We were hard-pressed to find many songs specifically about losing a sister. We have scoured discussion boards, Spotify playlists, and other blogs to find these songs about loss, grief, death, and other related topics.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Country Songs About Losing a Sister
- R&B or Hip-Hop Songs About Losing a Sister
- Contemporary Pop or Rock Songs About Losing a Sister
- Songs About Losing a Little Sister
- Songs About Losing an Older Sister
We know that people use music to help cope with the death of a sibling or other family members. However, because finding a song specifically about the death of a sister is difficult, you may consider seeking solace in music that your sister loved.
We will also include a few upbeat songs about sisterhood on our list. While they may not be ideal for funeral songs, they will help you celebrate that special sibling relationship.
Country Songs About Losing a Sister
If any music genre had songs about the death of a sister, you would think that it would be country. Here’s what we were able to find from past and present country music artists that may help you with your grief.
1. “My Sister” by Reba McEntire
This song isn’t specifically about losing a sister, but it is a beautiful tribute to sisterhood. If you and your sister grew up together and had your ups and downs in your relationship, you may appreciate this song.
It includes these lyrics about childhood memories:
“I was thinking just today
About how we used to play
Barbie dolls and makeup
Tea Parties, dress up
I remember how we’d fight
And make up and laugh all night
Wish we were kids again
My sister, my friend.”
2. “Blood” by Allison Moorer
We think you’ll love this poignant song about sisters. It begins:
“A candle on the windowsill
Burning bright, burning still
Need you home, it lights the way
There today like yesterday
And you don’t have to explain
I got your blood running through my veins.”
3. “Sissy’s Song” by Alan Jackson
Technically, this song wasn’t written about Jackson’s sister. However, if you called your sister “Sissy,” this would be the perfect song for your loved one’s funeral.
Here’s the stanza:
“She flew up to heaven on the wings of angels
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees
And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waitin’
And I know she’s smilin’ sayin’, don’t worry ’bout me.”
4. “Why” by Rascal Flatts
This song about suicide is heartwrenching. It includes the lines:
“Oh why, that’s what I keep askin’
Was there anything I could have said or done
Oh, I had no clue you were masking a troubled soul. God only knows
What went wrong, and why you’d leave the stage in the middle of a song.”
5. “Drink a Beer” by Luke Bryan
A man sits on the end of a pier and drinks a beer after hearing the news of the death of a loved one.
You may be asking yourself why your sister had to die. This song addresses the topic:
“Funny how the good ones go
Too soon, but the good Lord knows
The reasons why, I guess
Sometimes the greater plan is kinda hard to understand
Right now it don’t make sense
I can’t make it all make sense.”
6. “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw
Did your loved one live life to the fullest? Celebrate your sister’s carefree spirit by listening to this song by Tim McGraw about living life like you were dying.
R&B or Hip-Hop Songs About Losing a Sister
There are quite a few songs about death in this genre of music. Here are a couple to consider.
7. “White Sweater” by Romeo Void
One discussion board mentioned this song by a punk, new wave group called Romeo Void. A portion of the lyrics are as follows:
“I watch my sister fall down
An elevator shaft
She was even wearing her new
Shag haircut and a limp white sweater
That I, I, I, I gave her
Moving as if someone was pulling a pink
Sliver out of her cold body.”
8. “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” by Al Green
Yes, the Bee Gees recorded a version of this song, but we prefer the version by Al Green.
While some associate this song with unfulfilled romantic love, it could be viewed differently.
Read the words to the chorus:
“And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again.”
Contemporary Pop or Rock Songs About Losing a Sister
What songs about sisters are on your playlist? Consider some of those as you plan the funeral for your beloved sister.
9. “Orange Sky” by Alexi Murdoch
Some discussion boards mention using this song at a funeral. It includes the lines:
“Oh, but sister, you know I’m so weary
And you know, sister, my heart’s been broken
Sometimes, sometimes, my mind is too strong
To carry on
Too strong to carry on
But when I am alone
When I’ve thrown off the weight of this crazy stone
When I’ve lost all care for the things I own
That’s when I miss you.”
10. “Sister” by Dave Matthews Band
We love this song by Dave Matthews Band.
Here are the lyrics of one stanza of the song with the chorus:
“Playing like we used to play
Like it would never go away
I feel you beating in my chest
I’d be dead without
sister, I hear you laugh
my heart fills full of love
keep me, please
sister, when you cry
I feel your tears
running down my face
sister, sister keep me.”
11. “Dream on, Haley” by James Morrison
This song is about encouraging a sister who has been treated poorly. However, if your sister recently passed, the lyrics to the chorus have a different meaning:
“Dream on, Hayley
Don’t look down
There’s nothing here for you to see
Dream on, Hayley
You’re just about there
Don’t give up so easily
Dream on, Hayley
If you don’t feel love
Then dreaming is the way to go.”
12. “Oh, Sister” by Bob Dylan
To be honest, we aren’t sure what kind of relationship is being discussed in Bob Dylan’s “Oh, Sister.” People writing on discussion boards have different interpretations. It includes the following lines:
“We grew up together
From the cradle to the grave
We died and were reborn
And then mysteriously saved
“Oh, sister, when I come to knock on your door
Don’t turn away. You’ll create sorrow
Time is an ocean, but it ends at the shore
You may not see me tomorrow.”
13. “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” by Rod Stewart
While you would think that this song is about romantic love, it doesn’t necessarily have to be.
Consider the stanza lyrics:
“Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles. That’s what you do.”
14. “In My Life” by The Beatles
Again, this song isn’t necessarily about death. It is more about nostalgia. Consider these lyrics:
“But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life, I love you more.”
15. “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge
What group of sisters haven’t danced in the kitchen to this classic song? We hope that this song of women’s empowerment makes you feel good as you remember your time together.
Songs About Losing a Little Sister
The grief of losing a sibling may feel different than that of losing a parent – especially if the sibling was younger than you.
16. “Martha” by Rufus Wainwright
We found this song on a discussion board about sister songs. It is about a brother trying to get ahold of his sister as his mother struggles for life.
“Martha, it’s your brother calling
Time to go up north and see mother,
Things are harder for her now
And neither of us is really that much older than each other
Anymore”
17. “You Are So Beautiful to Me” by Joe Cocker
This beautiful song would be a good one to use for a funeral slideshow. However, there probably wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house.
Songs About Losing an Older Sister
Are you mourning the loss of your older sister? We are sorry for your loss, and we hope that some of the songs on our list provide some solace to you.
18. “There, There Katie” by Jack’s Mannequin
This song was written when the songwriter had to undergo treatment for leukemia, and his sister acted as a stem cell donor.
Again, the song isn’t specifically about the death of a sister. However, it describes a difficult time among siblings.
“Oh Katie, Katie, I’m sorry that in my condition
Your sunshine’s been missing, but lately,
I don’t believe that it isn’t there
Oh, Katie, Katie be happy
This world can be ugly, but isn’t it beautiful?
We’re not really here, and we’re really not there
We’re really not there,
We’re really not there.”
What Songs Remind You of Your Sister?
What songs take you back to your childhood when your sister was your constant companion? Consider those songs for your sister's funeral.
Was your sister able to pick out the songs for her own funeral? If so, you will forever associate that music with your beloved sister.