Rhyme and Reason

Well, it’s October 2, 2020. And I can hardly believe it’s already been a day since I wrote about how it’s hard to believe it’s already October. Uh-oh, I’m spinning in circles of numbers. Somebody stop me before I fall off this merry-go-round.   But seriously (rimshot) October 2 is pretty darn significant. At least if you’re proud to be an American (cue the Lee G...

As I was doing an early morning Google search, I noticed something interesting in the “suggestions” dropdown. My search started with the letter O. And one of the suggestions was “opinions on debate.” So, of course, my first thought was, “Who’s debating?” Seems like the natural first response. Right?   Turns out the phrase, opinions on debate, led to a pres...

I’ve shared the story of my humble beginnings, in the spotlight , before. And you should go read that. It’s hilarious. My glamorous debut at Dinkledorf’s Deli in Kansas City. But one detail I left out in that recollection was how I wrote songs on the spot. And I thought about that again, today, when I saw news about Mac Davis on social media.   “What’s Mac Davis got t...

I remember, from back in 1983, a catchy song by a new wave band, The Fixx. And it popped into my head as I started putting my thoughts together for this article. “One Thing Leads To Another.” If you’re old enough to remember that song, I’ll bet it’s in your head now. Right? But I bring it up because of some things I read about music and heart rate.   And I read about...

I can sing a new song any time I feel like it. And I mean a song nobody’s ever heard before. Because I can write that new song. And I know it won’t be music set in place since before the foundation of the world. It’ll be brand new at the time I write it.   And when I sing a new song I just wrote, it highlights my will. Not necessarily God’s will. Because a lot of music, esp...

I’ve been doing this series of posts based on reading the Psalms. And in case you don’t know, Psalms is one of the sections of the Old Testament in the Bible. I’m up to Psalm 25. And when King David mentioned “the sins of my youth,”I thought, “Wow, I can relate.”  Not only the sins of my youth are forgiven. Thank God for how loving and thorough He is. Beca...

I woke up in the middle of the night, as usual. And while I was still halfway between a dream and awake I heard my own lyrics inside my head. But not just lyrics I’ve already written. No, I also heard rewrites. New words and phrases to replace certain ones in the song. So, I closed my eyes, fell asleep, and moved on.   No, I didn’t move on. I listened to the new lyrics inside my head....

“Why do you write so much about love, Tony? It’s not exactly a manly topic.” Yeah, I’ve been asked that. And when I hear a question like that, I immediately think, “Hmm…sounds like somebody who hasn’t read the Bible.” Because the manliest man who ever lived talked about love. And I mean, talked about it a lot.   And before I go any further, the manli...

Back in my early teens I started my lifelong love affair with drums and percussion. And I remember getting a cool, metal flake blue, snare drum for Christmas. It came with instructions on how to do paradiddles, flams, rolls, and more. And I was hooked. Drumbeats have been playing in my head ever since.   As I took to drums and percussion my brother was mastering guitar. Of course, it’s every...

I just watched an interesting video about social media anxiety. And the guy shared some disturbing statistics about how toxic social media can be. But, of course, none of his information matters to you and me. Right?   Wrong. Social media anxiety isn’t contained to certain areas. And you can see signs and results of it all around America (and the world) right now. And way too many of those r...

When I first began to chart a course around a piano keyboard, there was a particular singer songwriter I listened to every spare minute I had. And it sort of started with a high school graduation gift…an album. And that lead to me buying more albums from the same singer songwriter. One of those albums was a collection of Americana music. But not your typical songs. And certainly not from som...

Stay tuned, Get my  Rhyme & Reason Podcast  delivered (free) right to your player. My books are also on  Amazon.com or Apple Books Grab yourself  a cool tee Or how about some music for kids The post Technology changes and life rearranges appeared first on Tony Funderburk .

Everyone has a right to life. Seems simple enough. And most people walking around probably appreciate getting to exercise that right. Even if they don’t realize it. And most don’t. In fact, most people are completely clueless when it comes to why human life is so valuable.   Back in 2008 I was honored to sing my own pro life songs on the capitol steps in Denver, Colorado. At the time,...

Transpire. I like that word. Because it feels like it has more depth and meaning than the word, “happen.” And, after all, if it “feels” right, it must BE right. Right? So, that’s part of why I chose the word “transpires” to rhyme with the phrase “a thousand fires.” Wow, I’m using a lot of quotation marks. Wonder if I’ve used my quot...

Woke up after only one hour of sleep last night. And I quietly dragged myself out to the living room where I was greeted, with glee, by Sleepy Man. One of the most dastardly, sinister, and passive aggressive villains you’ll ever encounter. Because I’m not even sure he understands he’s a villain. And Sleepy Man doesn’t have super powers. He has something much worse. Stupor p...

During my “dating days” (way back in the 20th century) I probably dated two or three girls who were “into meditation.” And I’m talking about the actual sit-down, pose with palms on the knees and pointed upwards kind of meditating. I also knew a couple of guys who were into it. But I never knew what their preferences were. Because 1: it wasn’t a subject we talked...

Imagine this for a little bit. All your life you’ve had a great relationship with your dad. And I know that’s a hard pillow to swallow for most people these days. But that’s why I said “imagine this.” Ok, you and your dad have always been able to talk to each other. And you’ve always agreed about everything. And the close bond has built into what feels like an e...

Close your eyes and picture this scene. A long, lush, green meadow gently winds and flows down through a quiet valley. And a herd of sheep, with coats of wool from pure white to chocolate brown, grazing in juicy grass up to their hips. A clear as crystal creek glides peacefully through the meadow. And the vast variety of birds, butterflies, and wildflowers virtually takes your breath away. You, my...

We try our best to capture life and make time stand still. And we never succeed. No one has ever succeeded. One of the few things the Rolling Stones got right: “ Time waits for no one. And it won’t wait for me .”   But still, we take pictures, by the billions every day, to capture life. And you hold those elusive images in your hands. And think about what just happened. Maybe it&...

When you hear or read about the issues of the day, you see a pattern. And it’s nothing new, by the way. Even though we so-called “modern” humans think we’re more enlightened and evolved than our ancestors, it’s all a smoke screen. Especially since the enlightenment is based on manipulated information. And, oh yeah…we didn’t evolve. Small details, right? Ha...

When I was about 4 years old, my parents split up. And my younger brother and I lived with our Grandparents for a while. And one thing I remember, fondly, about my Grandmother was how she sang hymns while she did her housework. One hymn went like this: I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Remember that one? And even though I was a young boy, I could tell my Grandmother definitel...

As I started typing, at 3:30 this morning, I wasn’t sure what I would say. It was another physically challenging night. But I know how writing almost always revives my brain and keeps me going. So, I opened the computer, logged into my WordPress admin area, opened a “new post” and started writing. And just like it almost always goes, rhymes began to float to the top of my mind.  ...

Let me tell you about Old Fourlegs, the fish. I know that sounds weird from the git-go. But I think you’ll get a kick out of it. Because it’s one of the rarest of fish tales. It’s true.   Just about all other fish tales pale in comparison. OK, once upon a time (hey, I said it’s a tale) there was a big fish that lived in the ocean. Let’s call the fish, Sheila. Sheila w...

Before I say anything else right now, I want you to know I don’t deny miracles exist. But there’s a long list of things people mistakenly claim as miracles. And I’m talking especially about Christian people. Examples of things that are NOT miracles include: newborn babies, car starts, weather phenomena, a sole survivor of a plane crash, finding the one true love, headaches or too...

Before I dive in, let me assure you, I’m no expert on the subject of makeup. And I’ve never played a makeup artist on TV. So, please understand what I’m about to share with you includes observations and conclusions. That being said, have you ever seen a cosmetic counter, in a ritzy store. And have you ever noticed the different colors of makeup? But I’ve never seen a displa...