{{short description|1981 single by The Jam}} {{about|the single|the structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite|pyre}} {{use British English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox song | name = Funeral Pyre | cover = Jam-funeralpyre1.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = The Jam | album = | B-side = Disguises | released = {{Start date|1981|05|29|df=yes}} | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = {{hlist|Mod revival|post-punk}} | length = {{Duration|m=3|s=29}} | label = Polydor | writer = Rick Buckler, Bruce Foxton and Paul Weller | producer = {{hlist|Peter Wilson|The Jam}} | prev_title = That's Entertainment | prev_year = 1981 | next_title = Absolute Beginners | next_year = 1981 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|EndqhHJx-Ko|"Funeral Pyre"}}}} }}
'''"Funeral Pyre"''' is The Jam's thirteenth single released on 29 May 1981. Backed by the B-side "Disguises", a cover of a Who track, it reached No. 4 in the UK singles chart.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejam.org.uk/jams13.html |title=The Jam Singles – Funeral Pyre |website=Thejam.org.uk |accessdate=2016-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227143206/http://www.thejam.org.uk/jams13.html |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 277}}</ref>
"Funeral Pyre" is the only single co-written by the band, and only the second song which has writing credits for all three members, the other being "Music for the Last Couple" which featured on the ''Sound Affects'' album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.musicthisday.com/lists/albums/50-albums-from-1980-you-must-hear-before-you-die|title=Outburst's Top Albums of 1980|website=musicthisday.com|access-date=30 April 2026}}</ref>
The song begins as a studio jam between drummer Rick Buckler and bassist Bruce Foxton, with Paul Weller's contribution coming later.
The song does not appear on any of the band's studio albums. In the US, it appeared on the five-track EP ''The Jam'' (Polydor PX-1-503), which peaked at No. 176 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart.
==Music video== The video was shot at Horsell Common, near Woking.<ref name="Thats">''That's Entertainment: My Life in The Jam'', {{ISBN|978-1-783-05794-8}}, p. 152</ref> A sandpit (which had earlier featured in H. G. Wells' ''The War of the Worlds'') was used for the location of the bonfire used to accompany the official music video.<ref name="Thats"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120227143206/http://www.thejam.org.uk/jams13.html Information/lyrics for "Funeral Pyre"/"Disguises"] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070810101859/http://www.paulweller.com/index.php Paul Weller – Official site]
{{The Jam}}
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Category:1981 singles Category:1981 songs Category:Polydor Records singles Category:Songs written by Paul Weller Category:The Jam songs Category:Songs written by Bruce Foxton Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Wilson