The Story Behind the Song — Behind the Hearse

There’s something about a funeral procession that puts life into perspective.

The long black limousine. The hearse. The headlights. The line of cars slowly making its way toward the cemetery. For a few moments, everything seems to slow down.

And there’s one thing you’ll never see in that procession:

A U-Haul behind the hearse.

That simple image became the idea behind “Behind the Hearse.”

We spend so much of our lives accumulating things. Houses, cars, money, possessions — things we work for, protect, insure, repair, upgrade, and sometimes worry ourselves sick trying to hold onto.

But when that final procession begins, none of it comes along.

Kings of old were buried with gold, jewels, and treasures because they believed those possessions might somehow accompany them into the next life. Thousands of years later, the treasures are still here.

The kings are gone.

That’s the message behind the chorus:

“Can’t take it with you
No, can’t take it with you when you go.”

But Behind the Hearse isn't meant to be a sad song. That's why the music is upbeat. The message isn't that possessions are evil or that we shouldn't enjoy the blessings God gives us. It's about remembering what has lasting value.

Jesus warned us not to spend our lives storing up treasures on earth while neglecting the things of eternity.

A funeral reminds us that eventually the house stays standing. The keys stay behind. The bank account belongs to somebody else. Everything we accumulated changes hands.

What remains is the life we lived, the people we loved, what we gave, whom we served — and most importantly, where we stand with God.

So yes, when someone we love dies, shed those tears. It's okay. Grief is real.

But the hearse also carries a message for those of us still standing along the road:

You can't take it with you.

So don't spend your whole life chasing things that have to stay behind.

Key Scripture

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
— Matthew 6:19–20 (NIV)

Reflection

If everything I own had to stay behind today, what would remain of the life I've lived?

That's the question at the heart of “Behind the Hearse.”

Because when the final procession comes, there may be a limousine, a long line of cars, flowers, pallbearers and a hearse.

But there won't be a U-Haul behind it.