Tim McGraw is one of the best-known country music singers whose music spans numerous genres including old-timey country to modern pop/rock country. He is well-loved by country music fans around the world, and his heartfelt, story-driven songs resonate with listeners of all ages.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Sad or Sorrowful Tim McGraw Songs for a Funeral
- Uplifting Tim McGraw Songs for a Funeral
- Tim McGraw Songs for a Parent’s Funeral
- Tim McGraw Songs for a Child or Adult Child’s Funeral
If you’re looking for songs that represent the life of a loved one or simply to pay tribute to their personal music tastes, Tim McGraw might be at the top of your list. When it comes to country music, no one does it as well as this classic country star, and you’re sure to find just the right song to pay tribute to your loved one.
Sad or Sorrowful Tim McGraw Songs for a Funeral
Tim McGraw is well known for his slow, heartrending songs that pay tribute to his friends and loved ones. Because these songs are tribute-focused, several of the selections could very easily be considered some of the best funeral songs ever written, and they certainly earn a spot on our list of best country funeral songs.
1. “Don’t Take the Girl” from Not a Moment Too Soon
The lyrics of this song tell the story of a little boy who said “Don’t take the girl” when going fishing with his dad. As he grows up, his phrase stays the same, but the meaning changes. When his wife might not make it through her pregnancy, he tells God the same thing, asking for her to stay just a while longer.
2. “Please Remember Me” from A Place in the Sun
This song is sung from the perspective of someone who is leaving their loved ones behind. In it, the singer asks them to remember him when they go for a walk, when the snow falls, and when they look at the moon at night.
3. “My Best Friend” from A Place in the Sun
This song is sung in tribute to the singer’s best friend: his wife. He talks about the way she came into his life and changed things for the better by being someone he could count on through the ups and downs he experienced. If you need a tribute for your spouse, this could be the perfect option.
4. “Bring on the Rain” with JoDee Messina from Burn
As contemplative and thoughtful as this song is, it can also be thought of as an anthem for when we face difficult times. This song can also be encouragement from a deceased loved one to those left behind.
5. “Not a Moment Too Soon” from Not a Moment Too Soon
This sweet song can be played in tribute to a spouse who entered your life “not a moment too soon.” The lyrics describe someone bringing light, hope, and purpose with lines like,
“And not a moment too soon, without a minute to spare
You touched my heart, when I didn't have a prayer
In my darkest hour, with my world filled with gloom
Your sweet love saved me not a moment too soon.”
6. “Some Things Never Change” from A Place in the Sun
This song represents the way many people feel after losing their loved ones. These lines might be a perfect tribute when McGraw sings,
“After all this time I still miss you every day
The same world spins 'round
I guess some things never change
Sometimes I go out, but it never feels the same
I still look for you
Baby, some things never change”
Uplifting Tim McGraw Songs for a Funeral
The majority of Tim McGraw’s hits are uplifting songs that tell stories about life. These uplifting songs are perfect when planning a celebration of life service, planning a memorial service, or putting together a funeral slideshow for a loved one.
7. “My Next Thirty Years” from A Place in the Sun
This is an anthem for living well and can be thought of as an encouragement to those who are left behind. It’s also a fitting tribute for those who lived life to the full and squeezed out every bit they could.
8. “Unbroken” from Set This Circus Down
This is another great song to play in tribute to a spouse or significant other who made your life better.
9. “Shotgun Rider” from Let It Go
This is a fun romp down memory lane for someone who welcomed a significant other into their life to be their “shotgun rider.” Play this in tribute to the person you love.
10. “Real Good Man” from Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
Was your loved one someone who lived a bit of a harder life but did right by others when it counted? Maybe they drank a little too much or played their music a little too loud, but they had a heart of gold and would give a stranger the shirt off their back. Play this for them.
11. “Last Dollar (Fly Away)” from Let It Go
The lyrics of this song talk about someone who is ready to fly away and take their memories of life with them. It’s a hopeful song that is focused on the good times and memories, and the lyrics are a positive spin on what it means to fly away.
12. “For a Little While” from Everywhere
Play this song if you want an upbeat tribute to the love of your life and sing along to lines like,
“My mind fills with her
Oh, but it's all right
'Cause I laugh every time I start to think about us
We sent that summer out in style
And she's gone, but she left me with a smile
'Cause she was mine for a little while.”
Tim McGraw Songs for a Parent’s Funeral
These songs pay tribute to the moms and dads in our lives and harken back to the simpler times that parents often enjoy talking about.
13. “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” with Faith Hill from Sundown Heaven Town
Play this in tribute to your mom who made your childhood house a home, cooked homemade meals, and loved her family. Keep the memories of what life was like “back at Mama’s” with you forever.
14. “Back When” from Live Like You Were Dying
Did you grow up with your dad telling you stories of what life was like “way back when”? If so, play this musical trip down memory lane in his honor and think of the stories he used to tell you.
15. “Where the Green Grass Grows” from Everywhere
This song is classic Tim McGraw and loved by everyone. It talks about getting away from the city, living in the country, and settling down where the green grass grows. If your parents loved the country and spent their life tending acreage, this is a perfect song to play.
16. “Better Than I Used to Be” from Emotional Traffic
Was your dad the type of person to own up to his mistakes and better himself? If so, this song is a perfect tribute to him.
17. “Humble and Kind” from Damn Country Music
The lyrics of this song pay tribute to parents who raised their children to say “please” and “thank you,” hold the door, respect others, work hard, and stay humble and kind.
Tim McGraw Songs for a Child or Adult Child’s Funeral
Many of Tim McGraw’s songs are appropriate to play for a child’s or adult child’s funeral. Many of these talk about lessons from childhood, sweet memories of times spent together, and encouragement to live every day as if it were our last.
18. “If You’re Reading This” from Let It Go
This song is sung from the perspective of a soldier who died while overseas. The lyrics are a letter the soldier wrote for his family in case he passed away. In it, he says something special to each member of his family from his mom and dad to his wife and children.
19. “Live Like You Were Dying” from Live Like You Were Dying
Did your adult child fight a valiant battle with cancer or another terminal illness? Did they demonstrate how to live like they were dying by seizing the time they had, completing bucket lists, and loving their family? If so, play this song in their honor.
20. “Watch the Wind Blow By” from Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
Play this song in honor of a child who enjoyed the simple things of life and encouraged others to do the same. The lyrics also provide some encouragement for those left behind in the lines,
“You know you told me not so long ago
To let it come, then let it pass
And all your troubles and your sorrows
They won't last.”
21. “My Little Girl” from Tim McGraw Reflected
No list would be complete without mentioning this heartfelt song that chronicles a dad’s journey from the first days of fatherhood to dancing with his daughter at her wedding. Ultimately, he knows he’ll have to let his daughter go, but he tells her that she will always be his little girl.
Choosing the Right Songs
Picking songs to play at a loved one’s funeral can be a difficult choice to make. After all, how do you represent their life in just a song or two? One of the best ways to go about making this decision is to simply choose songs that you think your loved one would enjoy hearing. If your loved one was a country fan, or one of these songs spoke to you about the way they lived their life, you won’t go wrong when choosing them.