Planning a memorial service or a funeral can overwhelm anyone. You want to be sure you’ve planned a service that genuinely honors the memory of a lost loved one while also respecting the feelings of those in attendance.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Sad or Sorrowful Eagles Songs for a Funeral
- Uplifting Eagles Songs for a Funeral
- Eagles Songs for a Parent’s Funeral
- Eagles Songs for a Child or Adult Child’s Funeral
There are many ways to do so. One is to simply include music that reflects the passions, interests, and overall personality of the deceased.
For example, maybe you’re planning the service for a loved one who was a fan of the Eagles. Including the band’s music during their service is an idea to strongly consider if so.
Don’t worry if you’re having trouble choosing which songs to play. This guide offers a variety of suggestions depending on your specific goal. For more ideas, check our guide on rock funeral songs.
Sad or Sorrowful Eagles Songs for a Funeral
Many funeral songs embody the pain of mourning a lost loved one in a way that can be difficult to express in words. Eagles songs that serve this purpose include the following:
1. “The Sad Cafe" from The Long Run
“The Sad Cafe” doesn’t try to hide the pain of mourning. Its lyrics starkly describe how life can feel unfair and random when tragedy strikes.
2. “Take it to the Limit" from One of These Nights
It’s not uncommon for the family and friends of lost loved ones to feel they took them for granted instead of appreciating them while they were here. This track may help you express this feeling.
3. “The Best of My Love" from On the Border
Similar to the above option, “The Best of My Love” features lyrics describing the regret that often comes with not appreciating the presence of a loved one until it’s too late.
4. “Wasted Time" from Live at the Summit, Houston, Texas, 1976
“Wasted Time” highlights an experience many have experienced or will experience: losing someone close to them and wondering if they can ever love again. The song may be about a romantic relationship, but it can apply to any instance of losing a loved one.
5. “The Last Resort" from Hotel California
This isn’t an Eagles funeral song everyone will feel comfortable using. Its lyrics may offend some religious mourners due to the way it criticizes people justifying their “bloody deeds…in the name of God.” However, it does capture the emotions you might feel after a loved one’s death if you want to remind others that life is short and making choices that genuinely align with your values is important.
Uplifting Eagles Songs for a Funeral
Funeral songs don’t have to be sorrowful. Some feel it’s better to at least attempt to lift the spirits of those in attendance. If you feel this way, consider playing such Eagles funeral songs as:
6. “Take it Easy" from Eagles
The best funeral songs can sometimes be those that remind mourners their lost loved one would not want them to be in greater pain than they can endure. “Take it Easy” is an iconic Eagles song that can help you achieve this goal.
7. “No More Cloudy Days" from Farewell I Tour: Live from Melbourne
At the start, this song’s lyrics suggest it will be a mournful track that would highlight the painful emotions you would feel after a loved one’s passing. However, the lyrics eventually become more hopeful. They explain that it is possible to move on with life after a painful loss, even if doing so will take some time.
8. “Peaceful Easy Feeling" from Eagles
This is an option to consider if you’re mourning the loss of a spouse or partner. Its lyrics are not ideal for all funerals depending on the emotion you want to express, but it can help you convey the idea that you’re not in great pain because you feel your lost loved one is still with you in some way.
9. “Love Will Keep Us Alive" from Hell Freezes Over
The name says it all. The idea that love sustains life is one that is often very reassuring during a funeral. Consider using this track for a funeral slideshow.
Eagles Songs for a Parent’s Funeral
The specific Eagles funeral song you choose to play during a service may depend on the nature of your relationship with the deceased. For example, if you’re choosing a song for a parent’s funeral, you might play one of these tracks:
10. “My Man" from On the Border
“My Man” is a song you would likely choose for a father’s funeral. It describes a “very talented guy” who is now “far beyond the pain” that most have to go through at some point in life.
11. “Pretty Maids All in a Row" from Hotel California
The lyrics to “Pretty Maids All in a Row” express emotions that many who have lost a parent can easily relate to. They discuss the pain of having to “grow up so fast” and the challenges we face because “heroes, they come and they go.”
12. “Midnight Flyer" from On the Border
“Midnight Flyer” features lyrics that, as is the case with many Eagles songs, seem to describe a desperado character who no one is able to tie down to one location. Still, it can also work as an Eagles funeral song because of the way in which it expresses the almost hopeful feeling of moving on to another stage in life.
This is a song you might consider playing if you are a religious or spiritual person who believes that your lost loved one has simply moved on to another place.
13. “Train Leaves Here This Morning" from Eagles
The lyrics of this Eagles funeral song are general and vague enough that they can suit virtually any funeral. The metaphor of a train taking someone away can easily apply to the loss of a loved one.
Eagles Songs for a Child or Adult Child’s Funeral
Losing a child at any age is an indescribably painful experience. While no Eagles funeral song can fully comfort mourning parents, these options can at least offer some degree of peace:
14. “Ol’ 55" from On the Border
The title of this track may suggest it would be more ideal for a parent’s funeral than a child’s. However, its lyrics describe someone who wished they’d “stayed a little longer,” making it an understandable choice for a child’s service as well.
15. “Try and Love Again" from Hotel California
“Try and Love Again” may technically be (as the name implies) a song about the loss of a romantic partner. That said, the lyrics do not explicitly state this in any way. Instead, the song focuses on the importance of remembering the happy times that you spent with a loved one and believing that there will come a day when you can overcome the pain of losing them. This is an inspirational message that parents often need to hear when they’ve lost children.
16. “Most of Us Are Sad”
“Most of Us Are Sad” simply but empathetically describes being able to relate to the pain that someone else is experiencing, and letting them know that they have people in their life who can provide them with some comfort because they understand what they are feeling.
Lines such as “We have brought our children here” and “Still we must go on” can serve as reminders to the parents of lost children that moving forward in life after the loss of a child can be difficult, but by no means impossible.
17. “I Wish You Peace" from One of These Nights
This song can serve two purposes at a child’s funeral. It can express the desire many parents have to know their children are happy and safe, while also expressing the desire for mourners to find peace after the loss of someone who passed away too soon.
18. “Seven Bridges Road" from Eagles Live
“Seven Bridges Road” is another song that can have romantic connotations. Despite this, because its lyrics are not overtly romantic, and instead express the simple feeling of loving someone deeply but losing them after a brief period of time, it can also be a fitting Eagles funeral song for a child who passed away at a young age.
Eagles Funeral Songs to Honor a Loved One
Hopefully, this list has helped you choose the right music to play at your loved one’s funeral or memorial service. Once more, if they were a fan of The Eagles, playing a song from their favorite band is a simple but effective way to remind people of who they were.