When you’re planning a funeral soundtrack, it’s difficult to make the right choices. What musical genre did the deceased love? Who were their favorite artists? Perhaps you know some of their preferences, but choosing funeral-appropriate tunes means thinking a bit more critically about which songs you choose.
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At certain funerals, you should account for language as well. If someone’s first language wasn’t English, it will be meaningful to play songs in their first language. This is the case with Spanish. There are so many emotional songs written in Spanish, which means you have plenty to choose from. If Spanish isn’t your first language, you might not be familiar with Spanish songs.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Check out our comprehensive selection below, ranging from uplifting songs to sad ones, perfect for a memorial service or virtual funeral ceremony. You can also put some of these songs into a playlist and share it along with a Spotify gift card as a sympathy gift for someone in your life who's grieving the loss of a loved one.
(For more guidance on how to handle a deceased loved one's final affairs, we have a post-loss checklist that will help you ensure that your loved one's family, estate, and other affairs are taken care of.)
COVID-19 tip: If you're hosting a Zoom funeral using a service like GatheringUs, make sure to test your audio beforehand so online and in-person guests can enjoy the songs together during the service.
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Sad Spanish Songs for a Funeral
Sometimes, a sad song is what you need to work through emotions. The picks below will have you reaching for tissues.
1. "Si No Te Hubieras Ido” by Marco Antonio Solís
This song expresses the sheer pain of loss. The lyrics, translated into English, start with: “I miss you more than ever and I don’t know what to do / I wake up and I remember you in the morning.” Sometimes, loss can feel all-encompassing.
2. "Cruz de Madera" by Michael Salgado
Sometimes, the wishes of the deceased are simple. The singer requests a serenade, tequila, a cross, and a big party.
3. "Un Dia A Las Vez" by Los Tigres del Norte
This song is a request to Jesus. The singer is asking for the strength to make it through another day.
4. "Te Vas Angel Mio" by Cornelio Reyna
This song is a wistful, tragic ballad. It warns that when you return, you won’t find the singer there. Instead, they will be in their grave, where they ask you to pray for them.
5. "Nadie es Eterno" by Antonio Aguilar
This song reminds us that nothing is forever. No one stays on this earth for a long time, and they don’t take anything with them at death. The lyrics say: “Everything ends with time / tell me, what do you take? / When nothing remains after time, / Not even a tomb nor a cross.”
6. "Un Puno de Tierra" by Antonio Aguilar
This is a comforting song because the singer states their life was happy. During life, they didn’t need anything, and when they die, they also won’t need anything.
7. "Tragos Amargos" by Ramón Ayala Y Sus Bravos Del Norte
This song talks about death like a second kind of heartbreak. Someone dying feels like they left you behind, even though “I know that you loved me and I know that you adored me.”
8. "Necesito Decirte" by Conjunto Primavera
The singer talks about how hard it is to live without the person they lost. They’ll always remember the deceased, and will always be faithful to that memory.
9. " Las Golondrinas" by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
With a lovely metaphor of a swallow, battered and weary, this song offers sympathy to mourners. It acknowledges feelings of homesickness because the person you love is gone.
10. "Cuando Un Amigo Se Va" by Alberto Cortez
There’s no replacing someone you’ve lost. “When a friend goes away / an empty space remains that cannot be filled by / the arrival of another friend.”
11. "Que Sera" by Doris Day
This song insists that goodbyes are not forever. Even though the singer’s town will be sorrowful, he still believes in love and that he’ll return.
12. "Dios Nunca Muere" written by Macedonio Alcalá
This is a retelling of tragic, wrenching emotions. “Oh my goodness, tell me: who are you? / the one that makes me suffer so much, / and my heart has withered away / from ceaselessly crying for you.”
Uplifting Spanish Songs for a Funeral
It’s hard to feel uplifted at a funeral. However, the right song can remind us, whether your loved one died peacefully or not, now they’re at rest. And you'll always remember them, whether by just reflecting on memories, setting up an online memorial page, or having a physical reminder like a cremation diamond.
Take a look at our picks for uplifting funeral songs if you'd like more.
13. "Mis Ultimos Deseos " by Banda Show Revelacion
This song is from the point of view of the deceased. They’re happy that they made the most of their life. The lyrics state “I’m happy and I enjoy life / and so I will continue until my last day.”
14. "Cantares" by Joan Manuel Serrat
The gorgeous imagery in this song emphasizes one thing: that journeys are eternal. Nothing else is, but the way we live this life remains an eternal legacy.
15. "Amor Eterno" by Juan Gabriel
Grief is one of the most painful emotions you’ll ever experience. This song reminds us that love still goes on, no matter how hard it is.
16. "Mexico Linda Y Querido" by Jorge Negrete
This song is a celebration of a place where you feel at home. The singer requests that when he dies, his body be taken back to Mexico.
17. "Dejame Ir" by Reik
This is an intense love song. It’s perfect to celebrate the bond you and your spouse shared over the years.
18. "Qué Falta Me Hace Mi Padre" by Antonio Aguilar
This is a song for your father’s funeral. It’s an ode to the time your father spent with you and the wisdom he shared.
19. "Cuando Dos Almas" by Antonio Aguilar
Love is eternal, and it never forgets. “When two souls love each other so much, / even if they are away from each other, / they can never, never, forget each other. / When I die, my sweetheart, never stop loving me.”
20. "La Vida Sigue Igual" by Julio Iglesias
This song is a touching ode to the cycle of life and the relationships we build. It talks about how there is always a new mountain to climb, but your legacy stays permanently. There is always something to live for.
21. "El Amor De Mi Vida" by Ricky Martin
The singer talks about how love is a miracle, no matter how it ends. In his case, he talks about his fear of losing this love.
22. "La Saeta" by Joan Manuel Serrat
This is a religious song. It’s a reminder of the death of Christ and the miracles he performed.
23. "Mi Viejo" by Vicente Fernández Jr.
Everyone grows old. This song chronicles the process of a child watching a parent get older.
24. "Por Ti" by Belanova
This song talks about how everything changes when you’re grieving. “For you, I've ceased my thoughts of the sea, / For you, I've ceased my gaze on the sky, / For you, the feeling to cry overcame me like the sea, / And I began to sob like the sky, / The feeling to cry overcame me.
25. "No Me Digas Adios" by Samuel Hernández
“Don’t say goodbye, but see you later.” This is a lovely sentiment to end a funeral with.
26. “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens
This is such a popular song at Mexican weddings, it may have nostalgic value for you. If so, feel free to throw this particularly upbeat song into your soundtrack, just be careful about the timing.
27. “Eres” by Café Tacvba
This is a classic Spanish love song. It’s the perfect thing to play for your spouse’s funeral. The singer croons about how “she is the person that he loves most in the world.”
28. “Es Por Ti” by Juanes
Sometimes, remembering all the things you loved about someone can be cathartic. Even if they’re gone, they still filled a special place in your life.
29. “Tu Y Yo Somos Uno Mismo” by Timbiriche
This is a song that blends loss and desperate hope. The narrator is someone who refuses to forget the love of their life because they believe they might return.
30. “Ahora Quien” by Marc Anthony
This song questions what you’re going to do without someone in your life. Is there still hope with no one to do the things you always did together? The song says yes.
Creating a Playlist
If Spanish is your first language, you may well be familiar with some of these funeral songs. If not, it doesn’t matter. Emotion is a universal language. When listening to the songs, even without translation, you’ll be able to tell how the singer feels. Use this to determine how you want your audience to feel, too.
You should also decide how the volume translates to the event. When will your soundtrack be played? Louder songs won’t be appropriate when people are trying to talk and mingle. Some songs, on the other hand, are good background music during funeral prayers. Coordinating your soundtrack with the funeral service’s schedule is crucial.
When you’re putting a soundtrack together, it may be painful. Think of it as a gift—one last present to your loved one that celebrates their personality and taste.