Career
Burger’s first recording, Anthony Burger At The Lowry Organ, was released in 1975 when he was 14 years old. He joined the Kingsmen Quartet while still a teen and remained with them until 1992. During that time, Burger recorded nineteen projects with the group and was voted the Favorite Pianist in the Singing News Fan Awards for an unprecedented ten years. The award was renamed the "Anthony Burger Award" for several years after that. During this period, Burger presented the award to the winner each year, but was ineligible to receive it.
In 1992, Burger left the Kingsmen Quartet to pursue a career as a solo pianist. He joined the Gaither Homecoming Tour the following year and was featured on more than 65 Homecoming videos. Burger continued to release piano solo recordings and headline concerts, but his solo schedule was balanced by about 80 Gaither Homecoming dates per year. Adding more variety to his schedule, Burger formed an impromptu sideline group with Ivan Parker and Kirk Talley around 1998 called “The Trio.” The group performed at several events each year. (Shane Dunlap later replaced Parker.) Burger was known through out his career to tell of how God healed his hands and playing the piano was his way of praising God. During the course of his career, Anthony teamed up with gospel Sax-Man Dan Traxler and the duo was well on their way to establishing yet another pinnacle in his already impressive career. With over 100 tracks to their credit, Dan and Anthony were two musicians who really understood each other.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Burger released a number of piano folios, permitting fellow keyboard players to perform his arrangements.
The Hazelton Brothers piano company honored Mr. Burger just after the turn of the century when they began offering an “Anthony Burger Signature” model. Then in late 2005, Steinway & Sons announced that Mr. Burger was being added to their exclusive roster of endorsing artists, making him the first Southern Gospel pianist to ever hold that honor.[1]
Death
On February 22, 2006, at the age of 44, Burger died of a massive heart attack while performing aboard the MS Zuiderdam, a cruise ship chartered for a Gaither Gospel Cruise. According to eyewitnesses, Burger was accompanying Bill & Gloria Gaither and Guy Penrod on the song "Hear My Song, Lord" (erroneously reported as "We Shall Behold Him" at first) when fans in the audience noticed Burger had ceased moving, his hands clenched into fists over the keyboard. Several fellow artists carried him backstage, where the cruise ship's emergency response team futilely performed CPR for about 45 minutes.
Burger was survived by his wife LuAnn, two sons, AJ and Austin; a daughter, Lori; his mother and father, Richard and Jean Burger; two brothers, Randy and Clinton Burger.
A young blind pianist, Gordon Mote, from the Nashville area superseded Burger as the Gaither Homecoming pianist.
The Gift
Anthony Burger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was walking to market one day
She stopped for a rest by the roadside
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
A few moments passed till she saw it
For its feathers were covered with sand
But soon clean and wrapped it was traveling
She happily gave her last peso
On a cage made of rushes and twine
She fed it loose corn from the market
And watched it grow stronger with time
Now the gift giving service was coming
And the church shone with tinsel and light
And all of the town-folks brought presents
To lay by the manger that night
There were diamonds and incense and perfumes
In packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in a small cage
Maria had nothing to bring
She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in
And crying she knelt by the manger
For her gift was unworthy of Him
Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
"Maria, what brings you to me?
If the bird in the cage is your offering,
Open the door and let me see"
Though she trembled, she did as He asked her
And out of the cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new
Just then the midnight bells rang out
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
Whose beauty was fit for a king
Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To that cascade of notes sweet and long
As her offerings was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song
The song The Gift by Anthony Burger tells the story of a poor orphan girl named Maria who comes across a bird with a broken wing while walking to the market one day. She cleans and wraps the bird and takes it with her to nurse it back to health. In the lead up to the gift-giving service at church, the town-folks bring presents fit for a king, but Maria has nothing to offer except for the bird in a small cage that she had tended to. She waits till just before midnight and goes into the church to lay her offering by the manger. However, feeling that it is unworthy of Him, she starts crying. When a voice speaks to her in the darkness asking her to open the cage, she does so, and the bird flies out on a wing that had healed good as new. The bird then starts singing a song that no words can recapture, whose beauty is fit for a king, which Maria feels blessed just to listen to.
The song illustrates the idea that the worth of a gift is not shown by its material value, but by the love and care that goes into it. It also highlights the idea that true beauty lies in simplicity and humility. The song has a religious undertone and portrays the idea of how a simple act of kindness can lead to something extraordinary.
Line by Line Meaning
A poor orphan girl named Maria
The story starts with a poor girl, Maria, who doesn’t have much in life.
Was walking to market one day
While going to the market for some errand, she sees an injured bird.
She stopped for a rest by the roadside
Maria stops by the roadside to take rest and sees the bird more closely.
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
She finds a bird lying there with a broken wing and doesn't leave it unattended.
A few moments passed till she saw it
After some time, she starts noticing that the bird is covered with sand and dirt.
For its feathers were covered with sand
Feathers of the bird were too dirty to see from a distance.
But soon clean and wrapped it was traveling
After cleaning, Maria carries the bird with her hands in a makeshift nest before heading towards it to the town.
In the warmth of Maria's small hand
Maria uses her small hands to keep the bird warm and safe from other predators on the way to town.
She happily gave her last peso
She spends her last penny on making a cage for the small bird with rushes and twine.
On a cage made of rushes and twine
She makes a cage from rushes and twine to keep the bird safe.
She fed it loose corn from the market
Maria feeds the bird with loose corn at the market, helping it grow stronger with time.
And watched it grow stronger with time
Maria takes care of the bird as it grows up and gradually recovers from its injury.
Now the gift giving service was coming
The story moves to the time nearing the gift-giving service in the church.
And the church shone with tinsel and light
The church was beautifully decorated with tinsel and light for the special event.
And all of the town-folks brought presents
All the people in town bring gifts to lay by the manger inside the church.
To lay by the manger that night
They put their gifts by the manger where Jesus was lying, as that was the custom.
There were diamonds and incense and perfumes
People bring precious gifts, such as diamonds, incense or perfumes, to honor Jesus, the king.
In packages fit for a king
The gifts are packed beautifully as they are fit for a king.
But for one ragged bird in a small cage
Maria doesn't bring anything for Jesus as a gift except the small bird that she has nursed back to health.
Maria had nothing to bring
Maria is sad as she feels her gift is unworthy of Jesus.
She waited till just before midnight
She waits until just before midnight to avoid being seen by others.
So no one would see her go in
Maria wants to remain unnoticed and alone while giving her gift.
And crying she knelt by the manger
After going to the manger, She starts weeping, overcome with emotion.
For her gift was unworthy of Him
Maria is filled with self-doubt and regrets bringing a small bird as a gift when everyone else has brought incredible things.
Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
She hears a voice while still weeping beside the manger.
Maria, what brings you to me?
The voice asks her why she is crying, and what she has brought as a gift.
If the bird in the cage is your offering
The voice points to the bird and tells Maria that it is her true offering for Jesus.
Open the door and let me see
The voice tells her to open the cage and let the bird go.
Though she trembled, she did as He asked her
Although she is afraid, Maria fulfills the request and lets the bird go free.
And out of the cage the bird flew
The bird flies away at once after the cage door is opened.
Soaring up into the rafters
In moments, the bird is in the air, soaring up towards the high rafters.
On a wing that had healed good as new
The once broken bird flies to the rafters with a wing that has now been healed.
Just then the midnight bells rang out
It's midnight, and the church bells start ringing.
And the little bird started to sing
Suddenly, the bird starts singing a beautiful song.
A song that no words could recapture
The bird's beautiful song is indescribable and impossible to recreate.
Whose beauty was fit for a king
Everyone present is struck with awe at the bird's beautiful song, realizing that it's actually an appropriate gift for the King.
Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
Maria is awe-struck hearing the bird's sweet song and is grateful for having brought it as a gift at Jesus' manger.
To that cascade of notes sweet and long
The bird's song is so long and sweet that Maria feels very lucky to be present to hear it.
As her offerings was lifted to heaven
Maria feels that this small gift of a bird has been lifted up to God, and has somehow satisfied her intentions.
By the very first nightingale's song
It was like it was the nightingale's gift to Jesus as well, as it sang in the church for the first time ever that night.
Contributed by Liam I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.