by Gregor Arkady

Created on: March 27, 2009   Last Updated: March 29, 2009

I must admit, this is something of a somber topic. Then again, I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought of what I would want played at my funeral. The music at my funeral has to represent me, my life, my days and my passions. They have to be thoughtful and sad, but also uplifting and positive. One of the other writers said it best, "funerals are for the living". The last thing I would want is to depress all of my friends and family who were kind enough to give up their time to come to my funeral, so I think I would have to play a few key songs to elicit all the emotions and memories I want to.

First up has to be "The Viking" by Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. This is a really laid back, bluesy kind of song, and it's one of my favourite punk rock tunes of all time. Not only that, this album is one of those few that come along that change your life as soon as you hear it. The lyrics do a nice job of summarizing a wild life that's now come to an end, the settling down of a former vagrant. Above all else, this song is my personal goodbye to all the hooligans and madmen I run with, the lunatics I've been blessed to call my friends.

Second would have to be "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" by Flogging Molly. It seems like this song has cropped up all through the last few years of my life, and each time it comes up it seems to be the soundtrack to a life-changing moment. It's a really beautiful song, lamenting the losses and celebrating the future, trying to stay optimistic in the face of pain and suffering.

Next would be "Runaround Sue" by Dion Dimucci... at least, I think it's by him. When I was in high school, I played in a punk band that entered a battle of the bands hosted by the student council. We were up against a bunch of fairly talented bands. So, we figured we should compensate for our lack of talent with a little comedy, and we did a punk cover of "Runaround Sue". Amazingly enough, we won, and it wouldn't have happened if my English teacher hadn't pushed me to do a rocking punk cover of "Runaround Sue".

The final song, without a doubt, would have to be "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues. This is the most beautiful song ever written, echoing the bitter loss of love, and the desire for a return to happier and simpler days. Despite all the darkness and sadness in the song, it always gets at me. I can't help but feel happy when I hear it, and by the time the song is through I have a big smile on my face every time.

So there you have it, my funeral playlist. I'm not a religious man, but I do believe that, if there's anything in the world that can always provide salvation, comfort and beauty, it's music. I've yet to find a rough time that can't be solved with a good song, and I hope that, on the day I finally leave this world, the people in my life can remember the positive messages, the positive music, and most of all, the great great times we all shared together.

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