Setting a variable to a function value

If I have a function that simply spits out a bunch of text.

<?php
function stuff() {
?>
Blag blag blag<BR>
more blah blah<br>
<?php
get stuff from a database and output
}
?>

Now I want to set a varaible to the string of whatever that puts out.

If I use
$somevar=stuff();

It outputs stuff() there. If I use:
$somevar="stuff()";

Then $somevar equals the text stuff() not the function value. I've tried with the & as well.

Thoughts?
Thanks,
Roger

You would generate a value to return

function foo($bar)
{
      return $bar * 2;
} 

$var = foo(6);
// $var now has the value of 12

There are other ways of getting values from a function but they may be more advanced.