to all the things dads do for their children and how their love was always felt in their hands.

Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw

Particularly appropriate for a father's funeral, this 2004 Tim McGraw song reminds people to enjoy the time they have with the people they love. Live Like You Were Dying is a Grammy winner and features emotional lyrics that resonate with those in mourning.

You Should Be Here by Cole Swindell

While the song doesn't specifically mention a father, Cole Swindell helped write You Should Be Here after the loss of his own father. The song shares the sentiment that a son often feels the absence of his dad in specific moments and truly misses him.

I'm Already There (Message From Home) by Lonestar

Written from the perspective of a dad who's away from home, I'm Already There by Lonestar reminds spouses and children that the man they love is always with them.

He Didn't Have to Be by Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley's He Didn't Have to Be is a great tribute to stepfathers and would be a really personal song for a step-dad's funeral. The song talks about how these men take on a family when they marry single moms.

Country Funeral Songs for Mom

Some country songs are written for mothers or the family they left behind. The lyrics pay special tribute to mother's and how hard it is to lose them.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle by Glenn Campbell

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a tribute to motherhood and a good choice for the funeral of a mom who had sons. While there is a bit of spiritual reference in the 1987 song, the focus is how mothers make sacrifices for their kids.

I Can't Write That by Jeff Bates

While it's not specifically written for a mother, Jeff Bates' I Can't Write That is about how hard it is to write something like a eulogy for a woman you loved who has died.

How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye by Patty Loveless

How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye by Patty Loveless was released in 1993. It's the perfect song to be played at a funeral for anyone's mother. The tune is about a daughter's life and how her mother helped her overcome hard obstacles, such as saying goodbye to a best friend and husband. At the end, she teaches her daughter to say goodbye as the mother passes on.

There You'll Be by Faith Hill

While it's not written specifically for mothers, Faith Hill's There You'll Be speaks about missing someone you love dearly and who gave you a lot of strength and guidance in life. The sentiment that a mother's love always stays with you is felt in the lyrics.

Roses for Mama by C. W. McCall

Roses for Mama is a story about a boy who has lost his mother and an adult reflecting on how to appreciate his living mother more.

Mama Sang a Song by Bill Anderson and The Whites

Mama Sang a Song is a Christian song about how a mother always sang a hymn when things seemed difficult. It's a great tribute to a Christian mom and how she helped her family deal with tough times.

Country Funeral Songs for Grandpa

It seems like grandfathers are often the subject of country songs, especially songs about losing them.

Grandpa by Justin Moore

If you need a moving song about a grandfather meaning the world to his family, this is a good option. Grandpa by Justin Moore reflects on Grandpa as a role model and leader of the family.

I Wish Grandpas Never Died by Riley Green

Riley Green wrote the song I Wish Grandpas Never Died to help him get over the loss of his own grandfather. The song recounts all the things he wishes were true in life, especially that grandpas could never leave you.

In Color by Jamey Johnson

A great song for a slideshow of a grandfather's life is In Colorby Jamey Johnson. The song chronicles grandfathers showing pictures of their lives to their grandsons.

He Walked on Water by Randy Travis

Written about a great-grandfather, Randy Travis' He Walked on Water shares the sweet sentiment that grandchildren see their grandfathers as godly or angels.

Grandpa Told Me So by Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney shares the sentiment that the wisdom of grandfather's are words to live by even after he's gone in Grandpa Told Me So.

Country Funeral Songs for Grandma

Grandmothers are another popular subject for country songs because of the impact they have on people's lives.

Grandma's Hands by Bill Withers

Country with a touch of blues, Grandma's Hands recalls the look of a grandma's hands while also reflecting upon her importance as a role model.

My Angel by Kellie Pickler

With lyrics like "My grandmother, my angel" Kellie Pickler pays tribute to the loving nature of her grandmother in My Angel.

Grandma's Garden by Zac Brown

Zac Brown wrote Grandma's Garden as a tribute to his grandmother. The song shares how grandmas cultivate a family, making it the perfect choice for a family service.

Love, Me by Collin Raye

Told from the perspective of a grandson and grandfather, Love, Me is a beautiful song by Collin Raye about how grandparents promise to love each other. In the song, the grandmother dies, and the grandfather remembers that she'll be waiting for him in heaven.

Holes In the Floor of Heaven by Steve Wariner

Singer Steve Wariner shares the idea that your grandma can look down on you after she dies because there are holes in the floor of Heaven. This sweet song also talks about losing a wife and a mother, making it a good choice for many women's funerals.

Country Funeral Songs for a Sibling or Child

Losing a sibling or a child can be particularly difficult because you don't expect to lose loved ones who are young. These songs speak to these specific types of loss.

If Tomorrow Never Comes by Garth Brooks

This love song was written from the perspective of a father to his daughter. If Tomorrow Never Comes by Garth Brooks is essentially a love letter from a father telling his daughter how much he loves her.

Sissy's Song by Alan Jackson

Sissy's Song by Alan Jackson was written for a woman who was a "daughter, wife, and mother," but the title implies it could be from the perspective of a brother about his sister. The lyrics provide comfort in knowing she's with Jesus and will be okay.

Angels in Waiting by Tammy Cochran

Written for two brothers she lost, Angels in Waiting is a sweet song by Tammy Cochran about how her brothers were angels all along, just waiting for their wings to fly to Heaven.

If Only I Had Known by Reba McEntire

While it can also be considered a love song, Reba McEntire's If Only I Had Known talks about someone slipping aways suddenly, which could easily be the sentiments of losing a child.

Clouds by Montgomery Gentry

Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry says the song Clouds came to him one day as a tribute to the son he'd lost and the father he'd lost. The lyrics talk about imagining your loved ones are in the clouds and praying for clouds so you can see them there.

Country Songs for Comfort

Playing a favorite country song of your loved one at their funeral can provide comfort to mourners. This particular genre of music is about storytelling, which is what makes it so special at a funeral.

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50 Country Funeral Songs for Saying Goodbye