An illustration of the the danger of saying "Play this at my funeral"

boing
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Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/04/30/an-illustration-of-the-the-dan.html

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The dead should really only get their wish if it benefits the living.

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It’s all part of the revenge from beyond the grave. You don’t want to know what I have planned. :smirk:

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I played “I’ll be Mellow When I’m Dead” by Weird Al at my best friend’s wake.

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Within reason.

For example, anyone who has a funeral for a trans person who has changed their name under their birth name is sending out a message that says “I couldn’t give a shit about this real person, so I’m having a funeral for a person from my imagination instead”. It might be what the family wants, but it doesn’t benefit them in the long term.

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I said, “the living”, not “The family”. In your example, it’s every other trans person, and trans positive person who benefits: a much larger circle than the immediate family!

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Uh, don’t they still do this kind of thing in New Orleans? But better?

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In the Netherlands people with roots in Surinam/Suriname have funeral rituals in which bearers “dance” with the coffin (hope i’m saying this right).

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Where’s the “danger” here? Meanwhile, this particular mashup has been my wake-up alarm for the last couple years.

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Peter Sellers asked for Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” at his funeral, solely because he hated it and claimed it was the one time he wouldn’t have to listen it. Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe both tell the story of the priest saying “and now, here’s one of Peter’s favourite songs”, before being annoyed that as soon as the song started, all of Sellers’ friends LOLd.

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Reminds me of a brilliant bit in JK Rowlings’ Casual Vacancy, about people trying not to move to the rhythm of the song chosen for a funeral.

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Years ago I told a friend I wanted Eno’s “The Big Ship” played at my funeral. I’ve since noticed it appears at the end of at least three different films, all dealing with death, so I will have to find another. Maybe something from those Bulgarian State Radio and Television Choir LPs.

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You accidentally get tipped out of the coffin?

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A good friend of mine had a couple of masterful choices played at his funeral…

Nemo by Nightwish - it starts with a nice piano intro, then very quickly the big distorted power chords hit. If you were expecting them as I was, it’s great. If you’re a grieving grandmother and the undertakers didn’t realise just how loud it could be - possibly less so.

His other choice was Still Alive from Portal. Yes, not at all what his family expected, but perfectly in tune with his sense of humour.

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My rabbi’s a very smart guy. His name is Larry Kushner, and he said anybody’s who’s interested in making last requests has missed the whole point of being dead.

– David Mamet

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Here’s mine:

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I’ve already prepared a CD, included with my will and other arrangements. Selections include:

Keep Me In Your Heart by Warren Zevon
Slow Marching Band by Jethro Tull
Ass Fuckin’ Butt Suckin’ Cunt Lickin’ Masturbation by G.G. Allin

Although, on the label, I listed that last one as “Danny Boy”.
I’m really sorry I’m going to miss that.

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You’ll need a bluetooth speaker in the coffin to make some banging and groaning sounds, as if you are trying to get out to eat everyone’s brains.

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I keep trying to convince my wife and kids to arrange for me to arrive late to my own funeral. I’m envisioning everyone has filed in and is looking around for the casket. Then someone at the front of a church awkwardly starts to make kind remarks about me. Then the big double doors bang open and a couple of overweight sweaty guys in ill-fitting suits come hustling up the aisle with my coffin. At this point someone in my family should stand up and say “I swear to you that this was all Brendan’s idea.”

My other idea was to have an open casket with a hidden speaker and someone who sounds like me addressing people by name as they look down on my withered corpse. “Hey Frank! How’ya doin? Don’t I look life-like?”

For some reason I’m not getting a lot of traction with either of these ideas.

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This reminds me of The Mighty Boosh

Howard's other passion in life was jazz. Howard loved jazz, and he asked me to play Blue Train by John Coltrane at his funeral. I couldn't really find that. Sorry Howard. But I did find another song about a train. I hope it will do just as well
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