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May 31, 2007
Edible Audio: One Hundred Songs About Food
WHAT IF? An imaginary record cover for a compilation of food-inspired music.
AOL recently contacted me to create a playlist of food-inspired songs for its "Blogger Radio" station on AOL Radio (see below for details on how to listen). After much digging through my own music collection (and some serendipitous searching online), I came up with 100 songs.
There's a heavy emphasis upon jazz and blues, a slathering of R&B, a douse of hip-hop, along with a sprinkling of pop classics and a dusting of heavy metal (o.k., just one -- Def Leppard's cheesetastic "Pour Some Sugar on Me").
As I pored over all of this gastro-music, it became pretty clear that food is more often than not a (barely veiled) euphemism for sex. Candy seems to trump just about everything edible as the most frequent object of desire. Other songs are culinary in name only (take Taste of Honey's "Sukiyaki," for example), while others immerse themselves in a heady contemplation of appetite -- I'm thinking here of the Fat Boys' great, tragicomic "Jail House Rap." And then there's food as abstraction in the form of Dizzy Gillespie's manic be-bop standard, "Salt Peanuts."
You can find the complete playlist (in alphabetical order) below. It's not comprehensive, so if you have a favorite food song that isn't covered here, please share it in the comments.
Tune In: For PC Users, listen by clicking here. If you're on a Mac, download the AOL Radio player, log in with your AOL/AIM screenname, and select "Blogger Radio" under the "Soundtracks & Themes" category. The playlist will be up until June 14, when the station gets turned over to the next DJ/blogger.
Tasty! Songs for Food Lovers
- All That Meat And No Potatoes by Fats Waller
- All You Can Eat by the Fat Boys
- Artichoke by Cibo Matto
- Augustus Gloop by Danny Elfman
- Augustus Gloop by The Poozies
- Banana Boat (Day-O) by Harry Belafonte
- Beans And Cornbread by Louis Jordan
- Beef Jerky by Cibo Matto
- Birthday Cake by Cibo Matto
- Black Coffee In Bed by Squeeze
- Bowl Of Oranges by Bright Eyes
- Brown Sugar by D'Angelo
- Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones
- Candy by Cameo
- Candy by Morphine
- Candy (Drippin' Like Water) by Snoop Dogg
- Candy Shop by 50 Cent
- Catfish by Bob Dylan
- Catfish Blues by Jimi Hendrix
- Chicken Grease by D'Angelo
- Chicken Noodle Soup by Webstar & Young B
- Chicken Soup With Rice by Carole King
- Chocolate Buttermilk by Kool & The Gang
- Chocolate City by Parliament
- Chocolate Factory by R. Kelly
- Choux Pastry Heart by Corinne Bailey Rae
- Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright
- Cookin' by Clifford Brown
- Crawfish by Elvis Presley
- Days Of Wine And Roses by Henry Mancini
- Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor On The Bedpost by Lonnie Donegan
- Drinks by Twista
- Egg Man by the Beastie Boys
- Eggs And Sausage by Tom Waits
- Fried Chicken by Ice-T
- Giblet Gravy by George Benson
- Gimme That Wine by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
- Gin And Juice by Snoop Doggy Dogg
- Glass Onion by The Beatles
- Gone Sugaring by Mirah
- Green Onions by Booker T & The MG's
- Grits by James Brown
- Ham 'N' Eggs by A Tribe Called Quest
- Happy Meal II by The Cardigans
- Home Cookin' by Horace Silver
- Honey by Moby
- Honey Pie by The Beatles
- I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl by Nina Simone
- I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow
- Ice Cream Castles by The Time
- Ice Cream Man by Tom Waits
- Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
- It Should Have Been Me by Ray Charles
- Jail House Rap by Fat Boys
- Juicebox by The Strokes
- Juicy Fruit by Mtume
- Know Your Chicken by Cibo Matto
- Lady Marmalade by LaBelle
- Le Jazz Et Le Gin by Coralie Clement
- Le Pain Perdu by Cibo Matto
- Milkcow Blues Boogie by Elvis Presley
- Milkshake by Kelis
- Mother Popcorn by James Brown
- My Sweet Potato by Booker T & The MG's
- Old Joe's Place by The Folksmen
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer by John Lee Hooker
- Orange Crush by R.E.M.
- Oregano Flow (Gumbo Soup Mix) by Digital Underground
- Otha Fish by The Pharcyde
- Pimp Juice by Nelly
- Pot Kettle Black by Wilco
- Potato Head Blues by Louis Armstrong
- Potato's In The Paddy Wagon by The New Main Street Singers
- Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
- Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) by Squeeze
- Quiche Lorraine by The B-52's
- Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang
- Red Apples by Cat Power
- Red Vines by Aimee Mann
- Salt Peanuts by Dizzy Gillespie
- Salt Peanuts by Joshua Redman
- Savoy Truffle by The Beatles
- Shanghai Noodle Factory by Traffic
- Spanish Grease by Willie Bobo
- Straight, No Chaser by Thelonious Monk
- Struttin' With Some Barbecue by Louis Armstrong
- Sukiyaki by A Taste Of Honey
- Sweets For My Sweet by The Drifters
- Taco WIth A Pork Chop by Ray Brown, John Clayton, Christian McBride
- Tacos, Enchiladas And Beans by Doris Day
- Tea For Two by Ella Fitzgerald
- Tea For Two by Fats Waller
- The Coffee Song by Frank Sinatra
- The Lemon Song by Led Zeppelin
- Too Much Sugar For A Dime by Merle Travis
- Watermelon Man by Mongo Santamaria
- White Pepper Ice Cream by Cibo Matto
- Wild Honey by U2
- Yes! We Have No Bananas by Louis Prima
- You're Not The Only Oyster In The Stew by Fats Waller
Posted by Josh Friedland on May 31, 2007 in Music | Permalink
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Comments
Can't wait to listen to your list - what a great idea. Have you heard Michael Franks "Eggplant"? It would make a great addition to your list.
Posted by: Katie at May 31, 2007 10:35:29 AM
Awesome list.
You didn't include Cheeseburger in Paradise. Or I overlooked it.
Posted by: Syd at May 31, 2007 11:34:14 AM
It's a classic and it's not food, but I'll add it anyway. :-)
Go for Soda by Kim Mitchell
Posted by: Jonathan Danylko at May 31, 2007 11:51:14 AM
Jambalaya (on the Bayou) by Hank Williams
"Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file gumbo/Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio/Pick guitar fill fruit jar and be gay-o/Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou..."
or Hey Good Lookin' (but it's not quite as good as Jambalaya, though)
"Hey hey, good lookin'/What ya got cookin'? / How's about cooking somethin' up with me?..."
Posted by: Matilda at May 31, 2007 1:44:49 PM
Even though I'm not a big fan of "heavy metal" on roadtrips the radio stations always seem to play "Cherry Pie" by Warrant. It's actually kind of a catchy tune-but I didn't say that ;)
Posted by: FilmGal30 at May 31, 2007 6:21:09 PM
My faves that don't appear on the list include "Starfish and Coffee" by Prince (Sign O the Times record), as well as his "Under the Cherry Moon," "Peach," "Raspberry Beret" and "Cinnamon Girl." Oh, and "Cream."
Beck's Midnite Vultures album has a mediocre song called "Peaches & Cream."
"Tangerine," Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins.
Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey album includes both the title song, and "Moonshine Whiskey."
I would also add "(Do The) Mashed Potatoes)" by James Brown to add to your already potato-intensive list.
"Rice" by Dan Bern.
"Red Red Wine" by UB-40 and The Replacements, though those two songs ONLY share a title in common.
"Octopus's Garden," among the more um, goofy of Beatles songs.
Another that combines smokes and a food: "Cigarettes and Coffee," Otis Redding.
"Cup of Coffee," Garbage.
"Mexican Wine," Fountains of Wayne.
"Kitchen," the Lemonheads. Or anything by the Lemonheads. ;)
"Bananeira" by Bebel Gilberto translates as "Banana Tree."
"Chocolate Cake" by Crowded House comes to mind.
Though it doesn't mention a food or drink in the title, I think the Billy Strayhorn classic "Lush Life" is still appropriate.
And on a similar theme, would "One More for the Road" count?
Or maybe Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" would be a more fitting end to the list.
Posted by: Jessica at May 31, 2007 8:02:27 PM
how about 'Too Much Food' by Jason Mraz? and i like Michelle Featherstone's 'Coffee and Cigarettes'.
:)
Posted by: Elly at Jun 1, 2007 11:36:51 AM
Buttermilk Biscuits - Sir Mix-a-Lot
"Don't make a difference what food you make
Use buttermilk biscuits to clean your plate
You eat 'em in the morn', you eat 'em at night
Kentucky Fried Chicken makes the suckers just right"
Posted by: lepoop at Jun 1, 2007 12:56:19 PM
My food album cover would look, and sound, like this. Actually, it already does.
Posted by: deb at Jun 1, 2007 9:17:42 PM
What about computer game tunes?
Check out this belgian beer game
http://www.vedett.com
Hilarious!
Posted by: betasolo at Jun 2, 2007 9:13:52 AM
The greatest-ever food song has to be Bessie Smith's Kitchen Man
Posted by: Alan Slingsby at Jun 2, 2007 5:16:32 PM
How about "Cookin' by the Book" by Lazytown. Check out the video on Youtube - even kid-friendly!
Posted by: Cindy at Jun 5, 2007 12:56:28 AM
Forgot one - "Everybody eats when they come to my House" by Cab Calloway
Posted by: Cindy at Jun 5, 2007 12:59:19 AM
Peaches - The Presidents of the USA
Coconut - Harry Nilsson
Two Pina Coladas - Garth Brooks
Lemon - U2
Wild Honey - U2
Chocolate - Kylie Minogue
Candy - Mandy Moore
Kiwi - Maroon 5
Honey - Moby
Lemon Parade - Tonic
Posted by: Melissa at Jun 5, 2007 9:46:49 PM
Love this list! So where can I buy the CD?
My picks that you forgot (and I'm so bad at remembering who sings them):
1. Sex and Candy (it's from the 90s)
2. Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffet)
3. Cheeseburger in Paradise (Jimmy Buffet)
4. Candy Girl (it's from the 70s or 80s)
5. Strawberry Wine (Deena Carter)
6. Sugar, Sugar (The Archies)
7. Hey Good Lookin' (Hank Williams? I can't remember who sang the original)
8. Watermelon Crawl (big tall country singer guy with an deep voice, from the 90s)
9. Cherry Pie (Warrant)
10. Starfish and Coffee (Prince)
11. Mashed Potato (from the 50s or 60s)
12. Red, Red Wine (UB40)
13. Two Pina Coladas (Garth Brooks)
14. Isn't there some Tootsie Roll song out in the past couple of years?
Posted by: Anna at Jun 6, 2007 8:52:18 AM
Just a couple more:
Everybody eats when they come to my house- Cab Callaway
Soul Food- Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
Need a Little sugar in my bowl - Bessie smith (and much later, Nina Simone)
Lemon Twist- Bobby Troup
Manteca - Dizzy Gillespie
Suppertime- Irving Berlin standard
Shoo Fly pie- Anita O'day
Banana Split for my Baby- Louis Prima
One Mint Julep- Ray Charles
Posted by: Steve Sando at Jun 6, 2007 11:34:31 AM
What about Gumbo by Jimmy Buffett?!
"I'm not talkin' quesadillas or a dozen Krispy Kremes
Or a pound of caviar that's a rich man's dream.
No banana split or fillet of pompano.
No! I will play for gumbo!"
Posted by: AmazonChick at Jun 6, 2007 2:31:12 PM
I Love Onions, not sure who performs it, circa 1966
I Remember Butter, Four Bitchin' Babes
Eat it, Al Yankowitz
A whole bunch of other Weird Al stuff:
Living in the Fridge
The Rye or the Kaiser
Lasagna
My Bologna
Posted by: Jozseph Schultz at Jun 7, 2007 1:23:25 AM
My Sugar Walls - Sheena Easton
Candy Girl - New Edition
Hollaback Girl (BANANAS) - Gwen Stefani
Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan
American Pie - Don McLean
Navy Bean - Tracy Bonham
She Don't Use Jelly - Flaming Lips
White Chocolate Space Egg - Liz Phair
Cornflake Girl - Tori Amos
Constant Craving - k.d. lang
Posted by: Sheri at Jun 7, 2007 2:16:14 PM
Here's a few...most are definitely about items of or places for food even if it is an allegory of desire or disgust, etc.:
Boiled Okra and Spinach by Trout Fishing in America
Breakfast Blues by Trout Fishing in America
Breakfast in America by Supertramp
The Cask of Amontillado by The Alan Parson's Project
Fried Chicken Skin by Tom Faulkner
Grapefruit Diet by Weird Al Yankovic
Malted Milk by Robert Johnson
Murrell's by Trout Fishing in America
The Mustard by The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pico de Gallo by Trout Fishing in America
What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee by Trout Fishing in America
Trout Fishing is a Folk Duo that's released a kids album for every other album they made. The Parson's song might not count since it is a musical telling of the Poe tale. Obviously The Mustard was included a bit frivolously.
Cheers.
Posted by: Philip at Jun 7, 2007 9:35:51 PM
Guy Clark has a lot of songs about food, especially Texas food.
Texas Cooking and Homegrown Tomatoes are two that really focus on food.
He manages to work food into a big portion of his song.
I named my food blog Homegrown Tomatoes as a tribute.
Posted by: Eric Braun at Jun 8, 2007 10:17:00 AM
GREAT list and only a couple of big misses, which considering is amazing. Jambalaya, as aforementioned, Gimme a Pig Foot and a Bottle of Beer (Holliday version, of course) and the biggest one of all, to the extent that I really believe a replacement is called for, Hold Tight: Want Some Seafood Mama by the Andrews Sisters.
Hold tight, hold tight, a-hold tight, hold tight
Fododo-de-yacka saki
Want some sea food mama
Shrimps and rice they're very nice
Hold tight, hold tight, a-hold tight, hold tight
Fododo-de-yacka saki
Want some sea food mama
Shrimps and rice they're very nice
I like oysters, lobsters too,
I like my tasty butter fish, fooo
When I come home late at night
I get my favorite dish, fish
Posted by: Deb07 at Jun 12, 2007 8:57:49 AM
How about "His Cheeseburger" by Larry the Cucumber (Veggie Tales), redone by (Michael) Tait of DCTalk.
Posted by: Steve at Jun 12, 2007 11:38:47 AM
Yep, Michael Franks "Eggplant" but also "I Can Cook Too" from the musical On The Town, racy stuff for that era:
"Cause I can bake, too, on top of the lot,
My oven's the hottest you'll find.
Yes, I can roast too,
My chickens just ooze,
My gravy will lose you your mind.
I'm a brand new note
On a table d'hôte,
But just try me à la carte.
With a single course
You can choke a horse.
Baby, you won't know where to start!
Oh, I'm an hors d'oeuvre,
A jelly preserve,
Not in the recipe book,
And what's more, baby, I can cook!"
Posted by: Mia at Jun 14, 2007 9:02:56 PM
This is a very fine list. I'll add another song about chicken:
Chicken!
Nice fried chicken!
Barbecued chicken!
Won't you send it down the line.
Say!
Everyone's talking 'bout chicken;
Chicken's a popular bird;
Anywhere you go, you're bound to find,
A chicken ain't nothin' but a bird.
Some folks call it a fowl,
That's the story I heard,
But let 'em call it this and let 'em call it that,
A chicken ain't nothin' but a bird.
You can boil it, roast it, broil it,
Cook it in a pan or a pot,
Eat it with potatoes, rice or tomatoes,
But chicken's still what you got, boy!
It was a dish for old Caesar,
Also King Henry the Third,
But Columbus was smart, said "You can't fool me,
A chicken ain't nothin' but a bird."
You can boil it, roast it, broil it,
Cook it in a pan or a pot,
Eat it with potatoes, rice or tomatoes,
A chicken's still what you got, boy!
It was a dish for old Caesar,
Also King Henry the Third,
But Columbus was smart, said "You can't fool me,
A chicken ain't nothin' but a bird.
Cab Calloway
Posted by: Mary at Jun 25, 2007 4:41:37 PM
Great list.
"Sometimes I Have Oatmeal for Breakfast"
by Peter Apel
http://www.PeterApel.com
Posted by: fred at Jan 16, 2008 12:52:21 AM
Rc Cola and a Moon Pie
NRBQ
Posted by: Daniel at Jun 2, 2008 2:21:45 PM
Forgot one of many;
Eat That Chicken!
Charles Mingus
Posted by: Daniel at Jun 2, 2008 2:24:38 PM
Great job on that list!
"Banana Pancakes" by: Jack Johnson is a great little song!
Oh and how about "That's Amore" by: Dean Martin....something about "a big pizza pie" right?lol.
Posted by: Beka at Jun 19, 2008 1:59:42 AM
To help eliminate the strong smell of cauliflower when it is cooking, pop a piece of bread in the saucepan....
www.letsgoeat.co.uk.
Posted by: foodlover at Jul 5, 2008 2:54:42 PM
ever been to www.letsgoeat.co.uk
Posted by: David at Jul 7, 2008 4:58:31 AM
