Non Religious
Funeral Songs:
Secular & Meaningful Music
Not everyone wants hymns. Not everyone believes in heaven. That doesn't make grief any less real or the need for meaningful music any less urgent. These songs work for secular services, humanist ceremonies, or anyone who wants to honor a life without religious language.
The Tricky Part
Finding genuinely secular funeral songs is harder than it sounds. “Amazing Grace” is out. So is “I Can Only Imagine” and half of Eva Cassidy's catalog. Even “Hallelujah” has enough biblical references that some families skip it. The good news: plenty of beautiful music exists that focuses on love, memory, and life itself without invoking any deity.
We've filtered these carefully. No mentions of God, heaven, prayer, or afterlife. What's left is music about human connection, nature, gratitude, and the reality that someone's life mattered—regardless of what comes after. “What a Wonderful World,” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Here Comes the Sun”—songs that feel spiritual without being religious.
Categories of Non Religious Funeral Songs
Classic Ballads & Standards
Timeless non religious funeral songs that celebrate life, relationships, and cherished memories. These classics transcend generations with universal messages of love and remembrance.
Modern Pop & Rock
Contemporary non religious funeral songs that connect with modern audiences. These songs express grief, love, and celebration in today's musical language.
Nature & Life Themes
Non religious funeral songs celebrating the natural world and life's cycles. Perfect for those who found meaning in nature, seasons, and earth's beauty.
Classical & Instrumental
Elegant non religious funeral songs without lyrics. Classical pieces offer profound emotion through music alone, transcending language and belief systems.
Songs About Memory & Love
Non religious funeral songs focusing on human connections, lasting memories, and the bonds that endure. These songs celebrate relationships without religious context.
Non Religious Service Types
Humanist Ceremonies
Humanist funerals celebrate the deceased's life, values, and impact without religious elements. Non religious funeral songs emphasize human achievement, relationships, and positive memories.
Celebration of Life
Uplifting services focusing on joy, laughter, and fond memories. Non religious funeral songs can be upbeat and celebratory, reflecting the person's zest for life.
Memorial Gatherings
Informal gatherings with no set structure. Non religious funeral songs can range from background music to meaningful tributes chosen by family and friends.
Natural Burials
Eco-friendly services often held outdoors. Non religious funeral songs about nature, seasons, and returning to the earth resonate deeply with these ceremonies.
Complete Collection of Non Religious Funeral Songs
Browse our curated selection of non religious funeral songs spanning all genres and eras. Each song celebrates life, love, and memory without religious themes.
Led Zeppelin
Epic rock ballad building from gentle acoustic opening to soaring electric climax, considered one of the greatest rock songs ever.
Why it's meaningful: The journey from quiet to powerful mirrors life's progression and the soul's ascent to heaven.
Best moment: Powerful choice for brothers or classic rock lovers, especially the acoustic opening.
The Beatles
A tender reflection on places and people who shaped us, acknowledging that love endures even as life changes.
Why it's meaningful: Perfectly balances honoring the past while acknowledging loss.
Best moment: Universal choice for honoring anyone, celebrating their place in your life.
Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
A powerful duet about parting that combines classical grandeur with emotional depth.
Why it's meaningful: The soaring vocals and orchestral arrangement create a moment of beautiful farewell.
Best moment: Often chosen for the final farewell or committal.
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
A gentle ukulele version that transforms the classic into a peaceful farewell.
Why it's meaningful: The Hawaiian rendition brings a sense of peace and the promise of a better place.
Best moment: Creates a serene atmosphere during reflection or exit.
God Bless the U.S.A.
Lee Greenwood
A patriotic anthem expressing love for America and gratitude for those who serve.
Why it's meaningful: Celebrates the values and freedoms that veterans fought to protect.
Best moment: Inspiring as a processional or during military honors.
Adagio for Strings
Samuel Barber
One of the most emotionally powerful pieces in classical music.
Why it's meaningful: Expresses grief with such depth that it has become synonymous with mourning and remembrance.
Best moment: Creates a profound atmosphere during the most solemn moments of the service.
One Sweet Day
Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
A powerful duet about missing someone and looking forward to reunion, expressing all the things left unsaid.
Why it's meaningful: The soaring harmonies and emotional vocals create a cathartic release while offering hope of eventual reunion and expressing unspoken love.
Best moment: Emotional peak moment during service, allows congregants to fully feel their grief.
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men's acapella ballad about parting ways, made iconic by the movie Cooley High.
Why it's meaningful: The harmony-driven vocals capture the collective grief of saying goodbye, making it perfect for young people or tight-knit groups.
Best moment: Powerful for younger generations or honoring friendships and brotherhood.
Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Southern rock anthem about freedom and living without constraints, featuring one of rock's greatest guitar solos.
Why it's meaningful: For free spirits who refused to be caged, this song celebrates independence and the soul's liberation.
Best moment: Perfect for brothers or men who lived boldly and valued freedom.
Fire and Rain
James Taylor
James Taylor's deeply personal song written about the suicide of a close friend.
Why it's meaningful: Written about the death of a friend, this song captures the specific shock and ongoing pain of unexpected loss.
Best moment: Powerful for sudden losses or honoring those who struggled with mental health.
Landslide
Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks' reflective ballad about aging, change, and the passage of time.
Why it's meaningful: The honest confrontation with time's passage resonates deeply at funerals.
Best moment: Powerful for honoring women and reflecting on life's journey.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Beatles
George Harrison's melancholic masterpiece with Eric Clapton's weeping guitar solo expressing grief beyond words.
Why it's meaningful: The guitar literally weeps, expressing emotions words cannot capture.
Best moment: Powerful for honoring guitar players or classic rock lovers.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Motown classic about unwavering devotion and the promise to be there no matter what obstacles arise.
Why it's meaningful: The promise that nothing can keep us apart offers hope that death itself cannot sever the bonds of love.
Best moment: Uplifting choice for celebrating unshakeable devotion and enduring connection.
Georgia on My Mind
Ray Charles
Ray Charles' iconic soul interpretation of the Hoagy Carmichael classic, full of longing for home.
Why it's meaningful: The longing for Georgia represents nostalgia for home and better times, honoring those who cherished their roots.
Best moment: Perfect for Georgia natives or honoring homesick souls.
End of the Road
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men's emotional R&B ballad about reaching the painful end of a relationship.
Why it's meaningful: The raw emotion in accepting that we've reached the end captures the finality of loss.
Best moment: Emotional choice for 90s music lovers or expressing the finality of loss.
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Al Green's silky soul classic about eternal commitment and standing by your love.
Why it's meaningful: The promise to stay together through good and bad times honors marriages that endured all seasons.
Best moment: Perfect for long-term marriages built on commitment and devotion.
Midnight Train to Georgia
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight's soulful story of devotion, following love back home no matter what.
Why it's meaningful: The journey back home represents the soul's return to where it belongs.
Best moment: For Georgia natives or honoring the journey home to rest.
You'll Never Walk Alone
From Carousel (1945)
Powerful anthem of hope and companionship through life's darkest storms.
Why it's meaningful: Reassures mourners they are not alone in their grief journey.
Best moment: Inspiring as a closing hymn or recessional.
Caledonia
Dougie MacLean
Scotland's unofficial national anthem — a song of homesickness where 'home' becomes a metaphor for the afterlife.
Why it's meaningful: For a Scot dying anywhere in the world, the lyric about being called home is the most powerful sentiment available. Death reframed as homecoming.
Best moment: Main tribute moment or recessional. The Dougie MacLean original is tender; the Paolo Nutini cover is soulful.
Even Though I'm Leaving
Luke Combs
A modern masterpiece of storytelling — child afraid of monsters, son leaving for the army, father dying. Three verses spanning a lifetime.
Why it's meaningful: Emphasizes the continuity of a father's protection even after death. The narrative arc mirrors the mourner's own life with their dad.
Best moment: Tribute moment for fathers, especially from the perspective of a son.
I Hope You Dance
Lee Ann Womack
A parent giving advice to a child — the 'dance' is a metaphor for engaging with life fully, taking risks, and never becoming bitter.
Why it's meaningful: Functions as a final blessing from the deceased to the living. Alleviates survivor's guilt by saying 'Go live.'
Best moment: Recessional or final moment. Redirects focus from the coffin to the future.
I Will Always Love You
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton's original — a graceful farewell that acknowledges the bittersweet nature of parting while affirming eternal love.
Why it's meaningful: Themes of eternal love make it a funeral staple. The country original is more intimate than the Whitney Houston version.
Best moment: Spouse's funeral or mother's farewell. The stripped-back arrangement lets the words carry the weight.
Live Like You Were Dying
Tim McGraw
Inspired by McGraw's own father's cancer diagnosis. A man given a terminal diagnosis decides to live fully in his remaining time.
Why it's meaningful: Celebrates seizing life rather than fearing death. Reframes the funeral as honouring someone who truly lived.
Best moment: Celebration of life services, especially for those who lived boldly or fought illness.
Simply the Best
Tina Turner
80s power anthem with synthesizer stabs and Turner's raspy, powerful vocals. A direct eulogy in song form.
Why it's meaningful: Validates the grief (we are sad because you were the best) while celebrating the person's value. Allows leaving with heads held high.
Best moment: Recessional. Particularly popular for spouses and sports fans.
Don't Stop Me Now
Queen
High-tempo, piano-driven rock about having the time of your life. Freddie Mercury's vocals are ecstatic and infectious.
Why it's meaningful: The 'Party Funeral' anthem. Suggests the deceased's life was a continuous burst of energy that death cannot fully arrest.
Best moment: Recessional for young people or those who lived joyful, hedonistic lives.
Here Comes the Sun
The Beatles
George Harrison's gentle acoustic anthem about darkness giving way to light. One of the most hopeful songs ever written.
Why it's meaningful: Frames grief as a long winter that will eventually end. The simple melody and warm acoustic guitar provide genuine comfort.
Best moment: Recessional or end of service. Universally appropriate and deeply comforting.
Air on the G String
J.S. Bach
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. The 'walking bass' line is steady and heartbeat-like, providing order and calm. Written for exactly this kind of solemn occasion.
Why it's meaningful: The bass line acts as a metronome for pallbearers. It brings structure when emotions are chaotic — literally organizing grief into rhythm.
Best moment: Entrance processional. The steady tempo (~60 BPM) matches a dignified walking pace. Duration: ~4-5 minutes.
Wind Beneath My Wings
Bette Midler
The ultimate tribute to the quiet supporter: 'Did you ever know that you're my hero?' Perfect for those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for their family.
Why it's meaningful: Gives voice to gratitude the family feels they didn't express enough in life. A final public declaration of thanks.
Best moment: Eulogy support or tribute. The emotional build allows the speaker time to compose themselves.
Amor Eterno
Rocío Dúrcal / Juan Gabriel
The definitive Mexican funeral anthem. Written by Juan Gabriel as an elegy for his mother, it articulates undying love that transcends death: 'Amor eterno e inolvidable.'
Why it's meaningful: Triggers collective catharsis — the moment it plays, cultural permission to weep openly is granted. Validates the mourner's agony while promising reunion.
Best moment: Graveside as the casket is lowered, or the emotional climax of the velorio (wake).
My Girl
The Temptations
The definitive Motown love song — sunshine on a cloudy day. David Ruffin's tenor makes ordinary devotion feel transcendent.
Why it's meaningful: For daughters, wives, and mothers who were someone's 'sunshine.' The warmth and simplicity capture what it meant to have them in your life.
Best moment: Tribute or slideshow. The iconic bass line creates instant recognition and emotional connection.
Dust in the Wind
Kansas
A meditation on mortality over fingerpicked guitar — 'All we are is dust in the wind.' One of rock's most philosophical statements on impermanence.
Why it's meaningful: Confronts death directly without religious framing. For those who found peace in accepting life's transience rather than promising eternity.
Best moment: Reflection or tribute. The acoustic intimacy creates a contemplative pause in the service.
Everybody Hurts
R.E.M.
Michael Stipe's direct message to anyone in pain — 'Hold on.' Written deliberately simply so the message couldn't be missed.
Why it's meaningful: At funerals it shifts meaning — not just 'hold on through this grief' but also validation that the deceased's pain is over. Permission to grieve openly.
Best moment: Reflection or tribute. The slow build from whisper to full band mirrors the communal nature of grief.
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Roger Waters' elegy for Syd Barrett — absence as a physical ache. 'We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.'
Why it's meaningful: The title alone captures every mourner's feeling. Originally about losing someone to mental illness, it resonates with any form of loss.
Best moment: Tribute or reflection. The acoustic intro into electric build mirrors the shift from private grief to shared remembrance.
Bette Midler
A tribute to someone who was a source of strength and inspiration.
Why it's meaningful: Celebrates the quiet heroes in our lives who lifted us up without seeking recognition.
Best moment: Beautiful during eulogies or photo tributes.
Sarah McLachlan
A tender song offering comfort and release from suffering.
Why it's meaningful: Provides solace with its message of finding peace after struggle.
Best moment: Deeply moving during times of quiet reflection.
Louis Armstrong
A celebration of life
Why it's meaningful: Reminds us to appreciate the world our loved one cherished.
Best moment: Uplifting choice for celebrating a life of gratitude.
Hurt
Johnny Cash
Cash's haunting cover of Nine Inch Nails, reflecting on a life lived and the pain that remains.
Why it's meaningful: The raw emotion and reflection on mortality resonates deeply at end-of-life celebrations.
Best moment: Powerful for services honoring those who lived complex, full lives.
Some Gave All
Billy Ray Cyrus
A heartbreaking reminder of how much soldiers give up to serve on the front lines.
Why it's meaningful: Recognizes the bravery of those willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Best moment: Appropriate for honoring fallen soldiers and veterans.
Fix You
Coldplay
A song about wanting to help heal someone through their darkest moments, building to a hopeful climax.
Why it's meaningful: Speaks to the desire to comfort those in grief and the promise of eventual healing.
Best moment: Moving during services for those who were caregivers or healers.
How to Choose Non Religious Funeral Songs
Reflect Their Personality
Choose non religious funeral songs that genuinely reflect who they were. Did they love classic rock? Jazz? Classical? Country? Their musical taste tells their story better than any generic selection. Include their favorite artists or songs they played repeatedly.
Consider the Lyrics Carefully
While avoiding religious references, ensure non religious funeral songs have appropriate, meaningful lyrics. Read full lyrics before committing—some songs have unexpected verses. Focus on themes of love, memory, nature, life's journey, or simple instrumental beauty.
Balance Emotions
Mix contemplative and uplifting non religious funeral songs. Start with something reflective, include deeply emotional pieces during tributes, and consider ending with hope or celebration. This emotional arc helps mourners process grief while honoring the person's full life.
Think About Your Audience
Consider attendees when selecting non religious funeral songs. Some families appreciate modern, unconventional choices; others prefer familiar classics. Balance personal favorites with songs most people will appreciate. Avoid anything too obscure unless it was deeply meaningful to the deceased.
Confirm Venue Policies
Most secular venues have no restrictions on non religious funeral songs. However, if using a church or religious facility, confirm they allow secular music. Funeral homes, crematoriums, and private venues typically welcome all music choices without limitations.
Common Questions About Non Religious Funeral Songs
What are non religious funeral songs?
01
What are non religious funeral songs?
01Non religious funeral songs are secular songs without references to God, heaven, prayer, or religious themes. These meaningful songs focus on love, memories, nature, life's journey, and celebrating the person's impact. They're perfect for humanist, atheist, agnostic, or non-denominational memorial services.
Can you have a funeral without religious music?
02
Can you have a funeral without religious music?
02Absolutely. Non religious funeral songs are increasingly common as more families choose secular, humanist, or celebration of life services. These services focus on honoring the person's life, values, and relationships without religious elements. You have complete freedom to select meaningful music that reflects your loved one's personality and beliefs.
What are good secular songs for a celebration of life?
03
What are good secular songs for a celebration of life?
03Popular non religious funeral songs for celebrations of life include "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, "Time of Your Life" by Green Day, and "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor. These songs celebrate life's beauty and human connections.
Are non religious funeral songs appropriate for all venues?
04
Are non religious funeral songs appropriate for all venues?
04Most funeral homes, crematoriums, and secular venues welcome non religious funeral songs. However, if holding a service in a church or religious facility, check their policies first. Some churches require religious music during ceremonies. Secular venues like event spaces, parks, or family homes have no restrictions on music choice.
How do I choose non religious funeral songs for someone who wasn't religious?
05
How do I choose non religious funeral songs for someone who wasn't religious?
05Choose non religious funeral songs that reflect the person's favorite music, hobbies, personality, and values. Consider songs about nature if they loved outdoors, uplifting songs if they had positive energy, or contemplative pieces if they were thoughtful. Focus on lyrics about love, memories, friendship, and life's meaning rather than afterlife or religious themes.
David Chen
Classical Music SpecialistConcert pianist and organist specializing in classical and sacred funeral music. Juilliard-trained with 20+ years of memorial service experience.