15+ TOP Songs About Heaven and the Afterlife in 2023 - Gemtracks Beats (2023)

By Gemtracks StaffJan 18th, 2023

Songs about heaven attempt to describe the heavenly experience or speak out the imaginations that run through people's minds about heaven. In other instances, they are a consolation to the bereaved that their loved ones are in a better place. Heaven is drawn from religious beliefs as being the final destination of every human being when they die. It is visualized as a paradise with all the peace, serenity and provisions you would ever wish to have. Some songs like their earthly experiences like love to heaven. What songs base their themes on heaven?

"Dancing in the Sky" by Dani and Lizzy

This song was released in 2016. These two artists that sang this song gained views fast because of the powerful words it bears. The writing of this song was inspired by the loss of Lizzy's close friend. Lizzy let her mind run wild by questioning her departed friend about how heaven looks.

Based on the lyrics, she imagines it is peaceful and free like people say. She cares to determine whether the fears and pains her friend had on earth left when she got to heaven. Lizzy had perfected imagery of heaven and hoped it was true. This song asks all the questions we probably would if we had the chance. With what would you liken heaven?

"Don't Take Away My Heaven" by Aaron Neville

This song was released in 1993. Aaron Neville is expressing himself to his lover and pleading with her never to take away his heaven. The love relationship he has with her is his definition of heaven. In trying to explain all the things that would happen to him and the world around him, he expresses the significance of her love to him.

Logically, the world would still go on, but inthe end, his heaven would be signified by the end of her love. Heaven is used in this context to describe the perfect joy and peace the singer is experiencing.

"Everyone Wants to Go to Heaven" by Kenny Chesney

The song was released on August 11, 2008. It has a Christian context talking about the preacher's words to him. There is truth in every word, but the one outstanding fact is nobody wants to go to heaven now, although everyone wants to get there someday. The descriptions given are drawn from popular scriptural imagery of having a mansion and walking through the pearly gates.

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In an earthly context, getting to heaven means dying; nobody wants to die now. When the preacher tells him to turn away from his wicked ways of women and whiskey, the singer's reply is candid. Kenny Chesney acknowledges wanting to hear the voice of God calling out his name, but he admits he doesn't want to be called home now. The song makes sense because even I would love to go to heaven but don't want to be called there now.

"Heaven Is Closed" by Willie Nelson

This song was released in 2018. Willie Nelson is an old man with a history of being in an out of jail. His life is controversial, even having advocated for the legalization of marijuana. Nothing about him seems heavenly, and it is no surprise he would sing such a song. The song says heaven is closed and hell is overcrowded, so he chooses to stay where he is as he sings.

According to popular belief, hell is meant for the wicked ones, and heaven is for the righteous. I don't fully comprehend the meaning of his words. What I perceive is he disqualifies himself from heaven. Despite the idea of hell as a consideration, he doesn't choose it either because it is overcrowded. That statement insinuates that the wicked ones are many hence an over-crowded hell. Is heaven really closed for you?

"Heaven" by Beyoncé Knowles

This song was released on December 13, 2013. The words are the lyrics of a grieving friend to her departed. She remembers the good times they had and all the struggles they faced just to keep her together. Despite all the great explanation, she declares that heaven couldn't wait for her dead friend.

The picture of heaven we get in this song is rather selfish and cruel. Is the singer upset that heaven took her friend away despite trying so hard to keep her alive? Maybe, maybe not. At the end of one verse, she encourages her to go home, that is, heaven.

"Letter to Heaven" by Dolly Parton

This sad song by Dolly was released in 1963. It is the story of a little girl in the company of her grandfather. Her mother died a while ago; Dolly missed to the extent of asking her grandpa to write a letter to heaven. She hoped to join her there soon so they would be together. He did precisely that and handed the mail to her so she could drop it in the mailbox.

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While the girl was crossing the street to deliver the mail, she got hit by a car that drove off. The letter at hand fell on the ground, and the mailman picked it up to deliver it to heaven. Her hearty prayer was indeed answered because the little girl died and went to heaven, where her mother was. This song brings out the reality of death as a portal to getting to heaven. However tragic the storyline, it passes the point.

"Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton wrote and released this song in 1992 following the death of his son, Connor. He sings with the belief that Connor is in heaven. However, he has concerned questions like whether his son will remember him if he sees him in heaven. He communicates his frustration at losing him but is hopeful there will be no tears in heaven.

Eric Clapton also wonders whether their relationship would be the same if he saw him in heaven. Sadly, the singer decides he will carry on because he doesn't believe he belongs in heaven. For a moment, there is the hope of reconciliation until Eric decides he isn't qualified to belong in heaven. Why?

"When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley

The song was released on October 10, 2005. At the beginning of the song, the singer describes heaven's location as being on the far side of the sky. Brad's image of heaven is even more absurd than most standard versions we hear. He has wild descriptions like riding a drop of rain and being received by a lion, and playing with its mane.

The song makes you envision heaven as the ultimate place of rest, where all the burdens and failures of the earth can't get you. Brad also mentions his grandfather, who he believes is in heaven. He can't wait to be reunited with him to share his earthly experience since he left. We get a hopeful image of heaven where we are permanently reconciled with the loved ones that died.Finally, eternity is dominant when talking about heaven because everything is as eternal as the Maker.

"When We All Get to Heaven" by Alan Jackson

This song was released in 2006. Brad Paisley did a cover of it in 2007. It is a Christian song that sparks excitement at the thought of entering heaven. Since heaven is the dwelling place of Jesus, the Christian Messiah, the Christian-based song expresses the excitement of reuniting with him. The song describes the day of reuniting in heaven as one of rejoicing.

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In yet another song, the ideology of mansions for everyone in heaven repeats itself; it is drawn from Biblical scripture. Believers are reminded of all the goodness that awaits them when they get to heaven. Gaging from experience described in the song, it appears that getting to heaven will be the most exciting moment. The song also suggests that all believers will enter heaven at once, probably during the Bible's rapture.

"Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" by Tavares

This sensual love song is from a man to his woman; it was released in May 1976. The man thinks that heaven must be missing an angel because he considers his woman to be one. He is amazed by everything that concerns her and is convinced she came straight out of heaven. The common thought behind this song is that the best only come from heaven. To describe his obsession with the woman, this man concludes she came from heaven.

The man in the script feels overwhelmed by his emotions from his relationship with the woman. He explains it by saying that her spell captures him. Heaven is associated with supernatural things like spiritual occurrences. The man in the song uses heaven and its characteristics to express the magnitude of his relationship experience.

"Holes in The Floor of Heaven" by Steve Wariner

This song is an inspiring story of a man that lost his grandmother on the eve of his eighth birthday. He later loses his wife as a young adult and is left with their daughter. The man raises his daughter until 23, and she gets married. While they walk down the aisle and the daughter can tell that her father is sad, she is leaving.

He assures him that his late wife is watching them, peeking down through the holes on the floor of heaven. Isn't the story sad? It bears such a childlike perspective of heaven to it. Contrary to the perfect images we get of heaven from other songs, this one portrays heaven's imperfection for their benefit. I wouldn't picture heaven with holes in the floor; there is simply no error there. However, this song gets you comfortable with the idea of the holes on the floor, especially if you lost a loved one.

"I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe

It is a gospel song inspired by the Christian belief in Jesus and heaven. The singer admits that the experience of walking side by side with Jesus can only be imagined because nothing compares to it. The song was released in 1999. It carries such great hope to the believers and ecstatic moods in the process of imagining.

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The singer cannot fully comprehend how he will behave while enjoying the heavenly experience with the man he believes in so deeply. He wonders whether he will dance for him, shout with joy, or kneel before him and worship. The song makes believers all the more eager to get to heaven and encounter it firsthand. I can only imagine.

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan

Although the more popular version was done by Guns n' Roses band, Bob Dylan sang this song. It was first sung live by Bob in 1987 before recording by the band in 1990. Knocking on heaven's door means departing from the body through death. The lyrics are an officer's words to his mother as he lies on the ground about to die.

He is gravely wounded on a mission and is sure he won't make it. He asks his mother, who happens to be there, to take the work badge off him because he won't need it anymore. He means that he is dying and can't keep operating anymore. He talks of dark clouds coming over him and finding it hard to see because life is flowing out of him. The song describes the death experience as knocking on heaven's door. Can you go to heaven without death?

"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin

This song was released on November 8, 1971. The singer talks of a worldly woman that chooses the deadly path to material things and forfeits the right way to righteousness. According to Christianity, the broad path leads to destruction, while the narrow one leads to heaven.

She goes on with the material path, hoping she can buy her way into heaven in the long-run. Finally, she reaches a point and realizes it's impossible to switch from the course she chose, and she has missed heaven. The song is a teaching about the things of heaven that defy involvement with pursuing riches; you either take the more demanding path to heaven or the easy one to materialism. Summarily the song is an expression of the requirements for righteousness to qualify for heaven.

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