Sunday, November 16, 2008

Not that I am anticipating needing this list any time soon

The California Report did a piece a couple of weeks ago by a man who had picked songs to be played at his aunt's funeral and was considering what he would want played at his own. When they asked listeners to send in their own three picks for their funerals, I knew exactly which three:
  • "Amazing Grace" as performed by Ani diFranco
  • "Oh Had I a Golden Thread" as performed by Dar Williams
  • "How Can I Keep From Singing" as performed by Eva Cassidy

A few weeks later, on Halloween, they aired some listeners' responses. I loved hearing some people's ideas, and even though I would stick with my three songs, it made me start to wonder what other ones I might add. Maybe "The 59th Street Bridge Song," just because it is one of my favorite songs? "American Tune" or "Born At The Right Time" (for pretty much the same reason...and maybe also because I just feel the need to throw in some Paul Simon)? Perhaps "36-24-36" should be included because, hey, that would be kind of funny. Would "Pack Up Your Sorrows" be appropriate? Or Eric Whitacre's choral arrangement of one of my favorite e.e. cummings poems.

I'm not sure why this topic is fun for me. Maybe it's simply that music is so important to me, and it's interesting to consider what songs I feel represent who I am, at this point in my life anyhow.

Anyone else want to volunteer their lists?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I want to start by saying that thinking about this made me sad.

My list might include "Naked as We Came," by Iron & Wine. Beyond that, I'm not sure. I looked at my "Recently Played" list in iTunes, and most of its contents are disconcertingly obscure and distinctly non-funereal.