As I started to write the previous post featuring songs about death, I quickly realized there was a lot to say about these beautiful expressions of grief, loss and dying. So, here we are once again with a whole new list of songs and a little commentary to go with.
Have a song about death that holds a special place in your heart or a special story about one of the songs listed here? Leave us a comment and share!
When I Get Where I’m Going – Brad Paisley
To be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with Brad Paisley. He is one of the greatest guitarists and singer-songwriters in country music today, but he has yet to write a single album that does not have at least one song on it that makes me cry like a baby. It happens every time, without fail.
On Brad’s Time Well Wasted album, this song about what heaven would be like and what he would do when he gets there, was the one that got me.
If Tomorrow Never Comes – Garth Brooks
There’s a reason this was one song that put Garth Brooks on the map in his early days and why it is still a staple of his set list today.
Remember, tell that someone that you love just what you’re thinking of… if tomorrow never comes. It’s that simple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY07-DCQ4EI
For a Dancer – Jackson Browne
Those who know me can tell you that I should have been a teenager in the 1970’s; I’m a total class rock addict. Sadly, I didn’t discover Jackson Browne until a few years ago, but when I did, I became obsessed.
It wasn’t until I heard the line, “In the end, there is one dance you do alone” that I realized this might be one of my favorite songs and it was, of course, a song about death. The version I’m sharing here is the first version I heard and it is just as haunting today as it was the first time I heard it.
Missing You – Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans
Written as a tribute to recording artist Notorious B.I.G. after his murder, this track was written and performed by his close friend and partner, Puff Daddy, with B.I.G.’s wife, Faith Evans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fesv7_fXvs
Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
Unfortunately, Eric Clapton is no stranger to loss and grief as was made evident when he released “Tears in Heaven” in 1991. The song was written about the loss he felt after his four-year-old son fell from the 53rd story of a New York apartment building.
Last Updated: February 28, 2019