Tag Archives: delightful music

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

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Norwegian Wood, by the Beatles. Scarborough Fair, by Simon and Garfunkel. We Are The Champions, by Queen. And even She’s Always A Woman, by Billy Joel. Those songs all have something in common. Do you know what it is? Well, I won’t make you guess. They’re all performed in 6/8 time.

And 6/8 time is one of the best for heart-felt emotion.

6/8 time is a meander, not a walk.
A delightful conversation, not a talk,
Where a heart’s not a heart, it’s the Master’s best art,
And why the rose is on the vine, not the stalk.

Probably all the best classical composers wrote music in 6/8 time at least once in their lifetimes. Because they understood the power contained in that gentle sway of notes.

One 6/8 song, I discovered to be a new favorite, is called “Song For Sienna,” by Brian Crain. Check it out in this YouTube video link:

See what I mean about the heart-felt emotion?

There isn’t a ton of instrumentation to Brian’s song. But the notes, combined with the time signature, pull you in. And, if you’re a musical note to word picture person (like me), you’ll take off right away.

But, as always, I’m not sharing this with you because I want to promote Brian Crain’s music. Because I don’t even know Brian. I have no idea if he’s a Christian. There’s no mention of it on his website. So, my guess is, he either isn’t, or he’s a middle-of-the-road “believer.”

And that doesn’t diminish the quality of “Song for Sienna.” I still like it very much. Because it’s a great example of how music, the second best gift from God (first being Jesus, of course) is the quintessential communication tool. I’m confident that God gave us music simply because it delighted Him to do so. And I hope, if you haven’t already decided God is real, and that He loves you, that you’ll do that today.

And enjoy the beauty of 6/8 time for all time.

Stay tuned,
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Hawaiian Sea

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Imagine you’re sitting on a beach by the Hawaiian sea. Ever so quietly, in the background, you hear delightful music begin to swirl. There is no band nearby. There aren’t any houses where someone might be playing their sound system. There isn’t another soul in sight. Where is the music coming from?

Could it be the flowers? What about the morning dew on the grass? You put your ear to the ground. Nope. No music coming from there. Hmm…

Hey, maybe it’s the clouds. They’re moving around a lot up there…but…no, the music doesn’t appear to be drifting down. Then, you hear the music get a little louder. It seems to come in waves.

In waves?! Now, wait a minute! Could the Hawaiian sea possibly be making this entertaining sound? You take three steps into the water, and whoosh! Music soars past your ears, and a beautiful mix of song and sea spray cool your face. Oh, if only someone else could be here to share it with you. You know no one will ever believe this happened.

I captured a moment like this way back in 1975. And I’ve never even been to Hawaii. But that’s the beauty of being a writer. You can go anywhere in the world anytime you want, and it doesn’t cost more than the time it takes to write it down. Here’s where my imagination took me that day…

Hawaiian Sea

I could smile all day at a Hawaiian flower.
I could spend the day in a castle tower.
I always crave fondue and love lines that are true
And lazy, little drops of sun-soaked dew.

Days are mine to keep or throw away at will.
I want them to last, but I know they never will.
My memories are nice to think of once or twice.
Along the line somewhere I must have thrown the lucky dice.

Oh my Hawaiian sea
Such thoughts you bring to me.
I’m not so hard to hypnotize just watching you fall and rise.
Oh my Hawaiian sea
You calmly sing to me.
Whisper something sweetly in my ears.
Hawaiian sea I’ll stay with you a hundred years.

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 1975

Your whimsical writer,

Whimsical writer, Tony Funderburk, signs his name to all his words and music.