Conversations in Grief Blog: Playlist for the Journey

Rainbow Community Care Team
May 31, 2023 / 5 mins read

Playlist for the Journey

By Hilary Furnish

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The feelings that come when we lose a loved one are often indescribable. It is as if our capacity for language has not caught up with our ability to be undone with grief. Yet, there is something powerful that happens when the right words connect to what we are going through. When someone says just the right thing, that strikes at our very core and makes us feel seen and heard. It chips away at the loneliness and pain we are feeling and helps us to go on despite all we have lost.

Of all the ways humanity has sought to express and explain the myriad of experiences and emotions we feel throughout our lifetime, music has uniquely been able to do this. Whether it is the haunting notes of Edvard Grieg’s “Hall of the Mountain King,” or the iconic phrases of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” we connect with music like nothing else. It thrills us, encourages us, and even breaks our hearts. This is even truer when we are walking the hard road of grief. For this reason, we wanted to give you a playlist of songs that may help put words to the losses you are experiencing. That you may feel seen, less alone on your journey, and find new ways to nurture hope within yourself. We have divided them into categories, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. What helps one may not help another. Your grief is your own, as are the things that help support you through it.

Songs About Loss

“Monsters” - James Blunt

“Before You Go” - Lewis Capaldi

“The Dance” - Garth Brooks

“The Black Parade” - My Chemical Romance

“Tears in Heaven” - Eric Clapton

“Who You’d Be Today” - Kenny Chesney

“Wish You Were Here” - Pink Floyd

“Wake Me Up When September Ends” - Green Day

Songs about Staying Connected to Their Memory

“Marjorie” - Taylor Swift

“Supermarket Flowers” - Ed Sheeran

“Five More Minutes” - Scotty McCreery

“You Should Be Here” - Cole Swindell

“Remember Me” - Robert Lopez and Kristen Andersen-Lopez

“I Drive Your Truck” - Lee Brice

Songs That Express Longing

“Ghost” - Justin Bieber

“Fire and Rain” - James Taylor

“I’ll Be Missing You” - Puff Daddy (Featuring Faith Evans and 112)

“Visiting Hours” - Ed Sheeran

Inspirational Songs

“I Will Carry You” - Ellie Holcomb

“Home” - Chris Tomlin

“Fix You” - Cold Play

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” - Simon & Garfunkel

“Light of Love” - Florence + the Machine

“Landslide” - Fleetwood Mac

“Home Again” - Michael Kiwanuka

These are just a small selection of songs that we found helpful. What songs have been supportive to you? Please comment with any you would add to this list.

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