And so I face the final curtain - Sinatra’s My Way is the nation’s number one funeral song choice

• Crooner classic tops ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ in Marie Curie poll
• John Bishop and other celebrities exclusively reveal their funeral song choices to mark Dying Matters Awareness Week

Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” is the pop song the nation would most like played at their own funeral, according to a new survey carried out by Marie Curie Cancer Care as part of Dying Matters Awareness Week (13-19 May).

The 1969 classic beat off competition from “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, the show tune and football anthem, and the Monty Python comedy number “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, in the poll of 2,427 British adults (See table of top responses, mentioned spontaneously, below).

Alongside more moving and emotional popular music choices, a number of humorous songs performed strongly in the findings. “Going Underground” by The Jam, “Bat out of Hell” and Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” were all amongst the top 25, indicating that some people would prefer a more light-hearted send off.

Dying Matters Awareness Week (13-19 May 2013) aims to encourage people to talk more openly about death, dying and bereavement and to take small actions to be ready for the end of life, such as writing a will, making funeral wishes known and letting those close to them know how they would want to be cared for.

To mark the week, Marie Curie Cancer Care also asked celebrity supporters what their funeral song choices would be:

“Gangnam Style” – John Bishop (“Because on my way upstairs I can hear it and thank god that by being dead I will never have to hear it again”)

“The Drugs Don’t Work” – Stephen Merchant

“Somewhere” from West Side Story (Barbara Streisand) – Robert Lindsay

“The Lark Ascending” – Mick Hucknall
(“It gives me a strong sense of peace, beauty and tranquillity. I hope it would inspire the people sending me off!”)

“Fire” (Kasabian) – Rankin
(“Because it’s uplifting, I love it and play it at least three times a week and I think it would be funny for the people at my cremation!”)

“Songs? Only hymns will be played at my funeral”- Ann Widdecombe

“Tu Viendras” from The Double Life of Véronique – Sir Ranulph Fiennes (“The music from this movie soundtrack was my late wife Ginny’s favourite song”)

“A Remark you Made” (Weather Report) – Bill Oddie
(“Purely instrumental with heartbreakingly lovely bass line”)

“Penny Lane” – Edwina Currie
(“Because that’s where I – and Paul, John and George – grew up”)

“I wouldn’t want music at my funeral, as music affects people in very different ways and for me silence is the music of the soul” – Arlene Phillips

“I Will Survive” – Linda Robson
(“I’ll go out to this, and leave enough money for a party!”)

“River” (Joni Mitchell) – Tamzin Outhwaite

“Happiness” (Ken Dodd) – Janice Long
(“I won a talent show on Blackpool Pier when I was a kid singing that song and the Bootle Times reported it and called me Little Miss Happiness. I got to meet the King of the Diddymen and he invited my Mum, Dad and I to see him at the Blackpool Opera House”)

“Ain’t it grand to be silly!” – Johnny Ball
("In the days when I was a lad at school, our hit parade of popular songs bore no resemblance to those of today. I remember hearing this song just once - but the lyrics, in my mind are as fresh as ever")

“Relight My Fire” – Mark Dolan
(“Something they hopefully won’t have to do at the Crematorium”)

“Smile” (Madeleine Peyroux) – Liz McClarnon

“Don’t Stop Me Now” – Kerry Ellis

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” – Jodie Prenger

“Going Underground” – Patrick Kielty
(“But hopefully my place is Heaven bound”)

Imelda Redmond, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Marie Curie Cancer Care, said: “It's clear from our survey that many people have thought about what music they’d like to have played at their funeral. Yet we know that many of us find death a difficult subject to talk about and don't discuss things like where we want to die or plan for our care at the end of life. We know that most people say they would like to die at home for instance, but the majority of deaths still occur in hospital, the place they least want to be. It’s important that people are open about their end of life wishes, so that these wishes can be met.”

Eve Richardson, Chief Executive of the Dying Matters Coalition said: “Many of us have strong views about how we want to be cared for at the end of our life and what we want to happen after we die, but unless we talk more openly about our wishes they are unlikely to be met. You don’t have to be ill or dying to make plans for your future, which is why we are calling on people across the country to take practical steps by writing a will, recording their funeral wishes, planning their future care and support, considering registering as an organ donor and, most importantly, discussing these wishes with their loved ones."

Top poll results:

*Songs people mentioned spontaneously when asked ‘What song, hymn or piece of music if any, would you like to be played at your funeral?’ – Pop songs only

-ENDS-

Methodology
ComRes surveyed 2,427 British adults on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Care from 3 May to 6 May 2013.