Words and Music Archives - Tony Funderburk

Each and every time America goes through an election cycle there’s a bunch of what I call strange change. And it’s rarely, if ever, for the good. But the presidential election of 2020-2021 goes down as one of the strangest. I suggest you hold on for the ride. And don’t just look for a place to hide till it’s all over. Yeah, hold on for the ride on a bronc named Consequences...

Yeah, I’m gonna have a good day. And I don’t care who tries to stop me. Because it beats the tar, dust, and heck out of the alternative. And I’m gonna have a good day tomorrow, too. Because I want the streak to continue. After going through thousands and thousands of good days, why stop now? Right? And, you might be thinking, “Nobody has that many good days in a row. It&#82...

In 1989, I had been back in Colorado for about a year. And I was in my little apartment, B17 (yeah, like the old Olivia Newton-John song), listening to the cool variety of music on FM station, KBCO. Because they had this segment they called “Home Grown.” And I had sent a song of mine in to them. But they didn’t send out advance notice if and when your song was chosen. So, that&#8...

I just read an article on Don Gibson, a songwriter from the 50’s and 60’s. And it said he sat down one hot, summer day, in 1958, and wrote two songs. “Oh Lonesome Me” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” And would you believe it? Those two very different love songs both became hits. In fact, Ray Charles recorded a version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You&...

Journey with me, back to a time when masks weren’t required to…well…just about anything. Except maybe to rob a bank of convenience store. Back to a time when music and fire fused together for a hit song. And I didn’t care about it nearly as much as a particular objet du désir; or objeto del deseo. Or for those of you still wandering around in the world of English…obje...

Dobie Gray sang “Drift Away.” And it was a big hit for him back in 1973. I remember I liked the song, a lot, from the very first time I heard it. And I think it was Conway Twitty who did a country version of the song. But I disliked that one from the very first time I heard it. Sorry, but his voice and style go against the grain of my musical taste.   Anyway…Drift Away Yeah, that...

I’ve always believed it’s a good idea to be nice to nurses. And doctors and other medical practitioners. Because they have to see and deal with a lot of the ugly side of life. And death.   But especially be nice to nurses. Just imagine having the job of caring for people who moan and groan. And complain and gripe. Sometimes it’s an 8 hour day. But other times the work days can be...

My eloquence is subdued, tainted, and watered down by the second law of thermodynamics and a public school education. But I take heart in knowing that so is yours. Just kidding (a bit). But it’s true that we’re generally all less hearty and amazing human specimens than our ancestors. And I bring this up because, this morning, I’ve been thinking about the “Give me liberty&#8...

They might not be household names you’ve ever heard. But if you’ve lived more than a couple of decades, you’ve probably heard them. And is it just me, or do those old Motown songs still make you wanna dance, too? Yeah, just play the first few bars of “I’ll Be There” and watch out. Feet don’t fail me now. And that’s just one of the awesome songs by La...

Just because it’s already been done doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t do it. And maybe you could even do it better. “It” isn’t the same thing for everybody. But “it”, for me, is music. So, I love to hear stories about people who took a song and made it their own.   This hit song, from 1956, had already been done. And imagine you wanna record...

When I was a full time road musician, I had to include country music in my repertoire so I could get more bookings. And I’ve never made it a secret that country music isn’t my favorite. But there are classics I’ve always enjoyed.   I remember it often surprised audiences when I would sing a hit song from a female artist. And I guess they thought guys were supposed to sing guy son...

I remember a line from a movie, but I don’t remember which movie, that applies to current events. And if you remember which movie this came from, let me know, and I’ll be sure to share that update and give you credit for it. But anyway…in the movie, which was set back in the pioneer days, the main characters had just gone through enormous challenges. And endured terrible losses....

Hey ladies and gents. Kids of all ages. It’s time to play Beat The Clock and make your mark for all time. And this is the game where the stakes are high, the prizes are free, and losers never get another chance. Are you ready? Let’s Play!   But remember Beat The Clock doesn’t mean you’ll Beat The World. If history teaches you anything, and for most people it doesn’t,...

Let’s jump into my virtual time machine and zoom back to the third quarter of the twentieth century. As the years zoom past the concave, heat resistant time machine windows, notice the fashion and hairstyle changes. And the cars starting to look bigger, wider, and boxier. And, then we slow down and ease up to our destination. A large, secular high school at the north edge of Pasadena, Texas....

I hope you’re not rockin the boat today. Because the world has enough troublemakers without you chimin’ in. And if you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about, then you probably shouldn’t even be reading this. Because you just won’t understand. And it’s probably a matter of your lack of education. Or enlightenment. Or esotericism. Yeah, you just don’...

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 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....

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&...

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...

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...

It’s a new day So what! Big deal. A new day comes around every twenty-four hours. So, what makes this one any more special than all the others? And why do so many people try to pump you up with all this rise-and-shine nonsense?   A new day means you’re alive. And you’re able to do something about your life. Even if it’s not much. You’re able to do something. Because y...

Restore my soul because I broke it If you’re a Christian (and if you’re not, you should be), you probably already know how trouble is always close at hand. You can’t swing a dead cornstalk (you thought I was gonna say something else, didn’t you) without trouble showing up. And I don’t know about you (well, I do a little bit because you’re human) but I’m my...

Live up to your own dream Because I can’t live up to your dream for you. And 99.9% of the people who read my articles or listen to my podcast know this. I’d say 100%, but nothing, here on Earth, is perfect. But why do I even bring it up?   If I can’t live up to your dream for you, is it even worth mentioning? Short answer? No. Longer answer is…this is just basically about s...

It might’ve been Für Elise or Therese or Elizabeth As I opened up my laptop to write, just now, Für Elise started playing on my Pandora classical channel. And I love that piece of music. Of course, I don’t think I’ve kept it a secret that Beethoven is my favorite composer. And this piece of music is an example of why. But today, I decided to look up who Elise was. Turns out, sh...

Ah, there’s nothing like an uncloudy day And there’s nothing like rainy days and nights to make you appreciate an uncloudy day. Right? Of course, maybe it’s only the dreamers, poets, and songwriters who truly appreciate the ever-changing kaleidoscope floating above us all. But I’ll bet when I say that, plenty of other kinds of people beg to differ. Or maybe they don’t...