{"id":1148876,"date":"2026-08-14T21:52:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T21:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1148876\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T21:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T21:52:19","slug":"the-2024-song-william-shatner-wants-played-at-his-funeral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1148876\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2024 song William Shatner wants played at his funeral"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"William<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ John Manard<\/p>\n

Fri 14 August 2026 21:00, UK <\/p>\n

It might be a rather morbid thought, but virtually every person with even a passing interest in the musical world has, at one point or another, pondered what song will be played at their funeral. After all, music seems to be able to convey the emotions that people often can\u2019t; even people as articulate and well-read as William Shatner<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you have ever watched the original series of Star Trek and, in between the intergalactic explorations and space-age sci-fi, found yourself wondering what records Captain Kirk spins after a long day on the Enterprise, then you\u2019re in luck.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the course of his many decades on Earth, William Shatner has always worn his musical tastes on his mustard-yellow sleeve, going as far as to build a successful side-career recording a plethora of cover versions<\/a>, stretching in style from the South Yorkshire sounds of Pulp to the timeless mastery of his fellow \u2018Starman\u2019, David Bowie. <\/p>\n

With a repertoire of so many classic songs from across the entirety of the musical spectrum, selecting one song to summarise and commemorate the multi-faceted existence of the veteran performer is a near-impossible task. Ever resourceful, though, Shatner has solved that conundrum himself, performing a track specifically written and designed around his eventual death. <\/p>\n

Released on his 2024 record So Fragile, So Blue, recorded with The National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Centre, \u2018I Want To Be A Tree\u2019 is fairly unequivocal when it comes to Shatner\u2019s postmortem wishes. \u201cThe richness from my body will supercharge the Earth,\u201d he booms during the spoken-word lyrics of the song, affirming his wishes to be cremated and planted with a tree.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking to The Guardian<\/a> in 2021, Shatner was asked which song he would like played at his funeral, to which he had the perfectly prepared response. \u201cI would play a song we wrote called \u2018I Want to Be a Tree\u2019,\u201d he shared, before expanding upon the origins of that track. \u201cI had read an article about planting a tree on your body when you die, and I thought, \u2018That\u2019s the way I want to go.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Candidly, he continued, \u201cSo I\u2019ve made arrangements that I will be cremated, my ashes buried in the ground, and a tree planted on top.\u201d Not only has the 95-year-old Shatner already made these plans<\/a>, but he has made them with such specificity that he even knows what sort of tree he will be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Further reading: From The Vault<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI originally wanted a sequoia placed over my body, but they said it wouldn\u2019t grow,\u201d he shared, without divulging exactly who \u201cthey\u201d are, \u201cso I\u2019m going to be a giant redwood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning to the Earth, being at one with nature certainly seems an appealing way to enter the afterlife, particularly for somebody as environmentally conscious as William Shatner. Although the Captain has not left this mortal coil just yet \u2013 and let\u2019s hope he doesn\u2019t for a long time \u2013 it appears as though the man himself has come to terms with his mortality. <\/p>\n

So, perhaps in a few decades, fans will be able to sit underneath the shade of a redwood tree and reminisce about the impact William Shatner has left on the world. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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