The ongoing “Monty Python vs. God” debate has taken a new turn as The Independent reports that “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life,” the Eric Idle-penned ode to life being a joke and death an even bigger joke, is now the most popular song played at funerals in the U.K. This means that it must have been played in a church at some point, a deeply ironic development considering the film the song comes from, Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, was widely censored for blasphemy upon its initial release. This also means that it is more popular than traditional religious funeral songs like Abide With Me and The Lord Is My Shepherd among recently-deceased British people.
“Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” also knocked Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” from the top spot for the first time in a decade, which makes sense because the majority of Frank Sinatra fans are probably already dead at this point. The theme song for BBC football program Match Of The Day also ranked highly on the list, because hooligans remain hooligans, even in death.