Blues
Funeral Songs

Explore 27 funeral songs tagged as "blues". Each song has been carefully curated to help you create a meaningful memorial service.

27 songs
01

All Blues Songs

1

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

by Mahalia Jackson

Written by Thomas Dorsey after losing his wife and infant son, this deeply personal hymn has become the quintessential gospel funeral song.

Why it's meaningful: Its heartfelt plea for divine guidance through life\\

Best moment: Perfect for processional or during reflection moments.

2

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.

3

The Thrill Is Gone

by B.B. King

B.B. King\\

Why it's meaningful: The bluesy guitar bends and King\\

Best moment: Perfect for blues lovers or honoring relationships that have ended.

4

I\\

by Etta James

Etta James\\

Why it's meaningful: The devastating honesty about not wanting to witness loss makes this a powerful expression of grief for departed lovers.

Best moment: Intensely emotional choice for honoring spouses or great loves.

5

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.

6

God Bless the Child

by Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday\\

Why it's meaningful: Honors those who made their own way in the world, acknowledging the strength required to stand alone.

Best moment: For honoring independent spirits or single parents who provided for their children.

7

House of the Rising Sun

by Traditional Folk

Traditional folk blues about a life gone wrong in New Orleans, with haunting minor-key melody.

Why it's meaningful: For lives marked by struggle, addiction, or poor choices, this song acknowledges hardship without judgment.

Best moment: Honest choice for complicated lives or those who struggled with demons.

8

Sweet Home Chicago

by Robert Johnson

Blues standard about returning home to Chicago, with upbeat tempo and celebration of place.

Why it's meaningful: The longing for home resonates with those who loved Chicago or the concept of finally going home.

Best moment: For Chicago natives or honoring the journey home.

9

Born Under a Bad Sign

by Albert King

Albert King\\

Why it's meaningful: Honors those who faced constant adversity with blues humor and resilience, acknowledging life wasn\\

Best moment: For those who faced bad luck but kept going with grit.

10

Strange Fruit

by Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday\\

Why it's meaningful: For deaths resulting from racial violence or injustice, this acknowledges the horror and demands remembrance.

Best moment: Powerful for honoring victims of racial violence or social justice advocates.

11

Trouble in Mind

by Bertha

Classic blues standard about hardship and sorrow, recorded by numerous blues artists with both mournful and defiant tones.

Why it's meaningful: A blues standard that acknowledges life\\

Best moment: For lives marked by struggle but filled with strength.

12

Stormy Monday

by T-Bone Walker

Classic blues standard about heartache and difficult times, with smooth jazz-inflected guitar and weary vocals.

Why it's meaningful: The slow, measured blues acknowledges that grief comes in waves throughout the week, with some days harder than others.

Best moment: For those who loved blues music or lived through many stormy Mondays.

13

Since I Fell for You

by Lenny Welch

Soulful blues ballad about love and loss, with orchestral arrangement and emotionally raw vocals.

Why it's meaningful: The vulnerability in expressing how much someone meant creates a powerful tribute to deep romantic love.

Best moment: Beautiful for honoring spouses or profound romantic relationships.

14

Nobody Knows You When You\\

by Bessie Smith

Classic blues about life\\

Why it's meaningful: Honors lives marked by struggle while acknowledging the truth about who shows up when times are hard.

Best moment: For honoring resilient souls who faced life\\

15

Crossroad Blues

by Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson\\

Why it's meaningful: The mythic crossroads represents life\\

Best moment: For honoring blues legends or those who lived at life\\

16

Mannish Boy

by Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters\\

Why it's meaningful: Celebrates strong, confident men who lived boldly and took pride in their strength and character.

Best moment: For honoring proud, masculine spirits or blues music lovers.

17

The Sky Is Crying

by Elmore James

Elmore James\\

Why it's meaningful: The image of the sky crying with us validates that grief is natural and even nature mourns our losses.

Best moment: For blues lovers or expressing the magnitude of shared grief.

18

Hoochie Coochie Man

by Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters\\

Why it's meaningful: Celebrates larger-than-life personalities and those who lived with mystique and confidence.

Best moment: For honoring bold characters or celebrating blues heritage.

19

Boom Boom

by John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker\\

Why it's meaningful: The infectious groove celebrates those who loved to move, dance, and live with rhythmic energy.

Best moment: Upbeat choice for celebrating blues lovers with vibrant energy.

20

Cry Me a River

by Julie London

Julie London\\

Why it's meaningful: The cool delivery of deep pain honors complicated relationships and the right to feel hurt.

Best moment: For honoring complex romantic relationships or sophisticated sorrow.

21

Use Me

by Bill Withers

Bill Withers\\

Why it's meaningful: Honors complex relationships where love persisted despite complications, acknowledging imperfect but real connection.

Best moment: For honoring complicated but genuine relationships.

22

Death Letter

by Son House

Raw Delta blues about receiving a letter that your loved one has died, with slide guitar and anguished vocals.

Why it's meaningful: Captures the devastating shock of sudden loss with unfiltered emotional honesty that only Delta blues can deliver.

Best moment: For those who appreciate raw, authentic blues and sudden loss.

23

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

by Blind Lemon Jefferson

Traditional blues spiritual about death and proper burial, with stark acoustic guitar and Jefferson\\

Why it's meaningful: One of the earliest recorded blues songs about death, honoring the importance of remembering and tending to the deceased.

Best moment: Graveside services or honoring traditional blues heritage.

24

In the Pines

by Lead Belly

Traditional American folk blues about death and mystery, with haunting vocals and stark guitar accompaniment.

Why it's meaningful: The eerie atmosphere and themes of death in the cold pines create a gothic Americana perfect for traditional funerals.

Best moment: Atmospheric choice for honoring American roots music or mysterious lives.

25

Blue Moon of Kentucky

by Bill Monroe

Bluegrass blues waltz about saying goodbye under the blue moon, with Monroe\\

Why it's meaningful: The high, lonesome sound of bluegrass captures the ache of mountain farewell songs and rural American grief.

Best moment: Perfect for honoring Appalachian heritage or country music lovers.

26

Hellhound on My Trail

by Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson\\

Why it's meaningful: For those who struggled with inner demons or lived haunted lives, this acknowledges their battles.

Best moment: Honest choice for complicated lives marked by struggle or addiction.

27

Graveyard Dream Blues

by Ida Cox

Classic 1920s blues about dreaming of the graveyard and mourning a loved one, with Cox\\

Why it's meaningful: Early blues recording by a pioneering female blues singer, capturing the depth of grief through the blues tradition.

Best moment: Honoring women who loved blues or celebrating blues history.