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Tony Funderburk

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Category Archives: lullaby songs

Lullaby songs by writer singer illustrator Tony Funderburk

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Tony Funderburk Posted on July 29, 2024 by TonyJuly 29, 2024
Feather dance not by chance in this circumstance

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Forrest Gump” you might remember seeing a feather dance around him and his surroundings at the bus stop. Of course, I’m sure you’re all savvy enough to know that little feather didn’t make all those moves all on its own. Right?

I read an interesting description for how they made that feather dance.

According to the transcription for a video, it went something like this:

“You could use a man in a green suit to puppeteer the feather. But Mister Green can’t fly. And so the feather  sequence was done by first filming the entire shot without the feather. And then filming a  feather on a wire in front of a blue screen and then superimposing and animating its position on top of the footage. However, aside from it needing to make reflections on a car, or on a wet pavement, the feather still needed to transition from superimposed to real. And this is where vFX came in handy. On the original plate they lent a real feather against Tom Hanks’ shoe which was then digitally painted out. Then, by using a cg feather, they were able to  make the transition from blue screen feather to cg feather and then finally animate it to fall and be crossfaded into the real feather.

If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t know what I’m talking about, check it out. And you’ll get a visual feel for an instrumental song included in the Lullabye Bye collection. I didn’t have that scene in mind when I put the music together. But after I read that description of how they did it, it fit kinda nicely.

Feather Dance is one of four and a half instrumental lullaby songs.

And it has soft, plucky sounds dancing around to the rhythm of somewhat subdued percussion. So, it’s just right for little ears to take in as little eyelids get a little heavy.

Oh, and if you wondered why I said four and half instrumentals, you should get yourself a copy of the Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. Because hidden somewhere in the book is a link to download all the songs. And they’re included in the cost of the book. So that makes ’em Fa-Ree.

You can download your copy of the book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop.

Or you can hold off till you get to know me better. And you can do that a lot faster when you jump on the The TRUTH. Join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the Rhyme and Reason and power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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Posted in Christian books for kids, ebooks for kids, lullaby songs, music for kids, songbook for kids, Tony Funderburk | Tagged Feather Dance, lullaby songs, Lullabye Bye, music for kids, songbook for kids, songs for kids
Tony Funderburk Posted on July 28, 2024 by TonyJuly 28, 2024
Red and white equestrian delight

Red and white. Red is a bold, beautiful primary color. And white, as I learned in art class (but isn’t absolutely scientifically true) is the absence of color. Put the two of them together, in stripes, and you’ve got a combination that modern people have loved for millions and millions of years.

Yes, red and white peppermint goes back millions of years to the Greeks.

If you’re buying this so far, let’s keep going. I read an article on the origin of peppermint. And according to one section of that article, peppermint is…

“Thought to have originated in Northern Africa or the Mediterranean, peppermint gets its name from Greek mythology. As the legend goes, the god Hades was having an affair with a nymph named Minthe. When his wife found out about his infidelity, she turned Minthe into a common plant that grew like a weed and was constantly under foot. To soften his lover’s fate, Hades altered the curse. He left Minthe a weed but gave her a sweet, calming scent to remind others of her presence as they walked over her. That’s love!”

~ Side note: Call me zany (but don’t let me catch you saying it). But I always wondered why gods who “altered” curses couldn’t do better. I mean, if you can alter a curse, why not alter it so that your “true love” doesn’t still get walked over. Yeesh. ~

Anyway…

Maybe you already know about the benefits of peppermint.

According to some “experts” some are just psychological. Like those cooling sensations you get when you enjoy a red and white peppermint candy. Those sensations elicits don’t actually change anything physically. But, hey, if it makes you “feel” better, then skip that so-called “expert” naysay.

Peppermint, the scent or oil, can:

  • Help extend your workouts
  • Ease inflamed tissues
  • Calm muscle spasms and cramps
  • Reduce the growth of bacteria and microorganisms
  • Relieve pain
  • Prevent infections
  • Speed up production of enzymes in your stomach and intestines
  • Stimulate the gastric lining in your stomach to help break down food
  • Aid in your weight loss
  • Suppress your appetite and food cravings
  • Alleviate hunger
  • Relieve or reduce your headache pain

Wow!

Who knew those little red and white candies could do so much. Well, to be more accurate, it’s not the candies. Because of sugar and all. But the power of peppermint is why after-dinner mints were developed in the 1960s. And restaurants all around America offer them for free after you dine there.

So, what does all that have to do with horses?

Well, not a darn thing.

Until you find yourself listening to a song that some mentholated musician wrote a few years ago. A song called “Peppermint Pony.” I mean, c’mon. Seriously? Who thinks this silliness up? It’s goofy. Silly. Zany (there’s that word again…watch out, buster). In case you think otherwise, check out this verse:

A lemon star is like a gumdrop.
We take a bite and do a flip-flop.
We find a watermelon mountain and land right on the tip-top.

See what I mean?

Are actual human beings gonna listen to anything with words like that?

Hmm…turns out the human beings known as kids get a real kick out words like that. And there are plenty more where those came from, in Peppermint Pony. Plus, they’re in several other songs in the Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing, songbook.

And you can download a coloring, drawing, songbook that has all the words AND a secret link to ALL the songs. Just takes a click or tap to get you into the Rhyme And Reason Bookshop. Scroll down the page and you’ll find it. Get a copy today and test it on your kids or grandkids as early as tonight.

And if you’d rather find out more about me before you hand over your hard-earned dough to buy something from me, jump on the The TRUTH. That’s where you’ll join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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Posted in Christian books for kids, ebooks for kids, lullaby songs, music for kids, songbook for kids, Tony Funderburk | Tagged Lullabye Bye, Peppermint Pony, red and white, songbook for kids
Tony Funderburk Posted on April 11, 2024 by TonyApril 11, 2024
Keep believing truth and not some polling booth

“Survey says?!” Remember that question on Family Feud? Apparently that show is still on TV. But I haven’t watched it in decades, so I can’t say. But the reason I bring it up is because of the whole “survey says” thing. And that’s because I want to recommend you keep believing the Truth regardless of what any survey says.

Keep believing the Truth because it shall make you free.

Yeah, many (if not most) people misquote that verse in the Bible. They say “the truth will set you free.” But your Creator said it “shall make you free.”

It’s those kinds of nuances and phrase twists that bounce around my brain when I write songs. Sometimes even I don’t notice how much influence a Bible verse had on something I wrote, until after I finish it and read it all together. I think that’s cool. Because I love how God can work on me through my own writing. And there’s no doubt I need His work on me and in me.

One example of subtle nuances is my song, from 1986, called “Hold On.”

It’s one of those songs that makes a very nice lullaby for a parent to sing to a child. But it can also be a love song between adults. And it also contains lines that follow God’s own messages to us. I’ll share it with you. And maybe you’ll see what I mean.

Here are the lyrics. And you can hear the whole song in episode 625 of the The Power of God’s Love Podcast

Hold On

I would love to take you in my arms
And capture all your dreams that get away
And put them in your heart where they belong
And fill it full of love so they can stay.

But I wonder if there’s magic in my hands.
And I don’t know for sure what I should do
To make your monsters fade and disappear.
So I can only sing these words to you.

Hold on; you know you gotta hold real tight.
Gotta keep your dreams where they’re easiest to see.
Hold on; I know you gotta hold real tight.
If you look behind the Love, that’s where they’ll be.

I would love to see your smiling face
And know that at least in some small way I was there,
When you needed someone to help you through your darkness,
And help you get your wings back in the air.

Chorus

You got to keep believing in your choices.
No one but you can really clear the air.
And if you find you’re hearing different voices,
Then it isn’t just a passing love affair

Repeat 1st verse and choruses to end

© 1986

Hold on there, ma’am or mister. Take a second and get all my really refreshing Rhymes and Reasons the easy way. Just jump on the The TRUTH. And I’ll send them directly to your inbox. Do it now, and you’re only a couple of clicks or taps away from some complimentary songs and some other surprises: https://www.TonyFunderburk.com

Stay tuned,

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Posted in Faith Hope and Love, John, lullaby songs, music history, Tony Funderburk, Words and Music | Tagged hold on, keep believing, truth exists
Tony Funderburk Posted on March 8, 2024 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025
Be a dreamer, not a mainstreamer

Dreamers dream. And here’s something that’s cool. You don’t have to be an author, painter, philosopher, or songwriter to be a dreamer. Plumbers, carpenters, and electricians can all be dreamers. So can doctors, lawyers, and even (gulp) politicians (although most of their “dreams” are nightmares for everyone else).

To be a dreamer, just focus or meditate on the desires of your heart.

I mentioned, years ago, how the most successful people are the best dreamers. And I said, “After all, no carpenter ever built a successful career without first nailing down his ideas in his head (pun intended). No plumber ever got his first wrench, drain snake, and flashlight without first unclogging his own thoughts about where to start. And no electrician ever plugged into a community of customers without a light first going off in his own head.”

And think about it. Every successful person’s journey started with a dream. Or you could say call it an idea.

A thought.

You’re thinking about it right now, aren’t you?

When I shared those descriptions of the different types of dreamers, you could “see” each of those workers. And I think it’s more than just cool how my words were transformed, through your eyes (or ears) into your thoughts. Then, your thoughts created pictures. And those pictures are where dreams start.

So. It doesn’t depend on what you plan to do with your life.

It doesn’t depend on where you plan to go.

And it doesn’t depend on how you plan to start and finish.

Just go ahead and be a dreamer. Or, if that’s just not your thing, then throw your support to someone who IS a dreamer. And remember to thank God for the dreams and desires in your heart. Then, remember…

Dreamers Dream

Dream a little dream a lot
And dream away your frown.
Dream up stardust Christmas lights
To sparkle every town.
Dream at night and in the day
And never let dreams end…
Because they come from Jesus,
A dreamer’s truest friend.

© 2012

Stay tuned,

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Enjoying the radically sensible Rhyme and Reason world? Don’t stop. Dive into much more.

Buy books and music from me:

  • (https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008R08LUG/allbooks)
  • https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/author
  • https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/singer-songwriter

Or tell those you care about to jump on the The TRUTH: https://www.TonyFunderburk.com OR Get the The Power of God’s Love Podcast: https://www.tonyfunderburk.com/fundercast

Posted in Author, Christian books for kids, lullaby songs, music for kids, poets and poetry, Psalms, Rhyme and Reason, Rhymes For Kids, Tony Funderburk | Tagged be a dream, desires of your heart, dream big, rhymes for kids
Tony Funderburk Posted on January 9, 2024 by TonyJanuary 9, 2024
Celtic art directly from the heart

In 2009 I wrote AND produced 10 lullaby songs in 10 days. Those songs became my first collection of lullaby songs for kids called “Lullabye Bye.” And one of those songs was called “Blue Celtic Cloud.” And when I shared my Celtic art on CD’s, way back when, it turned out to be one of the more popular songs on the disk.

Here’s that musical Celtic art in a lyric video:

Here’s the url to that Celtic art, just in case text or video links don’t work for you:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyUEviQ1bl8)

And here are the lyrics, just in case you’d rather read before you decide to watch the video. (yeah, I know people who have to even research lyrics before they watch videos…go figure)

Blue Celtic Cloud

There’s a time in the spring and the last part of autumn
When the noise of the day goes away, and the world is not loud
If you lay down and listen, you might hear the music
Raining down from real high in the sky in a blue celtic cloud.

Oh…beautiful magical music…
Oh…finding its way to your heart…

Through the whispering trees the wind brings a message,
And it tells you to keep your eyes closed and keep your head bowed…
“˜Cause you have to be still to catch all the music
Raining down on your ears from the sky in a blue celtic cloud.

Oh…beautiful magical music…
Oh…finding its way to your heart…

One by one the notes float down
And form a song so you can’t frown…
So you smile and you laugh and you sing.
Then two by two and three by three
The notes begin their harmony.
Just lay back and enjoy everything.

© 2008

Get all the songs, from the Lullabye Bye collection, in one sing along, drawing, coloring book. It’s available on the world’s most popular “bookstore,” Amazon.

Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Lullabye-Bye-Tony-Funderburk/dp/B08BWFWSLN

And just so you know, Blue Celtic Cloud is the only Celtic art song. So, you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy. Although, if you ARE Irish, you might wonder where this guy has been your whole life.

Stay tuned,

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Posted in Author, Christian books for kids, family friendly, lullaby songs, music for kids, Tony Funderburk, Words and Music | Tagged bedtime music, bedtime songs, blue celtic cloud, celtic art, lullaby songs, Lullabye Bye
Tony Funderburk Posted on January 6, 2024 by TonyMarch 12, 2024
I Can Do. And in B flat, too

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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 current trends. But so be it.

It’s part of my job description to swim upstream against the trends of the world.

And, no, I don’t get some sort of surreptitious pleasure from going against the grain. In fact, I wish my worldview and songwriting style were more the norm. But that ain’t gonna happen. So I know those opportunities I passed up on, back in the day, for recording deals, are the only ones I’ll ever have.

But I know the One who created me, AND made sure I can live forever, is much more pleased with my choice. And He said the world hated Him before it ever hated me. So, I’m in the best of company.

Anyway…

Back to those songs. There are seven of them. So far. And I have a deep and abiding desire to produce them from rough cuts to smooth. But, to my constant consternation, for six years, respiratory issues have kept me from accomplishing that goal. And my wife and I have moved to two entirely different parts of the country to hopefully help alleviate those issues.

Right now I’m gaining some cautious optimism that maybe I’m making some progress (Your prayers are desired and appreciated). And I hope I can do some recording, soon, and make some tracks. Sadly I’ve had that hope dashed against the rocks a few times in the past six years. But the thing about real hope is, it springs eternal.

So, that being said, here’s a snippet of lyrics from a little song in B flat called…

I Can Do

Outside the lines the grass is greener.
But that will not change my demeanor.
Because my life runs like a river.
I’ll take what all my days deliver.

I know the morning sun will shine,
And so, I’ll draw another line.
I’ll keep a box of all my most important things
Inside my heart where they can be
A constant song of joy to me.
I love the sound of optimism when it sings. 

I can do…what I need to. I know it’s so, so I can do!

The rest is reserved for when I fully produce this song and the others. Until then, you can dive into lots of my other songs, AND all kinds of books, when you click or tap this link:

(https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008R08LUG/allbooks)

Stay tuned,

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Posted in Author, Daily Devotional, John, lullaby songs, music for kids, Music Producer, praise and worship, Rhyme and Reason, singer songwriter, Tony Funderburk, Words and Music | Tagged I can do, if the world hates you, in this world, words and music
Tony Funderburk Posted on January 2, 2024 by TonyJanuary 2, 2024
High above the skies with sleep dust in their eyes

In 2011 I started producing the songs for my second collection of original lullabies for kids. (psst…adults love ’em, too) Many people, who bought the first collection, Lullabye Bye, asked me to write some more with a country and western “feel.” And while I’m not a fan of what passes for country and western these days, I AM a fan of the true western “feel.” Think Roy Rogers, Sons of the Pioneers, and even Michael Martin Murphy. So, I decided to go west(ern) and high above imagination to a Dreamland for little buckaroos.

So, what could possibly be high above imagination?

As I started dreaming up lyrics for the title song, Bedtime Buckaroos, I thought about some essentials for western music. You can probably think of some. Like cactus, ponies, ropes, and rodeos. And I visualized listeners going where only imagination can go. And even way beyond that.

Naturally, since it would be a collection of lullaby songs, I knew the rest of the songs would be in that same western world of imagination. So, you’ll find titles like Mornin’ Skies and Lariat Loop and Cowpoke Lullaby.

Sure, they’re designed for kids. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying them, too. Because I didn’t use cutesy voices with over-simplified lyrics. If you prefer those kinds of songs, this collection isn’t for you.

Here are the lyrics to the title song.

If you have kids (or you’re one at heart), let it take them (and you) high above imagination to a place where cosmic cowpokes sing around a campfire constellation.

When your dreams begin,
You’ll be free again
To ride high above imagination.
Cactus silhouettes
Practice pirouettes
What a night of fancy fascination.

© 2011

With their very own Bedtime Buckaroos book, kids can listen to music and sing along as they color and draw. Because inside you’ll find a special link where you can download the songs that go with the lyrics in the book. Yep, that’s right. 10 songs to help kids fly high above imagination. And they’re included in the price of the book.

Here’s the actual link to the book: (https://www.amazon.com/Bedtime-Buckaroos-Sing-along-color/dp/B086XCX55H)

By the way. Happy New Year. Start 2024 in the right direction with the Bedtime Buckaroos book.

Stay tuned,

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Posted in Author, Christian books for kids, lullaby songs, Tony Funderburk, Words and Music | Tagged high above, lullaby songs, vivid imagination, western music

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