Death and grief are heartbreaking things for anyone to endure. While it can’t take away the pain, these four songs understand death and grief more than any other songs. Grab a tissue and give these songs a listen.
Videos by American Songwriter
“You Should Be Here” by Cole Swindell
Cole Swindell released “You Should Be Here” in 2015, as the title track of his sophomore album. The song, which Swindell wrote with Ashley Gorley. The song’s sad inspiration is Swindell’s grief over his father, who unexpectedly passed away in 2013.
“You Should Be Here” says in part, “It’s one of those moments / That’s got your name written all over it / And you know that if I had just one wish / It’d be that you didn’t have to miss this / You should be here.”
“I’m not the only one who has ever lost somebody,” Swindell tells The Boot. “I’m not the only one who was missing somebody. That’s what I love about country music, that’s what I love about songwriters, is being able to put out those words, those feelings.”
“When I Get Wher I’m Going” by Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton joins Brad Paisley on “When I Get Where I’m Going”, out in 2005 on Paisley’s Time Well Wasted album. The song is written by George Teren and Rivers Rutherford. And although it may be about death, the song has a positive, uplifting message amid the sadness.
“When I get where I’m going / There’ll be only happy tears,” the two sing. “I will shed the sins and struggles / I have carried all these years / And I’ll leave my heart wide open / I will love and have no fear / Yeah when I get where I’m going / Don’t cry for me down here.”
Rutherfored had the idea to write “When I Get Where I’m Going” by recalling something that happened to him when he was a child.
“I was sick one Sunday so my dad and I stayed home from church and watched the preacher on TV,” Rutherford recalls (via Songfacts). “And in the middle of his sermon, this guy comes out in a karate outfit and attacks the preacher. Once they got the guy under control, the preacher got back up and said, ‘I wouldn’t worry for a minute. I know where I’m going, and I can’t wait to get there.’”
“Go Rest High On That Mountain” by Vince Gill
It’s hard to tell how many times Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High On That Mountain” has been sung at funerals since he first released it in 1995. Inspired to write the song by the loss of his brother and Keith Whitley, Gill just added a third verse to the song.
The new addition says, “You’re safely home in the arms of Jesus / Eternal life, my brother’s found / The day will come I know I’ll see him / In that sacred place, on that holy ground.“
“I Believe” by Diamond Rio
“I Believe” by Diamond Rio was released in 2002 on their Completely album. Written by Skip Ewing and Donny Kees, the song is the group’s final No. 1 single, but what a way to bookend a career.
“I Believe” says in part, “Now when you die, your life goes on / It doesn’t end here when you’re gone / Every soul is filled with light / It never ends, if I’m right / Our love can even reach across eternity / I believe / Oh, I believe.”
“I Believe” was also a Top 40 song on the Adult Contemporary chart. The group previously released “One More Day,” another song about grief.
Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images
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