Birthday Cake by Cibbo Matto.. they actually sing about making a cake.. an unappetizing cake.. but a cake nonetheless.

Land of a Thousand Dances mentions the Mashed Potato, though I'm sure he meant the dance not the tuber.

Oh, but surely Brown Sugar isn't about food ...

Well, Tutti Frutti isn't either, or Lady Marmalade, or Milkshake, or...

Here's ours off the top of our collective heads:

Spam by Monty Python
Food Glorious Food from Oliver
Animal Crackers in My Soup sung by Shirley Temple
Junkfood Junkie (I can't remember who sang this)
Dinner Bell by They Might Be Giants
Does Your Chewing Gum Loose its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight? (no idea who sang this one)
Eat For Two by 10,000 Maniacs
Soup is Good Food by the Dead Kennedys
Chicken Soup with Rice by Carole King
Sing for your Supper by The Mamas & Papas
Hot Potatoes by The Kinks
Eat at Home by Paul & Linda McCartney
Sukiyaki (I don't remember who sang this one, either)
Mac Arthur Park (Someone Left the Cake out in the Rain) sung by Richard Harris
Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs from Fraiser
Worst Pies in London from Sweeny Todd
Quiche Lorraine by the B52s

Maybe the best all-time restaurant song is "Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe" ('where the onions are frying, the neon is bright and the juke box is starting to play.') Written by the late Shel Silverstein and recorded by the legendary Bobby Bare, its portrait of the denizens of an all-night diner is like a Hopper painting set to music.

Thanks for giving us a description of the song. I wish I'd thought to ask for that. Also, I wish this blog had music. Wouldn't that be great? I wonder if our web editors could come up with that.

Van Halen and ICE CREAM MAN,
Hank Williams and JUMBALAYA

"Chicken 'n' Waffles" by Soul Imagine. And, NO, I did not look it up on the 'net. I actually have the song (a GREAT funk/soul song) on a compilation CD.

Jambalaya from Hank Williams Sr., Rock Lobster from the B52s and I want Candy from Bananarama

Food songs without any other meaning:
Food, Glorious Food-Olive(Broadway Show), Be Our Guest-Geauty and the Beast

I'm confused - or perhaps it's just that I was up earlier than usual today. But EL's list contains songs that are, at least title-wise, about liquor ("Red Red Wine" and "Margaritaville.") In light of that, I suggest that trippy 60s song "Spill the Wine" (I don't know the artist).

Don't forget "Food, Glorious Food" from the musical Oliver.

Others I can come up with - but bear in mind that some of these are "about food" in title only yet some may reference food in lyrics and not all are pop songs: "Guava Jelly"; "Chop Suey" from the musical Flower Drum Song; "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music; "Real Nice Clambake" from Carousel; "Toot Suite" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; almost any song from the original "Willy Wonka"; and, of course, my all-time paean to food, "A Little Priest" from Sweeney Todd.

I suppose an honorable mention would be a food-named character: Dr. Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror!

This was fun ... and I'm sure I'll think of more. And, no, I did not use the Internet - I simply love musicals (duh!). Check out the review of "Pageant" (my current show) at http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=25476.

As long as we have Buffett on the list - Cheeseburger in Paradise!

Cherry Pie (by 80's hair metal band - Warrant) again, not really about food though!

I did a food song CD swap on my blog recently and actually found 70 food songs without much work. Cibo Matto alone had at least 5.

The hardest ones are the ones that don't have food in the title but are about food and eating like Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang, You be Illin' by Run DMC, Church by Lyle Lovett etc.

Lots of older songs mention food too, like Cab Calloway's Everybody Eats When They Come to My House, or You're The Cream in My Coffee by a ton of different people.

A quick sample of some others: Crawfish by Elvis, Satan Gave Me a Taco by Beck, Bread & Butter by the Waitresses, Fruit Salad Stains by Clem Snide, Cheese and Onions by the Rutles, Filet of Soul by the Dead Milkman, Good Ol' Turnip Greens by Bill Chatmon...not to mention a bunch of novelty or children's songs.

I could go on for days and we only used our personal collections- on internet searches!

Steve Goodman's Chicken Cordon Blues.

"Chick-Inn" by the Gories, and "No More Hot Dogs" by Hasil Adkins (who wrote a ridiculous number of songs about food, especially chicken - case in point, his album POULTRY IN MOTION).

"Chitlins con Carne" by Kenny Burrell (doesn't have any words though)

"Rubber Biscuit" by the Chips (hilarious)

Strawberry Jam by Michelle Shocked
The Sonic Youth album A Thousand Leaves is inspired by a French pastry...
Tom Waits has some song about a diner and, um, Nighthawks at the Diner

I didn't start this, but I'm glad to keep the mayhem going:

Come Onna My House {Rosemary Clooney?]
If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked a Cake

Oh, and punk band MDC has a couple songs about vegetarianism - "Chicken Squawk" (chorus: Buk buk buk buk buk buk BAWK, buk buk buk buk buk buk BAWK, buk buk BAWK buk buk BAWK, bawk) and, in a nice tie-in with the title of this post, "Tofuti."

Green Onions by Booker T & the MGs, I think...

I want Candy from Bananarama

Actually, it was Bow Wow Wow. And to be honest, I don't think the song is about candy...:-)

"Green Onions" by Booker T & the MGs.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!!!

Southern Culture on the Skids sings Eight Piece (chicken) Box and Banana Pudding.

Ah, 2 Skinnee J's (fun 90s mid-Atlantic band, now defunct) "BBQ" often gets trapped in my head in summer. We got burgers, we got weenies.

Hot Tomales and Red Hots by Robert Johnson - also covered by Eric Clapton on "Me & Mr. Johnson"

Best opening song line... "bottle of whites, bottle of red, perhaps a bottle of rose instead", Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" Billy Joel.

'll ring in with probably lesser known songs from the world of Celtic and renaissance festival music and yes, some are drinking songs:

"Whiskey in the Jar"
"Health to the Company"
"King of the Cannibal Islands".. little boy pudding for the second course"
"Whiskey Johnny"
"Whiskey Oh"
"Beer, Beer, Beer aka The Man Named Charlie Mops" ..."the lord bless Charlie Mops the man who invented beer"
"The Grand Pubs o Yorkshire"
"We're Here to Drink the Whiskey"
"Wine, Rum, and Whiskey oh!"

I could go on but there's tons of drinking songs in this realm!

that trippy 60s song "Spill the Wine" (I don't know the artist).

That was Eric Burdon.and War.

This reminds me of a teacher I had in high school who used to tease me about only liking bands named after food - Smashing Pumpkins, Blind Melon, Phish, etc...

"Beans & Cornbread" - Not sure about the artist, but it used to be the theme song to that "Dinner & A Movie" show

"Dinner & a Movie", "Gumbo", "Taste", "Bathtub Gin", "Mango Song", "Meat" - Phish

"Baby's Got Sauce", "Hot Cookin" - G-Love

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Otis Redding/Marvine Gaye

"Leomon Grove Avenue" - Mason Jennings

"Badfish", "Burritos" - Sublime

"Come Into My Kitchen" - by blues legend Robert Johnson

"Busting Up a Strarbucks" - Mike Doughty

"Cinnamon Girl" - Neil Young

"Candyman" - Grateful Dead

"Diner", "Coconut", "Ribs & Whiskey", "Thought Sausage", - Widespread Panic

"Whiskey & Wine" - Matt Costa

"Cold Turkey" - by local legends Colouring Lesson

"Food" - Bunny Wailer

"Them Belly Full But We Hungry" - Bob Marley

"Glass Onion", "Honey Pie", "Octopus's Garden" - The Beatles

"Banana Pancakes", "Cookie Jar" - Jack Johnson

"Barbeque", "Mashed Potatoes" - Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO)

"Mayonaise" - Smashing Pumpkins

"Ice Cream" - Sarah Maclachlan

Black Coffee in Bed by Squeeze

"dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer, than to have your ham and eggs in Carolina...", Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Glen Miller

Or

"Master of the House" from Les Miserables... "..food beyond compare, food beyond belief.. mix it in a mixer and pretend it's beef, kidney of a horse, liver of a cat, filling up the sausages with this and that..."

"Tuna Noodle Casserole" by Garrison Kiellor...and yes, it's a real song. I even have the score.

The Fat Boys made several songs about food in the 80's.

"All You Can Eat"

"Jailhouse Rap" - a song about a guy who goes to jail for stealing food from a pizza shop and a Burger King.

How about "Eat It" by Weird Al Yankovic?

Speaking of songs without words (which aren't technically songs but I digress) - so, speaking of instrumentals, there's "Hot Buttered Popcorn."

Not exactly food but I have to bring up (Lime in the) 'Coconut' by Harry Nilsson because the song is hilarious.

In the mainstream, "Ice Cream" by Sarah McLachlan.

In the indie world, the fantastically fun but sadly defunct Canadian band Moxy Früvous has two good ones that are genuinely about food, not food as a metaphor. "Johnny Saucep'n" is a 2-minute hoedown about "strange and wonderful food" guaranteed to make you dance. The gentle acoustic "Guinea Pig" cautions against genetically modified "Frankenfood". Good stuff.

"Orange Soda" by Raquel's Boys (a power-pop favorite)
"Butter Beans" by the B-52's ("Pick 'em, pull 'em, put on the steam, that how we fix butter beans....")

Thanks for the info, Hal.

Daria - There's also a song titled "Ice Cream" from the musical She Loves Me, and the song was introduced by the great Barbara Cook.

Harry Chapin's "30,000 Pounds of Bananas."

I really must stop for this has become addictive (thanks a lot, EL!!!), but let's not forget "The Beer Barrel Polka."

Misha: The lyric in "Chattanooga Choo Choo" right before what you quoted is:

"You leave the Pennsylvania Station 'bout a quarter to four
Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore" - how cool is that?

Hey Robert and zevonista, "I Want Candy" was originally recorded by the Strangeloves in 1965. Bow Wow Wow's version was a cover.

Poundcake- Van Halen
Breakfast @ Tiffany's -Deep Blue Something
Last Mango in Paris- Jimmy Buffett

"Mellow Yellow "by Donovan.

(Although, I'm prety sure the song ain't about Coke's version of Mountain Dew. )

As heard on my satellite radio this morning, "Bananas & Blow" by Ween

"She Don't Use Jelly" by The Flaming Lips.

I know a girl who thinks of ghosts.
She'll make you breakfast, she'll make you tost.
She don't use butter, she don't use cheese.
She don't use jelly or...any of these.

She uses VAA-AASELINE...

Did anyone mention Escape (The Pina Colada Song), bu Ruppert Holmes?

"If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.."

The Pina Colada Song ... I think my head just exploded. Who started this krap? Think of a city full of food nerds with all these horrible and catchy songs in their heads. Bad for business.

I started this, so I guess I have an obligation to deliver on my menu of songs, which BTW my 13 year old daughter (name withheld for fear of being mortified) says are "weak".
===================================================================

THE SNAPPY TERRIER INN

Your chef is Captain Beefheart and I Am the Walrus, I will be your server.

Our signature cocktail the Terrier Iced Tea is an artful combination of Tanqueray, Tequila, Whiskey in the Jar, and Rum and Coca-Cola served over Ice Ice Baby in a Glass Onion goblet.
We also have some Mexican Wine, but I don't recommend it unless you want to have a Sick Day tomorrow.

SOUP
Goat's Head Soup
Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya

SALAD (In Norwegian Wood Bowls)
A Strawberry Fields greens salad with a Mean Mr. Mustard vinaigrette
An Octopus's Garden salad with fresh ground Sgt Pepper

ENTREE
If you enjoy Pulling Mussels from a Shell, then our Rock Lobster cioppino with Green Onions and a Mushroom Cloud of Hiss will delight.

DESSERT
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy from Sugar Mountain bakery
Pie a la Mode: Honey Pie with White Pepper Ice Cream
The pie is made from Tupelo Honey, White Honey, Brown Sugar, a pinch of Cinnamon Girl and drizzled with Chocolate Rain.

Our late night menu offers Hot Burrito #1, Hot Burrito #2, and a curiously Yellow Submarine.

==================================================================
Sources:
Cocktail: Nick Lowe, The Champs, tradtional Irish, traditional calypso (words by Morey Amsterdam, yeah, Buddy from The Dick Van Dyke Show), (ugh) Vanilla Ice, Beatles, and Fountains of Wayne x 2.
Soup: Rolling Stones, Dr. John
Salad: Beatles x 5
Entree: Squeeze, B-52s, Booker T, Yo La Tengo
Dessert: Dinah Shore, Neil Young, Beatles, Cibo Matto, Van Morrison, Graham Parker, Stones, Neil Young, and that internet guy.
Late Nite: Graham Parsons/Flying Burrito Bros x 2, Beatles

I think we have to award you the Medal of Honor.

If anyone is curious about the original Tutti Frutti lyrics, they are posted on Wikipedia--just search under Little Richard. We're not talkin' cotton candy!

Ooh, Piano Rob, you got me thinking about musicals! It's a bit of a stretch, but "Hello Little Girl" from the musical Into the Woods is about would-be food - the Big Bad Wolf is fantasizing about eating Little Red Riding Hood.

How about "peaches" by Presidents of the United States of America

Terrier Mom - You are da bomb!

Here's a few random ones...
Cookie Jar - Jack Johnson
Too Much Food - Jason Mraz
Watermelon, Chicken and Grits (Album Title) - Nappy Roots
Beer in Mexico - Kenny Chesney
Chocolate Factory - R. Kelly
Burritos - Sublime
Do You Want Fries With That - Tim McGraw
Watermelon Crawl - Tracy Byrd
Two Pina Coladas - Garth Brooks
Dancin' for the Groceries - Kenny Chesney

"Watermelon Man"

Isn't it striking how many food songs are about "something" else?

A day late, I know...

Buy Her Candy - Sleater-Kinney
Coconut Boogaloo - Medeski, Martin & Wood
Country Pie - Bob Dylan
Crumbs From Your Table - U2
MIlk & Honey - Beck
MIlkshake 'n Honey - Sleater-Kinney
Mother Popcorn - James Brown
Orange Peel - Luna
Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) - Squeeze
Soul Food, Pts. 1 & 2 - James Brown
Soul Sister, Brown Sugar - Sam & Dave
The Popcorn - James Brown
and
White Castle Blues - The Smithereens

"You Can Eat Crackers in My Bed, Baby" by Barbara Mandrell and "One Less Egg to Fry" by Marilyn McCoo

My friend here at work suggested Let's Call The Whole Thing Off by one of the Gershwin brothers.

You are like Prince :-)

No, then that would be the Blogger Formerly Know as Janet. ;-)

Which brings to mind -
Starfish & Coffee by Prince

NIce one Rosebud, almost as tasty as my Raspberry Beret.

Rosebud - The song you mentioned was written in 1937 by both Gershwins, George and Ira. The chorus I conduct happens to be using the song for a variety of performances. I can't believe I forgot to list it.

And Daria, thanks for reminding me about "Into the Woods" - another "duh" on me since I'm such a Sondheim fanatic. In fact, considering that 2 major characters are a baker and his wife, there is an abundance of food references throughout the script and lyrics.

All Thst Meat and No Potatoes - Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong

C is for Cookie - Cookie Monster

This Is a Real Nice Clambake from Carousel.

Is "This Is a Real Nice Clambake from Carousel" the same song as Clambake from the Elvis movie with the same title. Oh what a great movie that is. Elvis plays a scientist who likes to sing, dance and go to clambakes.

Short'nin' Bread

Ironically, I just finished up volume one of THG's Music to Eat and Drink by for a Food CD swap with some other food bloggers. This list merely scratches the surface since it doesn't include any of the weird restaurant and food vinyl I have on hand:

I Like Food -- Descendents
Beer for Breakfast-- Replacements
More Bacon Than the Pan Can Handle -- Mike Doughty
Eggs & Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson) -- Tom Waits
I’m Cookin’ -- Blue Miller
Chinese Food -- Jin
Dopefiend’s Diner -- Tupac
844,739 Ways to Eat a Hamburger -- Bill Dee Cox
Burger Man -- ZZ Top
Burger King Queen -- The Queers
Trip to the Golden Arches -- Bromheads Jackets
White Castle Blues -- Smithereens
(Let’s Bring) Cheese to China -- Go Nuts
Velveeta -- Mr. T Experience
Weinerschnitzel -- Descendents
King of Beers -- Too Much Joy
Alligator Wine -- Johnny Thunders
Pizza & Wine -- Marvelous 3
Pizza Day -- Aqua Bats
Crawfish -- Johnny Thunders
Supermarket Fantasy -- Screeching Weasel
Anchor Grill -- Descendents
Warm Beer & Cold Women -- Tom Waits
Last Drink -- Naked Raygun

I'm sure that "Lean on Me" will eventually be used to sell some diet crap, maybe maltodexatrim.

No mention of the Beatles' "Savoy Truffle"?

Hello,
Thank you for your great article. Also the pic is very nice.

Thanks

Hello,
Thank you for your great article. Also the pic is very nice.

Thanks