Best RIP song

Funeral for a Friend from Elton John comes to mind.

Also, "Back On The Chain Gang" from The Pretenders was Chrissie Hynde's excellent tribute to guitarist James Honeyman Scott, who had OD'd on coke, I believe, a few years prior. Great song. One of my favorites.

The powers that be
That force us to live like we do
Bring me to my knees
When I see what theyve done to you

 

Hell, yes.

Irish Division (so that everyone else can play)

Carrick Fergus --Trad.
Body of an American -- The Pogues
What's Left of the Flag -- Flogging Molly

 

Song I want played at my funeral is Dylan's "Not Dark Yet."

"It's not dark yet, but it's getting there."

 

Lover's Moon by Luscious Jackson.

 

In the great death songs not already mentioned on this thread yet (unless I read too quick):

Long Black Veil - Johnny Cash, The Band, and many others

(Cash & Joni Mitchell)

(The Band)

(Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band)

29 - Slaid Cleaves

Cold & Lonely - Slaid Cleaves

(more about death than an RIP)

Breakfast in Hell - Slaid Cleaves

(more about death than an RIP)

Lydia - Slaid Cleaves


Am I Too Late - Old 97s


Passing By the Graveyard (Song for John B.) - Eddie Money

 

Sirs, Madames,

Though it might be about sickness The Verve's Richard Ashcroft wrote The Drugs Don't Work about his father's death.

All this talk of getting old
It's getting me down my love
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
This time I'm comin' down

And I hope you're thinking of me
As you lay down on your side
Now the drugs don't work
They just make you worse
But I know I'll see your face again
and

'Cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, I'm coming, too
Just like you said, you leave my life, I'm better off dead

I don't know if it's the worst, but it might be the strangest:

Shannon by Henry Gross, about his drowned dog

Shannon is gone
I hope she's drifting out to sea
She always loved to swim away
Maybe she'll find an island
With a shady tree
Just like the one in our backyard

YD&OHS, etc

 

...what?

 

Not only is "Waco Moon" by Todd Snider one of the greatest RIP songs of all-time, it's among the best songs ever written, period.

Some background: Snider was a devoted protege of Billy Joe Shaver, the legendary country artist who lost both his wife and his mother to cancer in the same year. Shortly thereafter, Shaver's son, Eddie (also a friend of Snider's), died of a heroin overdose. "Waco Moon" is basically Snider finding out about Eddie, on New Year's Day 2001.

This is a clip of what was probably Snider's most stirring rendition of the song, played at a Billy Joe Shaver tribute concert several years ago:

 

Lost Horizons - Gin Blossoms

I Shall Be Released - The Band

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive - Patty Loveless

Judas Kiss - Del Lords

Over Yonder - Steve Earle

My Ride's Here - Warren Zevon

Women's Prison - Loretta Lynn

Ballad Of Country Dick - Mojo Nixon

Back On The Chain Gang - Pretenders

Joe Bean - Johnny Cash

Delia - Johnny Cash

Don't Worry About Me - Joey Ramone

Live Through This - Hole

Haley's Comet - Dave Alvin

Deportees - Woody Guthrie

Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

 

Far Behind by Candlebox.

 

Take the Skinheads Bowling -- Camper Van Beethoven

 

Man, Todd Snider is the shit.