1950s
Funeral Songs
Explore 9 funeral songs tagged as "1950s". Each song has been carefully curated to help you create a meaningful memorial service.
All 1950s Songs
When the Saints Go Marching In
by Louis Armstrong
The quintessential New Orleans jazz funeral song, starting somber then exploding into joyful celebration during the second line.
Why it's meaningful: Embodies New Orleans jazz funeral tradition - mourning the loss while celebrating the soul\\
Best moment: Recessional or second line celebration, especially for New Orleans funerals.
My Way
by Frank Sinatra
An anthem of living life on one
Why it's meaningful: Celebrates individuality and a life lived with conviction.
Best moment: Perfect for honoring someone with a strong, independent spirit.
What a Wonderful World
by 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
by Johnny Cash
Cash\\
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.
St. James Infirmary Blues
by Louis Armstrong
Classic New Orleans blues about visiting a deceased lover at St. James Infirmary, with haunting melody and somber brass.
Why it's meaningful: One of the most iconic blues funeral songs, capturing death\\
Best moment: Perfect for New Orleans-style funerals or honoring blues music lovers.
Summertime
by Ella Fitzgerald
Gershwin\\
Why it's meaningful: The gentle lullaby quality promises that life is easy now, offering comfort that the deceased is finally at rest.
Best moment: Beautiful for mothers, children, or anyone deserving peaceful rest.
Autumn Leaves
by Nat King Cole
Jazz standard about memories fading like autumn leaves, with Nat King Cole\\
Why it's meaningful: The autumn imagery captures the bittersweet beauty of endings and the gentle fading of summer into winter.
Best moment: Perfect for autumn funerals or honoring the beauty of life\\
We\\
by Vera Lynn
A wartime classic offering hope for reunion, beloved by the Greatest Generation.
Why it's meaningful: Carried many through wartime separations and speaks to meeting again in the afterlife.
Best moment: Particularly meaningful for WWII generation services.
The Very Thought of You
by Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole\\
Why it's meaningful: Celebrates how the thought alone of someone can fill us with warmth, honoring enduring romantic presence.
Best moment: Tender choice for honoring romantic love that fills the heart.