FlourishAnyway believes there is a playlist for just about any situation and is on a mission to unite and entertain the world through song.

References to Food in Popular Music

At the intersection of music and food rests a dazzling buffet of options for self-expression. Quick-witted songwriters turn to the dinner table when formulating life advice (e.g., "mind your biscuits and gravy"). They use food imagery as a tantalizing way to communicate pick-up lines and flirtation (e.g., "my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard," "Do fries go with that shake?" and "spread it like peanut butter and jelly").

Listeners also dance to food-named dances like the Mashed Potato, the Chicken Noodle Soup, and the Watermelon Crawl. They employ terms of endearment for lovers that prompt visions of

• bakery items and confections (e.g., sugar, honey, various pies, candy)
• vegetable plants (e.g., sweet pea)
• fruits (e.g., sugar plum), and
• more (e.g., honey).

Food isn't just for sustenance. It's also a language of self-expression. If you love food for all of its uses, then make a playlist of pop, rock, and country songs with food in the title. We have a long list to start you out!

1. "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink - Lady Marmalade

Originally sung by girl group Labelle (as in Patti Labelle), this sexually suggestive 2001 R&B song is about a Creole prostitute named Lady Marmalade. Yes, she's named after jam. (Insert your own joke here about spreading her love all over the city.)

Ms. Marmalade makes a business transaction with a customer named Joe. She leaves him waiting in her boudoir an overly long time while freshening up, thus causing him to blurt out, "Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" ("Are you going to sleep with me tonight?") The song was featured on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack.

2. "Raspberry Beret" by Prince

In this 1985 funk song, His Royal Badness describes a narrator who works in a five and dime store when he is visited by a strikingly attractive stranger. Her distinctive, second-hand beret is the color of bright raspberries, and when it is warm she wears little else. With an attraction this magnetic, the narrator and his new, raspberry beret-clad ladyfriend head off together on his motorcycle for a sexual tryst.

3. "Biscuits" by Kacey Musgraves

This 2015 country song boils down to one piece of advice that uses food to communicate its central message: "Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy." The narrator is concerned that we're overly curious about the buffet of trouble that others heap on their plates instead of cleaning up our own. We love to gossip and pass judgment.

She specifically points out the unhelpfulness of

• downtalking neighbors
• maligning others and making them feel small
• pointing out lies, failures, and incidents of cheating and
• airing the family's dirty laundry.

Each and every one of us, let's you do you and me do me. We'll all be better off that way. If this is a message that resonates, make a playlist of songs about gossip and rumors to help spread the message.

4. "Cake by the Ocean" by DNCE

If you're feasting on cake by the ocean, I imagine it's hard to keep sand out of the buttercream frosting. The contagious 2015 pop ditty was an international smash hit for DNCE, a group formed by Joe Jonas and pals. The group was working with Swedish music producers who kept confusing the term "sex on the beach" with "cake by the ocean." The mistranslation inspired this clever song.

The song's narrator encourages his love interest to take sexual risks with him by enacting his fantasy of having "cake by the ocean." He's imagining a bakery by the sea:

Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate in my life
Confetti, I'm ready, I need it every night
Red velvet, vanilla,
Chocolate in my life
I keep on hoping
We'll eat cake by the ocean.

If your sweetheart has you daydreaming about honey, candy, sugar, and other sweet confections, make them a playlist of songs about sugar and sweets to let them know how much you love them.

5. "Collard Greens and Cornbread" by Fantasia

The woman in this 2010 R&B song is a fool for love, but she's a hungry fool. She has an on again-off again romance with a man who has her acting erratically. Her sweetheart gives her compliments by referring to her as "collard greens and cornbread" while she calls him her "sweet potato pie." Sounds like they are hungry for each other's love! Fantasia first rose to fame after winning the third season of American Idol in 2004.

6. "Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay

Recalling an important memory from his youth, the narrator in this 2009 alt-rock tune highlights how much he and his childhood crush cherished each other. They sat together talking and appreciating one another's company, with a sweetness like that of strawberries. His life has taken since taken different turns, and without the tenderness of a relationship like that, he feels unfulfilled.

7. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" by Jimmy Buffett

One way to drop extra weight quick is to go vegetarian. Forego meat in favor of healthy grains as well as fresh fruits and vegetables like the guy in this 1978 pop song. The narrator tried it for nearly 70 days before having carnivorous dreams of a big fat cheeseburger on a big warm bun. The burger was medium rare with a slice of onion, tomato, and lettuce. We can almost imagine the juices dripping from his chin.

The song was inspired by a boating trip gone wrong in which Jimmy Buffett and other passengers aboard had to survive several days on peanut butter and canned food. Upon their arrival, they feasted upon cheeseburgers.

8. "Bacon" by Nick Jonas (featuring Ty Dolla $ign)

Yep, there's actually a song named after strips of fatty salt-cured pork. It's not technically about bacon, though. The phrase "throw some bacon on it" means that everything's going well and the only thing that could top it would be if it had bacon.

Nick Jonas first compliments his ex-lover's beauty in this 2016 pop ditty. Then, he acknowledges that as fine as she is, he enjoys his freedom even more. His ex may be sizzlin', but he prefers the single life with no commitment and no drama, bacon optional.

9. "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" by Rufus Wainwright

Many of us have addictions, or at least strong cravings that aren't so good for us. The guy in this 2001 pop song acknowledges several of them: cigarettes, chocolate milk, and jelly beans by the fistful. He refuses to mention the other ones. He asks for kindness if he seems to be a bit of a mess.

10. "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band

Raise a cold beer or a sweet iced tea to the simple things in life along with the Georgia boy in this 2008 country song. He celebrates all of the things that give life value and comfort: God, love of family and country, jeans that fit just right, plus good music, peaches, pecan pie, and of course, Southern fried chicken.

If you're also from Georgia, why not celebrate it with a playlist of songs about the great state of Georgia?

11. "Sandwich and a Soda" by Tamia

In this 2015 R&B song, the narrator uses a grab bag of images related to royalty, food, and driving to describe her physical relationship with her love interest. She allures her man using promises of pleasure and a light meal afterward:

See I can make you feel good love
And when it's all over
I'mma fluff your pillow, baby
Bring you a sandwich and a soda.

Tamia claims that the song is not actually about subservience but instead about taking care of someone you love.

12. "Pork and Beans" by Weezer

Nonconformity gets a nod in this 2008 pop song after the aging band received some unflattering suggestions from music industry executives. Weezer met with record label executives who urged the band to record music with broader commercial appeal.

Angry about the feedback, Rivers Cuomo (lead singer and guitarist) reacted like a rebellious teen and cranked out this song and an accompanying video:

I'mma do the things that I wanna do
I ain't got a thing to prove to you
I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans
Excuse my manners if I make a scene
I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like
I'm fine and dandy with the me inside
One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink
I don't give a hoot about what you think.

Ironically, the song became one of Weezer's most successful songs and won the band a Grammy for the video. If you're a one-of-a-kind and want to celebrate it, make a playlist of songs about individuality and personal uniqueness.

13. "Rub Some Bacon on It" by Rhett & Link

Put the bacon down, and don't rub that fatty stuff on anything but the inside of your mouth. The YouTube comedy duo of Rhett & Link asked their viewers for suggested song titles, and bacon was a common theme.

A viewer with the username "jeffisnude" suggested the winning song title, and Rhett & Link wrote this 2012 novelty tune to fit his title. It became a viral video. The song features a guy who calls 911 only to discover that regardless of his emergency, rubbing bacon on it is the solution. You simply must watch the video.

14. "Peanut Butter Jelly" by Galantis

This super simple electronic dance number was an international hit in 2015. The narrator urges the listener to paint a mental picture of the following:

Spread it like peanut butter jelly
Do it like I owe you some money.

The narrator wants to be the bread to their love interest's peanut butter and jelly. We'll leave you to imagine what "it" might be.

Bands and Singers with Food Names

15. "Mashed Potato Time" by Dee Dee Sharp

Teens in the 1960s hit the dance floors with a variety of new dance crazes, including a move called the Mashed Potato. Featuring a lot of heel-toe action, the dance was first celebrated by James Brown in his 1959 song, "Mashed Potatoes." However, it was Dee Dee Sharp's 1962 rock song that climbed both the R&B and pop charts and later was adopted by the Campbell Soup Company for an advertising campaign. Sharp later added a gravy-related song to her menu of songs. Yummy!

16. "Pizza Girl" by Jonas Brothers

How cheesy do you have to be to fall in love with the pizza delivery girl? According to the 2009 pop song by this boy band, the narrator eats pizza every day just so he can see his crush. The song appeared in an episode of "Jonas" on the Disney channel television.

17. "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson

Sometimes don't you want to play hooky from work or school? In this simple, playful pop tune from 2005, it's raining outside and the narrator tries to lovingly convince his sweetheart to sleep in and pretend it's the weekend. He tries to entice her with a promise of banana pancakes, but as tasty as that sounds, her alarm and phone are pulling her attention in another direction, up and into a busy day.

18. "Kiwi" by Maroon 5

Let's just say this 2007 pop song is not about fruit. A man makes a sexually charged proposition to a woman he's been flirting with. Using the imagery of sweet, juicy kiwi fruit dripping down his chin, he confesses that he has feelings for her and seeks to demonstrate the intensity of his love. Ease up, fella, and wipe your face off.

19. "Chicken and Biscuits" by Colt Ford

Is there anything you just can't get your fill of? For the good ole boy in this 2010 country tune, it's the girl he loves as well as good old fashioned chicken and biscuits. He celebrates his girlfriend as a mud-slinging pickup-driving country gal who isn't scared to fight. She's also a backwoods, tractor-driving chick who can hunt, fish and cook. (That gal's a keeper.)

Because every redneck girl also has a softer side, the narrator boasts that she's also pretty, sweet, hot, and a great kisser. No wonder he keeps going back for second helpings of her love. She's as good as chicken and biscuits.

20. "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine" by Tom T. Hall

According to the old man in this 1972 country song, there are only three things that are worth a dime. The protagonist says that women, unfortunately, think of themselves and friends are too quick to abandon you in difficult times. However, there's true value to in the loyalty of old dogs, the innocence of children, and the taste of watermelon wine.

Even More Songs with Food in the Title

© 2019 FlourishAnyway

Comments

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on August 28, 2020:

Brenda Hendrickx - Thanks for the suggestion.

Brenda Hendrickx on August 27, 2020:

Green Onions by Booker T & The MG's

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on August 25, 2020:

Gordon - Thanks for the song suggestion.

Gordon Brinkmann on August 24, 2020:

There is also "Sugar" by System Of A Down.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 21, 2020:

wright001 - Thanks for the recommendation. I've added it here as well as on the following two Spinditty playlists: "Favorite One-Hit Wonders of the 1990s" and "Songs About Sugar and Sweets." (Note that one-hit wonder refers to the mainstream pop list.)

wrightm001 on May 20, 2020:

Marcy Playground - Sex & Candy (1997)

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 11, 2020:

Alex - Yes! That's right! Thanks for the reminder. I'll add it. Have a great day!

alex on May 10, 2020:

there is also a song by Harry Styles called Watermelon Sugar.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 21, 2020:

Peggy - Strange stuff, eh? There are a couple of topics I'm struggling with a bit, but most topics are completely able to be tackled. I enjoyed the food playlist.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on March 20, 2020:

I would never have realized that there were so many songs with food in the titles before reading this. Amazing! I guess there is no topic left untouched. Ha!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 03, 2019:

Liz - Glad you enjoyed this. I appreciate your following along.

Liz Westwood from UK on June 02, 2019:

This is yet another comprehensive list of songs. The group names on the same theme is a good idea too.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on June 02, 2019:

Lauren - Thank you.

Lauren on June 01, 2019:

You forgot lemon by N.E.R.D.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 24, 2019:

Bob - Thanks for these suggestions which I've added in both places!

Robert Sacchi on March 24, 2019:

For bands there is Wild Cherry and Hot Chocolate. Wild Cherry is probably most famous for "Play that Funky Music White Boy". That song may qualify for one that won't fly today.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 24, 2019:

Tamara - Thank you for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed these! Have a wonderful week.

BBYCGN from Uninhabited Regions on March 23, 2019:

Well, this is a yummy list of songs! I am still awaiting a song about Jujubes Candy since they are my favorite. Your list looks complete and I am glad I came here to check these delicious songs out.

Bon Appetit!

Robert Sacchi on March 16, 2019:

You're welcome and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 15, 2019:

Bob - Thanks for that suggestion. Have a great weekend!

Robert Sacchi on March 14, 2019:

There is the band Strawberry Alarm Clock and their song "Incense & Peppermints".

Thank you.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 14, 2019:

Louise - Thank you for stopping by! It's good to see you. I especially love Prince.

Louise Powles from Norfolk, England on March 14, 2019:

Polk Salad Annie by Elvis is certainly a classic. And I'm also glad you put Prince in the list - I love him.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 12, 2019:

Bob - Thank you for these suggestions! Hearing the Village People again makes me think of some of their other songs from that era. I gave you a shout out in the airplane and flying playlist in case you didn't see it.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 12, 2019:

Dora - They certainly do. Sometimes it's hard to figure out though! Thank you for stopping by.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 12, 2019:

Nithya - Thanks for weighing in with your favorite song. Have a great week!

Robert Sacchi on March 12, 2019:

Another fun list. There is "MacArthur's Park" by Richard Harris. A long song lamenting a cake melting in the rain. "Put the Lime in the Coconut" by Harry Nilsson & "Junk Food Junkie" by Larry Groce. The Village People also did a song called "Milkshake". It was in the movie "Can't Stop the Music". Both were the swansong of The Village People.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 11, 2019:

Devika - Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you enjoyed this. Have a great week.

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on March 11, 2019:

Interesting! I'm guessing that the songwriters also used food to symbolize other things. Good job from you and from them.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on March 11, 2019:

I did not give this a thought I have you to remind me. I like your idea of this song list.

Nithya Venkat from Dubai on March 11, 2019:

So many songs with name of a food in the title. I had no idea that there were so many songs, enjoyed reading about them. My favorite one is "Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay. Thank you for sharing this wonderful compilation of songs.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 11, 2019:

Chitrangada - I appreciate your stopping by. It's interesting what songwriters choose to write about sometimes.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 11, 2019:

Shannon - You have some really good ones here. I'm trying to separate a lot of the "sweet" ones into my playlist about sugar and sweets so "Eye Candy" is on that one, but I've added the rest here. Thank you! Awesome adds.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on March 10, 2019:

This is quite an interesting list, almost makes me hungry!

Who would have thought that there are so many songs, with food in the title!

Great article, lovely songs and wonderful information.

Thanks for sharing!

Shannon Henry from Texas on March 10, 2019:

Hi Flourish, just thought of some more.

There's a funny one called "Corn Star" by Craig Morgan that's a twist on porn star.

Who sings American Pie?

"I Still Like Bologna" by Alan Jackson

Josh Turner sings "Eye Candy"

"Green Bananas" by Jake Owen

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 10, 2019:

Shannon - That is a great suggestion. Thank you! Have a terrific week ahead.

Shannon Henry from Texas on March 10, 2019:

Well, this was a fun list! Right now my only suggestion is "Do You Want Fries with That?" by Tim McGraw. I'm pretty sure your list will grow longer, though, rather quickly with this one.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 10, 2019:

Linda - I can imagine how unusual it must be not knowing any of the songs. Thanks for being a good sport and reading along. Have a great week ahead!

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on March 09, 2019:

This is a very amusing and creative article, Flourish! I don't know the songs, but I certainly enjoyed reading about them.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Heidi - Love those 80s! Thanks for the additions! Have a terrific weekend!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Yves - Tamia needs to get a backbone. She's offering to be that man's waitress. I wished I could dance the Mashed Potato! Hope your weekend is a buffet of fun.

Yves on March 09, 2019:

Ummm.....sandwich and a soda afterward? Somehow that doesn't exactly spell "sexy" to me, but what do I know. Oh, wait.. I do know these things. Back to the drawing board, Tamia. Ha!

As usual, another comprehensive list, Flourish. My favorites: Mashed Potato & Strawberry Wine.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Liz - Both were fun to generate. Thanks for stopping by!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Linda - You prompted this song list when you suggested "Blueberry Hill" in another article. (I put the song on this list.) Thanks for the idea! You're not a geezer! We're all as young (or as old) as we feel. Now, Merv Griffin. Now, who knew he could sing? Huh! I put the song on the playlist. Have a wonderful weekend singing and cooking.

Heidi Thorne from Chicago Area on March 09, 2019:

What a delicious list! :)

Going all 80s and funky (as usual as I strum my air guitar), I'd add Juicy Fruit by Mtume and Def Lepppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me.

Happy Weekend!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Peg, Thanks for that song suggestion. I put it on both this playlist and the playlist about sugar and sweets. I thought it was funny that the lyrics justify his sending her a Baby Ruth because that's all he had in his jeans at the time. Very unusual!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Kaili - That's a funny title, and in listening to it, the title says it all! Thanks for the suggestion. It makes you wonder what prompts some people to sing about such things.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Pamela - I thought it was a lot of fun as well. Hope you're having a terrific weekend! If not, now you know what to do!

Liz Westwood from UK on March 09, 2019:

I am better at the bands than the songs, but as ever, you have come up with a comprehensive list.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Bill - I thought for sure that you'd be good for "Strawberry Fields Forever." Get some rest and have a wonderful weekend!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on March 09, 2019:

Bill - So glad you enjoyed this! It was a fun one to write with so many songs to choose from, many of them a bit off-the-wall. Have a terrific weekend yourself!

Linda Lum from Washington State, USA on March 09, 2019:

Flourish, today you made me realize what a geezer I am. It seems that (of this list, at least) anything produced before the 1980s totally escaped my notice. But, it was fun to listen to.

Is there room for one more on your list? (This one is even older than me) - "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts." It was written in 1944 and has been performed by many artists. (The first recording was sung by Merv Griffin (yes, THAT Merv Griffin).

Peg Cole from Northeast of Dallas, Texas on March 09, 2019:

Making me hungry with all these food songs. One more I remember from way back when is "A Rose and a Baby Ruth."

Kaili Bisson from Canada on March 09, 2019:

Another great list Flourish! How about “Fried Neck Bones and Some Home Fries." Santana used to perform that one as did the song's writer Willie Bobo.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on March 09, 2019:

Flouish, You have done it again! There are many good songs that I remember and enjoyed. I never heard "Rub Some Bacon On In" before. What a crazy song. I like bacon but not like that - LOL.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on March 09, 2019:

I almost drew a blank,and then I thought of Strawberry Wine....you came up with 75 while I struggled with the one...I must be in need of a rest. lol

Bill De Giulio from Massachusetts on March 09, 2019:

Hi Flourish. What a list. Never really realized just how many songs are related to food. And some of the titles are hilarious. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk? Rub Some Bacon on it? Mashed Potato Time? This is great. Wonderful job as always. Have a great weekend.