fitting memorial song?

raecarter

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Hi everyone unfortunately my grandad passed away this afternoon. As I'm not very good at talking to people in times like this so I'm sat on my own playing uke. I think ill record a memorial song on YouTube when I'm in a better frame of mine I'm playing blowing on the wind at the second can you think of any other fitting songs to do. I'm in the UK though so I may not know some of your suggestions. Thank you Rae
 
Here are some of my favorites

Life Without You - Stevie Ray Vaughan (have fun trying to arrange that for uke!)
Pilgrim - Steve Earle
Give Us Rain - Ricky Skaggs
 
I'm sorry for your loss. My grandpa passed away a couple of weeks ago as well. The last gift I got from him was the money for a Kanile'a superconcert I was completely floored. :(

When mom called with the news, I was actually working on a better version of "What a Wonderful World" - I just hung up the phone and completed it, this time, up to tempo, concentrate, no mistakes. Still not anything good enough to post for the world to see though.

The right song depends on what he would have liked. But Wonderful World is a bittersweet song.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss (and Plainsong, I am sorry to hear about your grandfather as well).

A couple of my favorite songs after losing someone are:
"I'll Be There" by the Escape Club, "One More Day" by Diamond Rio, "Touched By An Angel" by Stevie Nicks, "Closer" by Barbra Striesand, and if you want a Hawaiian tinged song, there is the classic "I'll Remember You" sung by everyone from Don Ho to Tia Carrere.

We actually used the "I'll Be There" for a memorial video for my favorite aunt who passed away, and "Closer" by Barbra Striesand for my grandmother's memorial.

Again, you are in my thoughts...
 
Aloha Rae, deepest sympathies and condolences on your loss. Two that come to mind are "Amazing Grace", and "Somewhere over the Rainbow/What a wonderful World" the Bruddah Iz version.
 
When my Grandfather passed away I didn't feel like he would want a sad mournful song. When he was alive, he and I had talked quite a bit about music -the songs of Woody Guthrie, Glenn Miller, Johnny Cash and others.
When he passed I was really just learning the ukulele, so I couldn't have really put together anything too complicated. My Grandfather was in the Navy in WWII and I remembered talking about the song "We'll meet again." As the sailors and soldiers shipped out it sung with optimistic feeling.

I didn't play for anyone else but myself, maybe within earshot of my son. That song remains one of the first I could play cleanly and I remember the sights sounds and smells of that time, and I feel better.

A tutorial/ play along:
http://ukeschool.com/songs/well_meet.html

A nice tab of it:
http://www.doctoruke.com/songs.html

And a nice ukulele version:
http://ukuleledisco.com/meetagain

My condolences.
 
Rae, very sorry to hear of your loss :( My sympathies, mate.

Plainsong, my condolences to you as well :(

I agree with Ahnko: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World", or maybe just "What a Wonderful World". Despite sad times and loss, it is a wonderful world, and the people we love help make it that way.

It's a very fine song, whether done by Iz or by Louis - or by a UUer.
 
So sorry for your loss.
I always thought "Into the West" Annie Lennox /Howard Shore from the movie soundtrack of Lord of the Rings, "The Return of the King" would be a good choice for that kind of occasion. I don't think I could perform anything for a memorial without breaking down into tears though. But, if you can do it, music has a healing effect.

–Lori
 
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Sorry to hear about your grandfather. I'll put in a vote for "See You In My Dreams", the tab for which is available on Dominator's site. You might want to change the lyrics a bit, since the song's about a lost lover, but the refrain and general feel of the song is perfect.
 
Rae, very sorry to hear of your loss :( My sympathies, mate.

Plainsong, my condolences to you as well :(

I agree with Ahnko: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World", or maybe just "What a Wonderful World". Despite sad times and loss, it is a wonderful world, and the people we love help make it that way.

It's a very fine song, whether done by Iz or by Louis - or by a UUer.

Yes Rae & Plainsong, I am sorry for you loss. But don't despair remember that they are always with you in everything you do and everything you are! It's a Wonderful World made even better by loved ones.
God Bless!
 
My condolences as well. I recently played at a memorial service for my friend's grandmother, and, even though I had to alter the lyrics a bit, I still went with the Jayhawks' "Will I See You in Heaven". It starts off with a slightly lamenting tone and then moves into a sort of acceptance: "with your love I am never alone/won't you carry me, won't you carry me home". (Although "We'll Meet Again" would have worked so much better.)

I hope all is well.
 
Yeah, thanks everyone. Since I can't do a reggae strum to save my life, I stick with Louis Armstrong version. But thanks for We'll Meet Again! Both grandfathers were in the Navy, both in the Atlantic and Pacific in WWII, Grandpa also went to Korea and Grandma drew the line at Vietnam. And he became a Catholic priest after Grandma died when I was very little, so he's done it all. I lost Granddad (dad's dad) a few years ago, so now both are gone. But luckily Grandma (Dad's mom) will outlive all of us. :)

Both grandfathers loved those old standards, so it's a must learn!
 
My condolences to you both.

This song came to mind, although if it were me, I wouldn't be able to get through it without choking up: "I"ll Be Seeing You". I couldn't find ukulele tabs. Here it is for guitar. You could transpose and simplify it. One of the best versions I've heard of this is by Judy Collins.

Many hugs to both of you!

CountryMouse
 
I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions I've decided upon airplanes by local natives snowy_does suggested it so thank you x
 
Thanks mim I've bought a usb mix tape its a memory stick that fits inside a cassette to make a old school/new school mix tape. I'll put it in his suit jacket pocket before he leaves us for good
 
I feel you man, my grandmother passed this week, and as soon as I heard all I wanted to do was play ukulele. I just played some minor chord patterns and wrote a song. I think expounding the emotions by creating was the best way for me to cope, don't know about you though, that's what I recommend though.
 
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