Adele is a British singer-songwriter who's been widely celebrated not only for her incredible singing voice but her inspiration and influence. That means you can find any number of versions of her songs that are suitable for a funeral service.
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In the list below, you’ll be surprised not only by some of the instrument choices from up-and-coming artists, but also by how your favorite song can be made appropriate for somber settings. Check them out and see if any of them are suitable as funeral songs for your loved one.
Uplifting Adele Funeral Songs
There's a spectrum to commonly accepted funeral songs that are at once uplifting but respectfully suited for a funeral. Take a look below. We'll help you discover some that might surprise you.
1. “All I Ask” from 25
Adele co-wrote this song about love and loss with Bruno Mars. Some interpret the theme as losing faith in their loved one or holding onto just the best parts.
No one knows me like you do
And since you're the only one that matters
Tell me who do I run to?
As a funeral song, it's about calling upon the final moments to make for lasting memories.
2. “One and Only” from 21
Listen to the Coverall Band’s version of this song. It’s got a bluesy rhythmic reset of the piano-heavy original from Adele.
You've been on my mind
I grow fonder every day
Lose myself in time
Just thinking of your face
Both are fitting for a funeral service, but the extra guitar and percussion of the cover version embrace something a bit sunnier.
3. “Set Fire to the Rain (Acoustic)” from 21
"Set Fire to the Rain" is a song about relationships that ended and left some heartache and pain behind. Here's a short excerpt:
I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
Where it felt something die
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time
Check out Josh Heinrich's version from his Rooftop Session album for a performance that tones down the original song just enough to be suitable for a funeral.
4. “Water Under the Bridge” from 25
Love songs are appropriate for funerals, especially when they're about your love and life with someone amazing. But if the lyrics seem too intense for the occasion, check out the Piano Dreamers' cover.
If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently
Don't pretend that you don't want me
Our love ain't water under the bridge
This version lays bare the melody enough to be suitable for a funeral.
5. “Lovesong” from 21
Adele’s “Lovesong” is a cover from The Cure’s 1989 Disintegration album. Her version removes the tempo and vibe of college-radio.
However far away
I will always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Instead, Adele gives it a feeling akin to romantic films with waning sunsets and over glistening ocean currents.
6. “Crazy for You” from 19
Adele's "Crazy for You" will remind you of those first days getting to know the love of your life.
Pacing floors and opening doors,
Hoping you'll walk through
And save me boy,
Because I'm too crazy for you.
Its acoustics and unadorned vocals will blend well with an outdoor ceremony when they can dance with the wind.
7. “Sweetest Devotion” from 25
“Sweetest Devotion” was written from a mother to her child, expressing total and utter devotion. Adele had said that it was the first time when life wasn’t about her—and that was a good thing.
You're my light, you're my darkness
You're the right kind of madness
If Adele’s original seems too buoyant for an indoor space or its acoustics, then check out the Piano Dreamers cover for one that’s a good fit no matter the location.
8. “Remedy” from 25
With a simple piano in the background of “Remedy,” you’ll hear the vocal stylings of a few of the artists that Adele credits as inspirational, including Etta James and Mary J. Blige.
No river is too wide or too deep for me to swim to you
Come whatever I'll be the shelter that won't let the rain come through
Your love, it is my truth
And I will always love you
Piano Dreamers put forth another cover on this one, too. It stays very close to the original mood, but the bareness softens the song to create one that’s suitable for any venue.
9. “Skyfall” from Skyfall Soundtrack
Many of our loved ones are passionate about movies, games, and so much more. And there are ways to include those passions at their funeral.
This is the end
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then
Hear my heart burst again
Jane Czajkowski’s piano and string version of "Skyfall" is the perfect example of how to maintain a dignified ceremony but invite some personality with an instrumental funeral song.
Sad or Sorrowful Adele Funeral Songs
If the songs below seem too sensitive or personal for the funeral, consider using them in a funeral slideshow.
10. “Make You Feel My Love” from 19
Adele covered Bob Dylan’s 1997 song on her debut album in 2008. It’s a song she said that encompassed all the feelings she had stirring inside about regret when you’re not with someone.
When the evening shadows
And the stars appear
And there is no one there
To dry your tears
I could hold you
Some have pointed out that this song also holds a tone of spirituality that brings people closer to their religion or God.
11. “Chasing Pavements” from 19
“Chasing Pavements” is about heartache from a breakup but could readily be used as a sorrowful funeral song because of the theme of loss, what’s unknown, and how difficult it is to know what to do when you feel someone important has left you for something else.
Should I give up
Or should I just keep chasing pavements?
Ghanaian artist, Clifford Agyekum, sang a cover of this song that features a soulful and straightforward melody that'll work in a more formal setting.
12. “Hello” from 25
“Hello” is one of the most popular modern funeral songs to-date. While it seems to be a song exposing how we often feel about losing touch with others from our past, many liken it to being on the side of the living and trying to reach loved ones on the other side of death.
Hello from the other side
I must've called a thousand times
To tell you I'm sorry
If it's possible to make this song any sadder, Daniel Jang covered it dramatically in violin. If you're in a location where the original lyrics are frowned upon, check out this version. It's lovely.
13. “Million Years Ago” from 25
The lyrics from Adele’s song “Million Years Ago” speak volumes about how we see the path we take versus how others interpret the road they neglected.
I wish I could live a little more
Look up to the sky, not just the floor
I feel like my life is flashing by
And all I can do is watch and cry
For an alternate version, look for one by Rana Mansour. She's an Iranian-American singer-songwriter whose jazz and pop influences are evident in her cover of this song—otherwise, try any acoustic versions, like the one from Jay Rob.
14. “When We Were Young” from 25
Released in 2015, Adele’s album, 25, is her third studio album. Of this piano ballad, Adele remarked that it’s like a nostalgic song, where you’re looking back at your life to see those whom you’ve loved, and those whom you may have forgotten to love as much.
You look like a movie
You sound like a song
My God, this reminds me
Of when we were young
The distance from time often erases any issue or problem, including the worries and pains of strained or difficult relationships.
15. “Can’t Let Go” from 25
“Can’t Let Go” is a bonus track from Adele’s album 25.
I gave you heaven on a platter baby
I gave you everything you never gave me
I never lied and I never faked it
Only wanted for you to save me
This love, it ain’t over yet
There’s too much that I haven’t said
Listening to it, you might feel angry or destroyed, but that’s the intent of the song. Often, when someone leaves unexpectedly, all it does is leave you broken.
16. “Take it All” from 21
"Take it All" exposes how we don't always get to say goodbye—even in the best of circumstances. Even when you can choose how things end.
But go on and take it, take it all with you
Don't look back at this crumbling fool
Just take it all with my love, take it all with my love
There are a few exciting covers for this song, but the one from Piano Dreamers (again) seems to do Adele's song enough justice and would be fitting for a funeral.
Adele Songs—Original and Covers
Because of her resonating global influence, Adele has inspired artists to cover most of her songs. As a result, nearly all of them work for funerals and even celebration of life ceremonies.
Sources:
- Songfacts. (2021). Song Meanings at Songfacts. https://www.songfacts.com/