35 Baby Funeral Songs: When Words Aren’t Enough

Published September 2, 2020
baby in heaven

The death of a baby or child is one of the most painful and heart-wrenching things that can happen to a family. A heart touching song for a baby funeral or a child's funeral can comfort and help parents and mourners express deep emotions that spoken words never could. The baby funeral songs listed below capture the emotion behind an infant or child's death.

1. See You Again

"See You Again" by Carrie Underwood is about a lost lover. Still, the lyrics, "I can hear those echoes in the wind at night, calling me back in time, back to you, in a place far away" can be reassuring to parents that they will see their child again.

2. Blue Bonnets

"Blue Bonnets" by Aaron Watson was written by Aaron when he lost his daughter, Julia, shortly after her birth. He wrote "Blue Bonnets" to "kiss his angel girl" goodbye.

3. Baby Mine

"Baby Mine" is an emotional lullaby that was first sung by Dumbo's mother in the 1941 Disney movie Dumbo. Dumbo's mother, though unable to see her child, cradles and rocks him with her trunk through the window of a circus wagon.

4. Beautiful Boy

"Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon is a wonderful funeral song of a boy's funeral. "Before you cross the street, take my hand" can be interpreted that the boy's dad is walking his beautiful boy to heaven.

5. Hug Him Once for Me

"Hug Him Once for Me" by Erica Waddell was written by Erica when she lost her son, Braden, when she put him down for a nap, and he didn't wake up. It's a plaintive cry to the heavens to hug her son once more for mom.

6. Godspeed

"Goodspeed," sung by the Chicks, was written by Radney Foster when he lost custody of his son, but its touching lyrics, "Sweet Dreams little man. Oh, my love will fly to you each night on angel's wings," make it a popular song for a baby boy's funeral.

7. Smallest Wingless

"Smallest Wingless" by Craig Cardiff is a sweet, heartfelt song about "Saying hello at the same time we said goodbye."

8. Carry

"Carry" by Tori Amos sings a mother's anguish when she has a miscarriage or births a stillborn child. "Here I will carry, carry, carry you forever."

9. Gone Too Soon

"Gone Too Soon" by Daughtry is a song with lyrics that tug the heartstrings of all parents of a stillborn baby. "I'm always asking why this crazy world had to lose. Such a ray of light we never knew."

10. Still

"Still" by Gerrit Hofsink has lyrics that express the love for a child the parents never met. "Lost you before I found you, gone before you came, but I love you just the same."

11. Beam Me Up

"Beam Me Up" by Pink is about a miscarriage she had before become pregnant and giving birth to her daughter, Willow. It says what's in a mother's heart when she loses a child before even looking into their eyes.

12. Small Bump

"Small Bump" by Ed Sheeran was written about a friend who miscarried. It's about parents who were making plans for the baby before it was stillborn.

14. My Name

"My Name" by George Canyon is a song about miscarriage that's written through the baby's eyes. Beautiful and so touching when the baby says, "You love me just the same, and you didn't even know my name."

15. Borrowed Angels

"Borrowed Angels" by Kristin Chenoweth answers "Why was the child taken so soon me. Children are borrowed angels, and sometimes "heaven needs them back again."

16. Calling All Angels

"Calling All Angels" written by Jane Siberry and sung by KD Lang tells about the heaviness and suffering a mother feels at losing a child. Its lyrics are a plea for help from the angels. "Walk me through this one, don't leave me alone," speak of the pain and helplessness parents feel when they lose a child.

17. Lullaby (Good Night My Angel)

Billy Joel wrote "Lullaby, Good Night my Angel" after his young daughter asked him what happens when you die. "Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away" are powerful and heartfelt words that all parents of a child who has died understand.

18. Bright Eyes

"Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel is especially appropriate for a child who has died after a long illness. It brings tears to eyes, especially when you hear, "Oh, is it a dream?" and "How can the light that burned so brightly suddenly burn so pale."

19. Sail to the Moon

"Sail to the Moon" sung by Radiohead's Thom Yorke is so plaintive, haunting, and beautiful that it echos the loneliness a parent feels when losing a child.

20. As I Lay Me Down

"As I Lay Me Down" by Sophie B. Hawkins has prayerful and wistful lyrics: "Though I'm far away, I'll whisper your name into the sky - And I will wake up happy."

21. Tears in Heaven

Eric Clapton lost his young child in a tragic accident, and his song, "Tears in Heaven", is so moving because it comes straight from the heart of a grieving father.

22. Winter Bear

"Winter Bear" by Coby Grant is heart-touching and echo what a parent feels when they say goodbye to a stillborn child. "I knew you before I knew your name. I loved you before I saw your face. I longed for you for all of that time. And I held your heart in mine. I kissed you a hundred million times. I tasted the tears that I cried. I held you, my beautiful child. And I'll keep your heart in mine."

23. Who You'd Be Today

"Who You'd Be Today" by Kenny Chesney mourns the loss of a never to be future and allows a moment to imagine what might have been.

24. Forever Young

"Forever Young" by Rod Stewart reminds parents that their child will always remain a forever young and playful child in their memory.

25. Sleep Tight

"Sleep Tight" by Celine Dion is a lullaby that gives reassurance that the angels are watching over a child, keeping them safe and warm.

26. Fly

"Fly" by Celine Dion is a lovely, sweet, and hopeful song with lyrics that speak of heaven's love and escape from sorrow and pain.

27. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo' ole reassures parents that their child is happy and at play in heaven.

28. Jesus Loves the Little Children

"Jesus Love the Little Children" is a Sunday school inspired by what Jesus says in the bible at Matthew 19:14, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

29. Angels Among Us

"Angels Among Us" by Alabama asks parents to believe that their child was an angel and though they may never know why they lost their precious child, they must have faith that the Lord works in mysterious way's

30. Goodbye

"Goodbye" by Kenny Rogers gives voice to the goodbye that's so difficult to say. It's a reminder that you mourn the loss of a child not so much because they're gone, but because they were here.

31. Arms of an Angel

Sung by Sarah McLachlan, "Arms of an Angel" evokes a level of emotion that few other singers or songs can.

32. Prayer for You

"Prayer for You" by Usher is a simple, short prayer for his child that says, "a simple thought of you means everything."

33. Precious Child

"Precious Child" by Karen Taylor Good is a song about a lost child living forever in the hearts and minds of the mother, and all those who loved them.

34. The Circle of Life

"The Circle of Life" from the Lion King was written and sung by Elton John. The lyrics, "the circle of life, is a ring of fortune," can help parents accept move past why their child was taken too soon.

35. When the River Meets the Sea

"When the River Meets the Sea" by John Denver is a moving ballad that will not only touch mourners with its beautiful melody and lyrics, it also offers a bit of comfort and understanding of death.

Baby Funeral Songs for Healing

Coping with the loss of any loved one is difficult. However, the pain of loss can be overwhelmingly sad at a baby or child's funeral and tears can help to heal grief and relieve stress. The best funeral songs for a baby or child's funeral are the songs that encourage emotional tears to flow.

35 Baby Funeral Songs: When Words Aren’t Enough