Rhyme and Reason with Tony Funderburk

I remember Ted Kennedy’s shaky voice, during a eulogy for his brother Robert, as he quoted George Bernard Shaw  who said, “Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” I’m not sure Ted OR Robert were capable of anything more than why and why not questions. I hope so. But I won’t know until I leave this world. And maybe then it...

A train can’t make turns at the next intersection the way your car or pickup can. They have to follow the tracks. But even trains can go just about anywhere. Because there isn’t just one set of tracks. But they don’t get to follow the tracks in more than one direction at a time. Not only is it impossible, it’s a misguided idea to even try. So, what does this have to do with anything in your life?...

I think about what she said, more often, these days. I’m talkin’ about what my Grandmother said, as I sat on her front porch snapping green beans with her. It was during a couple of years when my brother and I lived with our Dad’s parents while he worked on setting up a new home life. Dad and Mom divorced when I was about four and my brother was two and a half. Since he was given custody of us, he...

What does it take to see the color of music? Well, take an old boom box, some music, paints, and an ultra slow motion camera, and you’ve got the ingredients for razzle dazzle. Check out this video: Here’s the link to the colorful, slow-motion video in case that works better for you: ( https://youtu.be/5WKU7gG_ApU ) Yeah, I know that’s a multimedia way to illustrate the color of music. Becaus...

I can hardly believe it’s already been almost 4 years. But the calendar doesn’t lie. And the metadata in the documents I saved doesn’t either. Yeah, almost 4 years since I produced rough cuts to several new songs. And I have a couple of main reasons why I call them “rough cuts.” One of those songs is called “I Can Do.” And, yes, it’s one of the many songs I’ve written where I swim upstream against...

They’re not scary when you use even a little of the wisdom and discernment your Creator is willing to give you. I’m talking about health headlines. But if you read them without wisdom and discernment, as if they’re actually full-blown facts, you might start feeling like calling up the suicide hotline. Because the vast majority of news sources would prefer you to stay locked down,...

America has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other when it comes to what is revered. I was born into a country that, while it was already very messed up, still placed a high value on Christian principles. But now there’s sacred places, sacred idols, and sacred geometry. But no respect for THE sacred God. Uh-oh. Them there’s fightin’ words. How dare I emphasize THE and use...

Fires burn down beautiful places. Volcanoes erupt and destroy communities. Hurricanes blast entire cities. Tornadoes uproot even the heartiest of trees. Mudslides annihilate peaceful homes that were minding their own business. And through it all the Earth remains. Yeah, the Earth remains through this blistering hot summer. And it’ll remain through this coming cold winter. So, you can fear wh...

Do you have siblings? If so, did you ever get into arguments with them when you were kids? No, who does that, right? Seriously, if you have a brother or sister (or a bunch of them like Elgielene does), you most likely had at least a disagreement or three. And you might remember answering the “why” question with the most profound reply of all. Just because, that’s why. Am I right?...

I wonder how many teenagers realize they’re walking, ticking timebombs. Have they seen the headline, “An Abortion Ban Made Them Teen Parents.” And do they know they could save themselves just by moving to another state? Because, for now, they might be safe in about 41 states. But who knows when an abortion ban might transform those states, too? Yeah, it could be just a matter of time before killin...

Elgielene is visiting her sister this week. Because they’re gonna celebrate their birthdays (which are 2 days apart) together, along with a niece who’s birthday is the same as Elgielene’s. Normally, I wouldn’t bring it up. But yesterday two items popped up on my devices that made it seem like maybe I’m not alone. So, I quickly checked all the dozens of bedrooms and ba...

Your safe place isn’t. Because there’s no safe place on Earth. Sure, there ARE places that, on a certain level, are safer than others. That’s just when it comes to the most violent and in-your-face crimes. But there’s nowhere on this planet that isn’t wicked. You can’t get away from it even in the small towns. And that’s where you used to be able to leave...

I certainly appreciate the most important things in life. I’m sure you can relate. Great computer, phone, and tablet. Several devices to watch videos and stream content. Internet access to a world so vast I’ll never see or hear it all. As a pre-teen and teenager, my family called me “technical Tony.” They didn’t always mean it as a term of endearment. But let’s not go there...

It makes me mad how some people feel a deep-down, dastardly need to rule over others. Yeah, for them, rule number one is “Do unto others before they can do unto you.” But that rule number one only lasts a little while. I know you realize we have a very short time here on planet earth. There’s a one-to-one ration of births to deaths. And nobody gets out of this life any other way....

I wrote a rhyme called Face to Face. And it talked about how glorious it’ll be when you see Jesus in person. It WILL be indescribably beautiful and wonderful. Believers will experience all of God’s love for eternity. I also wrote a song, as a tribute, to a young man who died of cancer a few years ago. The song is called “Jeremiah’s Prayer.” I took poetic license with...

Here’s a quote that was included in a meme I saw being shared on social media this week. It said, “Do everything with a good heart and expect nothing in return, and you will never be disappointed.” Seems like a “nice” Hallmark greeting card. But it falls flat. Because you don’t have a good heart. Now, don’t get your feelings hurt. Neither do I. And neither...

There’s no such thing as actual transgender. Sure, you can make up words and apply whatever touchy feely definitions you devise in your own mind. But just saying it doesn’t make it true. You can identify. But it doesn’t change your identity. And Christians should know that better than anyone. So, it seems almost unthinkable that someone who call himself a Christian would also &#8...

You don’t have to look far to find a financial “guru” who has the solution to your retirement income problems. And they often say your future security depends on your present investments. But the future they talk about is chicken feed. Tiny grains of sand in the amount of time you have ahead of you. So, most of the talk about future security is a whisper in the wind. I should mak...

Well, it’s all over but the whinin’. Yeah, for all intents and purposes, July is done. And is it just me, or does it seem like  there were more than a couple of hot days this month? Yeah, probably just me. OK, July is done. But you know what that means. Uh-huh. August, with its brisk, sweater weather days and frost-biting nights. Oh wait. Darn grammar checker. That was supposed to be b...

If you could carry around something invisible that could almost immediately transport you across the world, you’d do it. Right? Well, you’ve got something like that. And you have a way to access it almost anytime you like. Your phone or tablet or laptop give you access to something invisible. And magical. And you probably already use it, like that, in some way or another. But maybe not...

“It has a very hypnotic groove, a samba, which has a tremendous hypnotic power, rather like good dance music. It doesn’t speed up or slow down. It keeps this constant groove. Plus, the actual samba rhythm is a great one to sing on, but it’s also got some other suggestions in it, an undercurrent of being primitive. Because it is a primitive African, South American, Afro-whatever-you-cal...

I’m the only byline author here on TonyFunderburk.com. And, of course, that makes sense since the website bears my name. In case you’re not familiar with journalism jargon, a byline is just a title of the article and who wrote it, who it’s “by.” And so I’m the byline author of this whole website. So, whether it’s blame or credit that’s dished out or...

I’ve talked about the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting and producing team before when I shared some info about The Supremes and their hit song, “I Hear A Symphony.” And they had another hit, 60 years ago this month, with the song, “Heat Wave,” performed by Martha and the Vandellas. Martha’s version was a number 1 hit. Then, Linda Rondstat had a number 5 hit wi...

Ok, all seriousness aside. My brain thinks in rhymes. Not 24 hours a day. But certainly every day. My wife will tell you about (or rather ask you to save her from) my daily rhymes. She’s been with me over 30 years. And somehow she’s managed to stay reasonably sane. Despite all my iambic pentameter parameter But my daily rhymes aren’t always cuddly and cute. Yes, I’ve writte...

It’s summer time. And no doubt you’ve been in the garden yourself, or you know someone who has. Or you’ve been to someplace to get some of the good stuff that comes out of a garden. Right? And I can tell you, from a LOT of experience, how good it is to go into a garden to feel the dirt beneath your feet and smell the variety of scents. But you don’t go in the garden to lose...