Tag Archives: Memorial Music

“Sam Stone” by John Prine

A memorial song vividly depicts life after war and the pain of loss to addiction

John Prine has dedicated most of his life to creating and sharing emotional and narrative-driven music. He is acclaimed as a songwriter and his versatility in subject matter ranges from immensely funny, to heart-wrenchingly sad. NPR has described him as having … Continue reading

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Traditional U.S. Military Funeral Service

How will you honor lost loved ones this Memorial Day?

Can you resist feeling moved when you hear the fire of the three-gun salute and the playing of Taps at a military funeral service? When I hear that — even when I see it in a movie! — I can’t help … Continue reading

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“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day

An upbeat song that reflects on the memories of lost loved ones

By now, Green Day has marked their place in music history as a favorite among punk rock bands. While the music has evolved over the years, their catchy melodies generally mark them as an upbeat, popular band. That being said, … Continue reading

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How Do You Use Words to Describe Classical Music?

It's a conundrum when reading (rather than listening to) "1,001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die”

When asked to review “1,001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die” (Gereral Editor Matthew Rye, Universe Publishing) I groaned after paging through the nine centuries of western music that laid before me. As someone who studied classical music … Continue reading

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Our Beautiful Funeral Music: “Fire & Rain,” by James Taylor

A beautiful song on loss and darkness, as lovely as it is sad

Singer/songwriter James Taylor achieved his breakthrough with this at once lovely and apocalyptic tune about love deferred and challenges ahead. Taylor reflects on loneliness and loss of faith, “Sunny days that I thought would never end,” and “Lonely times when … Continue reading

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 “Hey Hey My My”, by Neil Young

He sings that once you're gone, you can't come back

We all know rock and roll can never die and we can count on Neil Young to employ his wonderful lyrics to speak to us about the important things in life — including death.  A classic icon of the Boomer … Continue reading

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