Food glorious food

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What the highs and lows of grub-related music?

― mark s, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Dr C saw Orange Juice supported by the Dolly Mixtures, which is why he now needs dentures...

― mark s, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Galaxie 500 have sung the praises of the Twinkie.

― marianna maclean, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"Fried Chicken & Coffee" remains the only track of any real, riff- tacular distinction on Nashville Pussy's debut, LET THEM EAT PUSSY.

― alex in nyc, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Erm... Food Records, who have recently parted ways with the EMI conglomerate who was paying their lunch money?

― masonic boom, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Cibo Matto's Viva La Woman! has a lot of food-related songs.

― alex in montreal, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

does the banana splits theme count?

the subject of food seems to be standard fodder (ahem) for the novelty record. eat it, toast, fish-heads, two pints of lager and a packet of crisps please, etc.

away from the novelty record, men at work's vegemite sandwich won't fill you up, and those green onions aren't quite ripe yet, but extend your definition of food to include liquid nourishment then you'll be going for days - there are lots more songs about black coffee, whisky and water, milk and alcohol, than there are about asparagus or gorgonzola.

― kevan, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

... and 'cibo matto' means 'mad food'

The Rain by Oran' Juice Jones always gets me dancing.

― Madchen, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

'Picnic By The Motorway'. 'Bananafishtrombonesthingy'. What's that 1984 Cure song that mentions bananas and stuff? 'Sugar Girl'. 'Icing Sugar'. 'Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps'. 'Oranges & Lemons'. 'Chocolate Snow'. 'Her Last Polo'.

― the pinefox, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Without question its John Lennon's CHeese and Onions. "I have always thought, in the back of my mind ,Cheese and Onions"

― Mike Hanle y, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

That new Roots Manuva single has some cheecky references to grilled- cheese sandwiches right? No that it matters, it's all about that gargantuan BASS!

― Omar, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I always thought that "cibo matto" was Italian slang for puking or something... or did I get the references all mixed up?

― masonic boom, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Mike, you are joking a bit about that being John Lennon, I trust. The Rutles sounding like Lennon, yes. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Corky from Life Goes on dueting with unknown guest singer on the fabulous 'eating is fun, eating is serious (you eat too much you are going to be delirious)....'

― doompatrol23@hotmail.com, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

The most obvious example are the bubblegum bands of the late sixties, with songs like "Goody Goody Gumdrops" and "Elephant Candy". But you know, of course, that all songs about food are really about sex.

― Kerry Keane, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Kerry, you mean _Sugar, Sugar_ isn't really about sweets? You have just cruelly destroyed my entire world.

― colin clarke, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

KK: na-hah!! All songs abt sex are clearly in fact SONGS ABOUT FOOD!!

― mark s, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Shonen Knife singing the praises of Bannachips takes the cake. Warrent's Cherry Pie would be the other end of the of the spectrum and Wierd Al's various particles spread out through out.

― zac taylor, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"peanutbutter and jellyfish, would you be my sandwich?" by James Kochalka Superstar.

― james e l, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

The Candyman from Willy Wonka, Curry Crazy by Bad Dream Fancy Dress, A Drinking Song/A Seafood Song by The Divine Comedy, Sweet Shop Avengers by Bis, that line in Top Deck by Baxendale about how "it'll taste like Coca-Cola when you kiss us on the lips", Banana Milkshake by Lollipoptrain, Walnut Whirl by Simon Turner, Delicatessen by Girlfrendo, Tofu Song by eX-Girl.

― jamesmichaelward, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

There are at least three vols of a comp called 'Frolic DIner' collecting r'n'b/rock'n'roll/doowop songs abt either food or stripping - sex and food link again. My favourite - 'Cheese Blintzes' by the Don Thompson Quartet. Food/Sex connection v. important to pre-rock musicians - 'Bacon Fat' by Andre Williams, 'Fat Meat is Greasy' by Jackie Brenston, 'Mountain Oysters' by Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, 'I Like My Baby's Pudding' by Wynonie Harris etc. Robert Johnson esp. liked his food songs with a side order of innuendo - his best uptempo number is 'Red Hot' ("Hot tamales and they're red hot") and of course Led Zep stole 'The Lemon Song' from Johnson.

― Andrew L, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Pinefox: "Bananafishbones" Fantastic song. "Don't fight/Go red and blue and black and white and sell this sell this/Or leave it senseless like a suck on a gun/'Put a piece of metal in your head,' she said/'Make you dead/Make you hippa hippa hippa hippa hippa...'"

― Dan Perry, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"I Like My Chicken Frying Size" by Merle Travis.

― Patrick, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Check the whole BK Lounge trilogy by De la Soul, possibly the best rap song about fast food...

― Jason, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Diggin' My Potatoes, the Lonnie Donnegan version of which holds a special place in the history of UK rock and rool.

― Sterling Clover, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"I Need Lunch" by the Dead Boys. That AntiSeen song that goes "Animals/don't mistreat 'em/just eat 'em". Ideologically I disapprove of both these songs though.

― duane, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"Fish Heads", "I Eat Cannibals", "Pickin' Boogers", 'Eat the Document', "You Suck", and let us not forget the Rabelaisian wit of the Outhere Brothers' 'One Polish, Two Biscuits and a Fish Sandwich'

― tarden, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Duane, how could you mention the Dead Boys and neglect "Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth"?

― tarden, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

A friend of the Clash who went by the name Alvaro is behind "Drinking My Own Sperm"

― tarden, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth"? uh, it never occurred to me that that might have something to do with food.

― duane, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

As I've said, they're all really about sex. That includes songs about cream puffs, jelly rolls, twinkies, cupcakes, muffins, ding dongs, pies. Songs about sausages, frankfurters, sandwiches, tacos - hell, *all* meat and *all* fish. All songs about sweets that aren't about drugs.

So that prompts me to ask: which are the songs about unsexy foods. That means anything that's good for you, like, say, buckwheat groats or asparagus? Tori Amos had "Cornflake Girl", although I take it she doesn't much like Corn Flakes. Neil Diamond had "Crunchy Granola Suite", it's nice to see he's eating healthy at least, 'cos all his other songs are about alcohol. "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" namechecks spinach. "That's Amore" : pizza, which isn't good for you, but what's so hot about a pizza hitting you in the eye? I'm sure I can thing of some more. "Rice is Nice" - The Lemon Pipers. There's a song called "I Love Onions". What songs are about garlic?

― Kerry Keane, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Potential new thread - "metaphor" songs that aren't even metaphorical. Best example I can think of : Blue Cheer's "Doctor Please" - he's not asking for some lovin' or something, he wants fucking DRUGS.

― duane, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Here is a list to provoke further discussion.

Also, on a more serious note, it seems to me that the songs that are really about food (and not food-as-metaphor) have a low-rent aspect to them - they're often songs about class and the foods that people of modest means have to eat - "TV Dinner", etc..

Then there are probably songs about not having food - "Do They Know It's Christmas" comes to mind. And are there songs celebrating the joys of full-on gluttony?

― Kerry Keane, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Gluttony - see "The Fat Boys are Back", by (of course) the Fat Boys.
Does the Replacements' "Beer For Breakfast" count?

― tarden, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Vega-tables/Vegetables by the Beach Boys is a low. Would have been the worst track on 'Smile'.

High? Well, I know the clue is in the question, but I'd say 'Food Glorious Food'. One of the first songs I ever learned all the words to. I was ashamed to not be able to recall them in a pub quiz recently. I was ashamed to be in a pub quiz recently, but that's a different story.

― Nick, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"Vege-tables" the worst song on "Smile"? boy yr nuts! that song r00lz!

― duane, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

"toss me a carrot", hey maybe that one's not about food either...

― duane, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

'Vegetables' also a fave round this neck of the woods and certainly NOT the worst track on 'Smiley Smile'...

― Andrew L, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

'Perfect Scrambled Eggs' by Negativland, from the Potatoes compilation album.

Not only is this a great song, but I have actually created scrambled eggs whilst playing this record, and indeed, they were sublime.

― emil.y, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Oddly enuff, the "clue" was in the answer — I was after wondering if groops named for tucker were (i) good (ii) less so. The deep ghost of this thread in its revealed truth is called burger sex vs pasta sex.

― mark s, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

I love Radio Free Vestibule's "You're a Hamburger".

― Sean Carruthers, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Gourmandizer Records in Minnesota put out a comp called "When I'm Hungry, I Eat: Songs About Food". It was best known for having Low on it -- their charming "Peanut Butter Toast and American Bandstand" was probably the high point of the whole thing. It's a fun disc, though a lot of it is basically crap -- but it's fun crap, by and large, although I certainly won't guarantee that it won't drive you nuts. I suspect it's out of print, as I think the label folded.

― Phil, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Too much meat; not enough sugar. Antidote - 'Six Layer Cake' & 'Cherry Cream On' by Unrest. But 'Yellowknife' by Flin Flon is a low.

― youn, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Zappa food songs: "Burnt Weeny Sandwich," "Cruising for Burgers," "Tuna Fish Promenade," "Redneck Eats," "Would You Like a Snack?", "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow," "America Drinks," "America Drinks (then Goes Home)," "Call Any Vegetable, "Muffin Man," "Watermelon in Easter Hay."

non-Zappa food songs: "Pollo Asado" and "Porkroll, Egg and Cheese" by Ween. "Savoy Truffle" by the Beatles.

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

ll cool j and common are the masters of this.

ll : 'candy', 'milky cereal', 'cheesy rat blues' and the greatest song title of all time: 'pink cookies in a plastic bag getting crushed by buildings'. plus, the unforgettable opening of 'big ole butt': 'i was at the mall, sipping on a milkshake / playin the wall, takin a break / admiring the girls with the bamboo earrings / baby hair and bodies built to swing'

common: 'hungry', 'two scoops of raisins', 'watermelon', 'puppy chow', 'food for funk', 'orange pineapple juice', etc. plus his last album = like WATER for CHOCOLATE.

― ethan, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

How about fictional songs that are about food? In Daniel Pinkwater's "The Last Guru" there is a very successful record called "Blong! You are a Pickle!".

― 1 1 2 3 5, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Lee Perry: Roost Fish and Cornbread, Bob Marley + the Wailers: Them belly full (but we hungry), erm, Blancmange

― stevo, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

So you think you've got a cal-uh-zoney/well, NOT LIKE THIS... Pamparius/Got nothin' to lose/Gonna bake your motherfuckin' pizza tonight.

― Frank Kogan, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

Speaking about Ween, how could I have forgotten about Chocolate and Cheese? (And "Candy," one of the songs on Chocolate and Cheese?) Plus, I believe guava (as in Pure Guava) is edible, too.

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

): Even :( after ): I :( gave ): you :( a ): CLUE :( you ): still :( gave ): me :( SONGS ): about :( food ): I :( want ): groups :( who ): ARE :( food ):

Also the support bill for one another be as good (or horrible) as the meal?

eg Lambchop, Blancmange, Melon

― mark s, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

OK:

Spearmint, the Beatles (in certain parts of Africa at least), Blind Melon, (Martha and the) Muffins, Pearl Jam, Ism (if ya swallow), the Meatmen, Kraut, the Cucumbers, Silver Apples, Apples (in Stereo), Vitamin C, (Eve's) Plumb, Wild Cherry, Jawbreaker, Bread, Bongwater (if yer stoned enough), Sugar, Ice T, Ice Cube, The Jam.

Is that closer to the mark?

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

and to wash it down..."Black Coffee in Bed", one of Squeeze's best? What about Nick Lowe's "Let's Eat"? ("I wanna chew chew chew on a piece")..or onward south of the belly Momus' "I Ate a Girl Right up"?

― jameslucas, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link

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