Scattering ashes is usually a quiet moment. You get together with a few people, maybe on a beach or a hillside, a boat, maybe the backyard.
You don’t have an organist or usually even a program so if you want music you have to bring it yourself.
And a song can do a lot out there. It gives everyone a minute to gather themselves before the ashes are let go, and it fills the silence afterward when nobody knows what to do next.
So if you need some ideas for songs when scattering ashes below you’ll find lots of them grouped by place: the sea, a river or lake, the wind and the mountains, a garden or a favorite spot. Then there are hopeful songs, hymns, instrumentals and Irish and Scottish songs plus some tips for playing music outdoors.
If you’re still working out the day itself our guide on how to plan an ashes scattering ceremony covers the rest. And if you want a full running order with readings this ash scattering ceremony script gives you one you can adapt.
The Most Popular Songs for Scattering Ashes
Most of these are very popular for ashes scatterings and are about being set free, going home or becoming part of something bigger which suits the moment well.
- Into the West by Annie Lennox. From the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, as the characters sail away over the sea.
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. Just a voice and a ukulele. Gentle enough for any setting.
- Sailing by Rod Stewart
- Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò) by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
- Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy, or the original by Sting
- Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
- Go Rest High on That Mountain by Vince Gill
- Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
- Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel
- The Parting Glass. A traditional Irish farewell song with many versions.
Songs for Scattering Ashes at Sea or on the Beach
The sea is one of the places a lot of ashes get scattered, especially for someone who loved boats, fishing or long walks on the sand. These songs are about sailing, the tide and the open water. For someone who served in the Navy or worked on the water our funeral poems for sailors go well with any of them.
- Sailing by Rod Stewart
- Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin
- (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
- Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills and Nash. A song about sailing off to start again.
- Cool Change by Little River Band. About needing time out on the open sea.
- Come Sail Away by Styx
- Into the Mystic by Van Morrison. Full of foghorns and sailing home.
- Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) by Enya
- Sail Away by David Gray
- Son of a Son of a Sailor by Jimmy Buffett
- Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett. For someone who’d want a smile on the beach rather than tears.
- Kokomo by The Beach Boys
- The Water Is Wide. A traditional folk song. James Taylor recorded a lovely version.
- Eternal Father, Strong to Save. Known as the Navy Hymn and often played for those lost or laid to rest at sea.
Songs for a River or Lake
A river carries the ashes away slowly which can feel gentler than the sea. A lake is often a family place, somewhere with summer memories and a dock to stand on. These songs suit calm water.
- Moon River by Andy Williams, or Audrey Hepburn’s version from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
- Shenandoah. A traditional American song about a wide river. Many versions.
- Down to the River to Pray by Alison Krauss
- Shall We Gather at the River. An old hymn about meeting again by the river.
- Ripple by the Grateful Dead
- Box of Rain by the Grateful Dead
- Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel
- River Flows in You by Yiruma. A soft piano piece with no words.
- Peaceful Easy Feeling by Eagles
- If I Die Young by The Band Perry. The singer asks to be laid to rest by the river. It’s about a life cut short, so listen first and see if it fits.
Songs About the Wind and the Sky
When ashes are scattered from a hilltop, a cliff or an open field, they’re taken by the wind. These songs are about flying, the sky and being free which is often how families picture it.
- Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Fly Like an Eagle by Steve Miller Band
- Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
- The Wind by Cat Stevens. Short and quiet, under two minutes.
- Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan
- Dust in the Wind by Kansas
- Learning to Fly by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Fly by Celine Dion
- Colors of the Wind from Disney’s Pocahontas. A sweet choice if children are there.
- Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum
- Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver, or the Peter, Paul and Mary version
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Songs for the Mountains and Open Country
For someone who loved hiking, camping or just a good view, a mountain or a high trail can be the right place. These songs have that big sky, wide open feeling.
- Rocky Mountain High by John Denver
- Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
- Annie’s Song by John Denver. A love song full of mountains, forests and rain.
- Go Rest High on That Mountain by Vince Gill
- Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
- Mountain Music by Alabama
- Forever Young by Bob Dylan, or the Rod Stewart song of the same name
- Harvest Moon by Neil Young
- Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- On the Road Again by Willie Nelson. For someone who never could sit still.
Songs for a Garden, Backyard or Favorite Place
Some families scatter ashes closer to home: in the garden they planted, under a favorite tree or at the golf course or ball field they loved. These songs are a bit more personal.
- Wildflowers by Tom Petty
- Garden Song by David Mallett. The “inch by inch, row by row” song, also recorded by John Denver and Pete Seeger.
- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
- What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
- Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy
- In My Life by The Beatles. About places and people you remember, some still here and some gone.
- Somewhere Only We Know by Keane. Lovely if you’re scattering at a place that belonged to the two of you.
- Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens
- In the Garden. An old hymn, perfect for a garden scattering with a faith element.
- Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel
- Home by Phillip Phillips
- Unforgettable by Nat King Cole
SEE MORE: What to Say When Scattering Ashes
Songs About Letting Go and Saying Goodbye
This is the moment the urn is opened and you actually let them go. It’s probably the hardest part of the day. These songs are sad without being too heavy for an outdoor goodbye.
- Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò) by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
- The Parting Glass. Traditional, many versions.
- Let It Be by The Beatles
- Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, or the Leonard Cohen original
- Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
- The Dance by Garth Brooks. Grateful for the time together, even knowing how it ended.
- Wherever You Will Go by The Calling
- See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
- I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan
- Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
- My Way by Frank Sinatra. For someone who lived life on their own terms.
- I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
Upbeat Songs for a Happy Send Off
A lot of people want their scattering to feel like a party on the beach rather than a second funeral. If they’d have rolled their eyes at anything too solemn try one of these. Our songs for a celebration of life have lots more in the same spirit.
- Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and the Wailers
- I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
- Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin
- Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves
- Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Monty Python. A favorite for anyone with a dry sense of humor.
- Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day
- Come Sail Away by Styx
- Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett
- Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
- On the Road Again by Willie Nelson
Hymns and Christian Songs for Scattering Ashes
If your loved one was religious or had a strong faint then a hymn can make the scattering feel blessed. Many of the old hymns are easy for a small group to sing together without any music at all. There are more ideas in our Christian funeral songs.
- Amazing Grace
- How Great Thou Art
- It Is Well with My Soul. The first verse compares sorrow to the rolling sea, which makes it a natural fit for a scattering on the water.
- Eternal Father, Strong to Save
- I’ll Fly Away
- Shall We Gather at the River
- In the Garden
- Be Still, My Soul
- Abide with Me
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United
- I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe
- Down to the River to Pray by Alison Krauss
Instrumental Music for Scattering Ashes
Sometimes words are too much. A piece with no lyrics gives everyone a chance to reflect on the loss and it’s easier to talk over if someone wants to say a few words while it plays.
- Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy
- Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel
- Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie
- Air on the G String by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar
- Largo from the New World Symphony by Antonín Dvořák. The tune is also sung as Goin’ Home.
- Ashokan Farewell by Jay Ungar. You may know it from Ken Burns’ documentary The Civil War.
- River Flows in You by Yiruma
- Watermark by Enya
- Hoppípolla by Sigur Rós
- Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. Hard to beat on a windy headland.
Irish and Scottish Songs for Scattering Ashes
Irish and Scottish songs are full of the sea, the hills and leaving home, so they suit a scattering very well. Use one with a blessing from our Irish blessings for funerals and death.
- The Parting Glass. Traditional Irish.
- Danny Boy. Many versions.
- The Skye Boat Song. A Scottish song about Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape over the sea to Skye.
- Loch Lomond. Traditional Scottish.
- Caledonia by Dougie MacLean
- Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney and Wings
- The Fields of Athenry. Many versions.
- The Isle of Innisfree. Many versions, often linked with the film The Quiet Man.
Tips for Playing Music at an Ash Scattering
Music outdoors works a little differently than in a funeral home. A few things that help:
- Pick one or two songs, not a playlist. Scatterings are usually short. One song before and one as the ashes are released is usually enough.
- Download the songs ahead of time. Beaches, mountains and boats often have little or no cell signal, so don’t rely on streaming.
- Bring a small portable speaker and charge it. A phone speaker gets lost in the wind and the waves.
- Stand with the wind at your back. It helps the music carry and it’s also the direction you’ll want to scatter so the ashes blow away from everyone.
- Decide when the song plays. Before the scattering to gather people, during the release itself or afterward while everyone stays a while. Have one person in charge of pressing play.
- Think about other people nearby. At a public beach or park make sure you keep the volume low and the moment short.
- If you’re on a charter boat ask the captain whether you can play music on board and when the best time to do it will be.
- Consider live music. A friend with a guitar, a bagpiper or simply everyone singing a song they all know can mean more than a recording.
- Listen to the whole song first. Some songs that sound gentle have a verse that won’t fit the moment.
If you’re still deciding where to scatter or if to keep some of the ashes, our guide to what to do with ashes after cremation might help you think it through.
The song for an ashes scattering doesn’t have to be sad or even about death. If it makes everyone think of them then it’s good enough.