Rhyme and Reason

Back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper (a term used to describe little kids) I went to Sunday school before the “grownup” church services. And I remember enjoying it. (“Gasp! Did he say he enjoyed it?”) Oh yeah. And not just for the opportunity to show off my verse memorization skills either. Sunday school had some fringe benefits. For anyone who believes Christians are prudes who only concern...

Who doesn’t like to break stuff for fun? C’mon, admit it. And if you could make a six figure income just for breaking stuff, wouldn’t you have the perfect job? But who wants a job you gotta show up for when you can break stuff any time, day or night (especially night) without clocking in anywhere?   When I hear people say the Bible is just a dusty, old, irrelevant book, I know th...

It’s the last day of August, in case you hadn’t noticed. And when I went outside, early this morning, there was a delicate, cool wind blowing. So, I checked my weather app, and it was 45 degrees. Considerably different than the previous nights. And the dry, cool air transported me back to my boyhood days.   When I was growing up, the last day of August was like a timer bell. And it mea...

Put on your Sunday best I’m not sure if other parts of the country used that expression. But I grew up mostly in the South. First, as a toddler and juvenile in Oklahoma. And then, from the third grade to the twelfth in Texas. And I remember we used to dress up for things. And I mean dress up. So, it seemed only natural to hear, “Put on your Sunday best,”when it was time to go to...

Gotta be careful singing in prison Because singing in prison could cause a jailbreak. What’s that? You think that sounds PREposterous? And you think  I’m just gonna make up a story just to get some attention. Well, have I got news for you.   Singing in prison DID cause a jailbreak. It really did happen. And it really did actually save lives. But not just any lives. In fact, one of the...

I’ve got a melody in my heart Back in 1977, on one of my trips to the music store (because digital downloads weren’t invented yet) I picked up the brand new cassette from Kenny Loggins. It was his official first solo album called “Celebrate Me Home.” And if you’ve never listened to that collection, do yourself a favor. Great tunes. But this morning I remembered one of...

Are your riches uncertain? Short answer…yes. How do I know this? Because all riches are uncertain riches. In other words, you should never put your trust in your money. No matter how much of it you acquire. Because, I guarantee, it can all be taken away from you in the blink of an eye. And these days it’s easier than ever to do.   Plus, your uncertain riches won’t exist forever l...

Only twenty seven days left And for those of you not keeping track, I’m talking about twenty seven days of summer. After that comes my favorite season of the year. Autumn.   “Gee, Tony. What’s so special about twenty seven days?” Not a thing. It just happened to be the amount that comes up today as I think and write about it. But it has rhythm. And I love the rhythm in word...

Wow, have I got a deal for you?! Just imagine the hardest thing you could possibly do. And now imagine having all that hard work done for you. But I bet you’re not thinking what I’m thinking. And you should be. Because what I’m thinking is way more valuable to you. (Boy, I’m an arrogant so-and-so aren’t I?)   “OK, Tony. I’ll bite. What’s all this har...

Monday Blues anyone I woke up this morning and the weekend was gone. And I thought it was gonna go on and on and on. But my woman done gave me the terrible news. And now I got a case of the Sunday’s gone Monday Blues. (Sing it with me!)  [powerpress[ Did you wake up with the Monday Blues today? Of course, I know you might be in a part of the world where it’s not Monday now. And you mig...

Sunday morning memories I’ve mentioned , before, how much I loved those bacon, eggs, and toast days at my Grandparents house. Especially before we’d get ready for church. And this was back when families still did most things together. So, my Sunday morning memories include lots of together time.   My Sunday morning memories might seem naive to a lot of people. And I take that as a comp...

Day and night and truth and light As I’ve been slowly writing my way through the Psalms, I’ve discovered what a close connection I have to King David. It’s uncanny. And it’s much more than just both of us being songwriters (even though our styles are day and night).   Coincidentally, David uses day and night to show truth and light. Like in Psalm 19 where David even says &#...

By the light blue sky In the wee hours, those hours when most people are still asleep, sometimes my thoughts toss me phrases. And I think it’s my subconscious watching to see what I’ll do with them. If I’m awake enough, I take on the challenge. And it used to be with my physical sword. Well, my trusty Bic pen. But nowadays I rely on the lightning in my fingertips. (aka my compute...

Love and Music Picture this. A middle aged woman grabs her husband’s arm and says, “It must be the dopamine that makes me love this dope of mine.” Because dopamine plays such a huge part in the love and music connection. Right? So it would seem.   But love and music don’t connect just because of a hormone. And that hormone didn’t just magically appear in human genes....

Do you sing with understanding right now? “Golly gee, Tony. What does that even mean? And why do I need to sing with understanding? What’s that gonna prove?” Uh…it won’t prove anything to most people. But it might prove a lot to a few.   It’s certainly always a goal of mine to sing with understanding. Because singing has always been like bread and wine to me. O...

See ya later is truer for data than people Back when I was on the road, full time as a professional musician, I wrote a song called See Ya Later . You can click the link and find out a little more about it if you like. But I’m not talking about that right now. Because this is about the here today, gone tomorrow world of digital data.   And I said see ya, sayonara, and so long to a bunch of d...

Humble and kind doesn’t equal doormat It’s trendy to be assertive and vulgar. And many so-called “leaders in their field” love to express their inner darkness with tattoos, disheveled hairstyles, and profanity. And I’m sure they think it’s “cool” or “sick” to make a lot of money but look more like a street person. So, they parade, back an...

Do You Look For Life’s Magic Little Moments Life can be hectic. Sometimes even frantic for hard working people. If that describes you, I know you might tend to forget, ignore, or totally miss those magic little moments all around you. But they ARE there. And I like to capture them in song whenever I can. The following lyrics represent a couple of scenes from Anytown, U.S.A. at Christmas time...

Music Box Vacuum Cleaner Dancer At the age of 35, a young German guy named Gustave Brachhausen established the Regina Music Box Company in America. And he set up shop in the cultural center of the universe, New Jersey. No…really. And you might ask, “But Tony, what does that have to do with vacuum cleaners?” Well, don’t rush me. I’m gonna tell you.   The first Regina M...

Can you believe we have a mask debate in America? I bet our ancestors and forefathers would not have imagined we’d ever have a mask debate right here in the land of the free and the home of brave. And why would they? After all, back when men didn’t allow themselves to be shamed into being less than manly, fear didn’t rule public policy. And emotions took back seat to logical, lev...

A place in the sun with hints of wisdom Elgielene and I enjoy watching old black and white movies. Because so many of them are entertaining without vulgarity and profanity. And because a lot of them have either happy endings or good moral endings. Like the movie, A Place in the Sun, from 1951 starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. In real life, neither one of them were exactly shining exa...

Disappointment and expectations It’s weird how often disappointment and expectations are connected to each other. And I’m sure I don’t have to tell you (although I’m about to tell you) that it’s because people tend to base decisions on feelings. And not logic and reason. Now, I can see how tempting it is to go with feelings. Because we should feel. Especially when it...

Who can sing the immortality song? The Bee Gees wrote a version of it. And they sang background vocals when Celine Dion recorded it back in 1997. Pearl Jam also wrote and recorded their own Immortality song. And plenty of other songwriters and songs have focused on it. But they all fall short of the full meaning and power and understanding.   My Immortality Song will fall short, too. Because no on...

Do you ever wish you were one of those prophets and kings? Oh yeah, sit back and close your eyes. And imagine you’re one of the prophets and kings from days of old. Ah, the good life. People jump at your command. And governments and nations bend their ears to your every word. Power beyond your wildest dreams. Or… Maybe prophets and kings don’t have it so good. And maybe living in...

Who writes songs for attention? Short answer. Me. But before I go any further let me explain how I don’t mean songs JUST for attention. I’m talking about songs with an ulterior motive. And, in my case, that motive included breaking down a woman’s resistance. No, not the way you’re thinking. Get your mind out of there.   I wrote songs for attention because they were my secre...