23 Queen Songs For A Funeral

“The Show Must Go On” by Queen

Song Year: 1991

“The Show Must Go On” was Freddie Mercury’s mantra. So much so that he managed to belt out this complex song despite his deteriorating health. The track appeared on the band’s album Innuendo, released just six weeks prior to Mercury’s death.

It is a sad yet powerful song knowing how close to the end Mercury was. With his heartbreaking and his makeup flaking, he manages to keep his smile to the very end.

“My Melancholy Blues” by Queen 

Song Year: 1977

“Melancholy Blues” is the final track on Queen’s News of the World album. It was written by Freddie Mercury, featuring only his vocals and piano.

Although the lyrics suggest a breakup in a relationship, the ballad more broadly speaks to drowning one’s sorrows over a devastating loss. Once it wears off, he is only left with his melancholy blues. 

“Dear Friends” by Queen

Song Year: 1974

Another soft, lovely ballad written by Brian May with Freddie Mercury on piano and vocals. It has an almost nursery rhyme melody to it, softening the sentiment of losing someone special.

The loss of a loved one, or dear friend will bring sadness and tears. But Freddie reminds us that a new day shall dawn, the tears will dry, and we will have the strength to carry on.

“Save Me” by Queen

Song Year: 1980

“Save Me” is slow and melodic before it swells into a powerful rock ballad. Brian May wrote the song about Freddie after he suffered a rather devastating breakup. The track is on The Game, Queen’s only album to reach #1 on the US Billboard 200. 

That feeling of having your heart ripped open can be felt at the end of a relationship or the end of a life. The fact that Mercury had raw emotions attached to the song, you really feel his desperation due to facing life alone.

“Jesus” by Queen

Song Year: 1973

From Queen’s self-titled debut album, “Jesus,” is a song written by Freddie Mercury about the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, like Freddie, draws a massive following. 

Although the song has a heavy pulsating beat at times, not to mention a rocking Brian May guitar solo and Mercury’s telling of the tale, supported by the harmonizing vocals of May and Roger Taylor, give the song a Biblical feel.   

“Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)” by Queen

Song Year: 1977

With Brian May at the piano, Freddie Mercury opens with the haunting “When I’m gone…” from the song “Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)”. Distance between two lovers can be bridged with love in your heart.

Queen was treated like international rock stars when they traveled to Japan in 1977. The song was only released as a single in Japan, and fans would go crazy when Mercury sang the chorus in Japanese. 

“Let Me Live” by Queen

Song Year: 1995

Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, and Brian May take turns singing lead vocals on “Let Me Live” from the album Made in Heaven. They are backed by a choir giving the song the feeling of being recorded in a gospel church.

The lyrics may be about moving on after a relationship, but the sense of a brand new start could also apply to soldiering on after the passing of a loved one. The fact that the song was released on Queen’s posthumous album makes the lyric ‘let me live’ all the more poignant.

“One Year of Love” by Queen 

Song Year: 1986

“One Year of Love” was written by John Deacon for the album, It's a Kind of Magic. It is a sentimental song featuring Freddie Mercury on vocals backed by a saxophone and string orchestra.  

The lyrics convey the feelings of desperation and loneliness of being without the one you love. The days are filled with rain and his heart cries out when they are apart. It is a powerful ballad about true love and the pain that it brings when you cannot be together.

“Was It All Worth It” by Queen

Song Year: 1989

“Was It All Worth It” is the final track from the album The Miracle. The video for the track is a retrospective of Queen’s career with snippets of their videos over the years.

At the end of one’s life, it is natural to look back and wonder what would have happened if you did things a little differently. Having already received his AIDS diagnosis, Freddie Mercury may have held the sentiment of this song close to his heart.

“Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen

Song Year: 1980

While it may be in poor taste to many, and one can understand that point of view, this funk-disco hit song may also be fitting for a dearly departed who had a sense of humor and would appreciate being bid farewell in this way.

The iconic John Deacon’s bass line drop draws us into the song right away and perhaps reminds of fond memories, which can be a welcoming moment of peace when struggling with sad emotions.

The song became one of the band’s biggest hits, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in several countries. If the deceased was a big Queen fan, this just may be the perfect song for their funeral.

Best Queen Songs For A Funeral, Final Thoughts

As a bold and creative band, Queen experimented with different sounds and styles of music. These songs showcase how they combined their voices in the studio, allowing them to create heartfelt power ballads as well as chart-topping hits.

One may not think of a rock band as a source of appropriate music for a funeral. But when the frontman has the vocal range of Freddie Mercury, backed by his bandmates with angelic harmonies, maybe it is the perfect music to see someone off into the afterlife.