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Music often becomes the ambient sound or the foundation of our lives. It even becomes the mix that amplifies our culinary experiences. An intersection that has been explored through some of the world’s best songs inspired by the vast world of food.
We present a list of cult songs influenced or based on gastronomy, delving into the stories behind them all.
The Beach Boys – Vegetables
‘Vegetables‘, from his 1967 album ‘Smiley Smile’, becomes a symbolic song about eating organic food. Apparently, the undercurrent behind Wilson and Van Dyke Park’s lyrics, as well as their story, is singer Brian Wilson’s obsession with health at the time.’Vegetables’, from his 1967 album ‘Smiley Smile’, becomes a symbolic song about eating organic food. Apparently, the undercurrent behind Wilson and Van Dyke Park’s lyrics, as well as their story, is singer Brian Wilson’s obsession with health at the time.
According to a 1967 article, he expressed the following about the song: ‘I want people to know about vegetables, good natural food, organic food. Health is an important element in spiritual enlightenment. But I don’t want to be pompous about it, so we’ll take a satirical approach.’
The Beastie Boys – Egg Man
Long before the arrival of memes in popular culture and irony on the Internet, the Beastie Boys were already caricaturing hip hop through some of their most representative songs like ‘Egg Man’.
This song from their classic album ‘Paul’s Boutique’, was inspired by the group’s penchant for throwing eggs at people, based on an episode that would forever mark the band. During an incident at the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles, the members threw eggs from their balcony at unsuspecting people outside the Comedy Store across the street.
Goodie Mob – Soul Food
At a time when rap seemed to be more transcendental, Goodie Mob helped demonstrate the depth of the South and its cuisine. Something that could be seen reflected in the song ‘Soul Food‘: a timeless track dedicated to black self-love, struggle, community and, of course, southern food.
The song thus draws a kind of still life of that era through barbecue, hot grits, chicken dishes, gravy, and much more.
Don McLean – American Pie
‘American Pie‘, one of the most famous songs ever written, within the folk rock genre, is inspired by apple pie as a culinary symbol of America.
Don McLean conveyed through his lyrics, and a series of puns, a number of sentiments about the state of America at the time, juxtaposing “dream” with harsh reality.
The Fat Boys – All You Can Eat
The Fat Boys‘ ‘All You Can Eat‘, featured in the 1985 film ‘Krush Groove’, a hip hop classic that became a declaration of love for food, taking listeners through a series of all-you-can-eat places. And, although they weren’t well known at the time, their satirical characters positioned it as one of the film’s highlights.
