It’s getting close to lunch time, and there’s one thing on our minds: FOOD! One thing’s for sure, food has inspired songwriters for a long, long time. Our tastes may have changed (anyone going out for a pig foot and a beer for lunch?), but our appetites remain.
Being oldies, of course, means that we’re talking about songs from the Jazz Age, and the early days of country. Anything that came before rock and roll. The Jazz Age was also great for mixing food and sex metaphors, all in one (see Clara Smith’s “Mr. Mitchell” – “Oh, oh, Mr. Mitchell, let me taste your sweet poontang.”)
We guarantee you’ll be hungry for some pig foot by the time you’re finished with The 10 Best Classic Songs About Food.
10. Dizzy Gillespie – “Salt Peanuts”
Say “salt peanuts” 25 times fast, then try to tell us it’s not a sexual metaphor.
9. Shirley Temple – “Animal Crackers”
Little Shirley Temple. The only one on this list that’s still alive. Admit it. You can’t see a box of animal crackers without humming this in your head.
8. Bessie Smith – “Gimme a Pigfoot”
Now, it’s nachos and beer at happy hour, but back then, it didn’t get any better than a pigfoot and beer, to wrap up the day.
7. Louis Armstrong – “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue”
If the barbecue doesn’t make you strut, it ain’t worth eating. There better be some sweet tea, and peanut shells on the floor, or we’re out of there.
6. Nat King Cole – “Frim Fram Sauce”
We have no idea what Frim Fram sauce is exactly, but it sounds like some kind of high falutin’ delicacy. It was most likely eaten with pigfoot.
5. Fats Waller – “All That Meat and No Potatoes”
Woman, you’re cooking wrong. Remember the Manly Man’s four food groups: meat, potato, beer, and ice cream.
4. Louis Prima – “Banana Split for My Baby”
Louis Prima sang about few things besides food. But stiffing her with the check, that’s cold.
3. Louis Jordan – “Beans and Cornbread”
Guys named Louis sure liked to eat. “Beans and Cornbread,” “Saturday Night Fish Fry,” it’s amazing Louis Jordan got any songs recorded, between all that eating.
2. Hank Williams, Sr. – “Jambalaya”
Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. We’re about to rub some cajun spice on our hand and start gnawing on it. So. very. hungry.
1. Cab Calloway – “Everybody Eats When They Come to My House”
Cab Calloway wins for making up names just to finish out all the food rhymes. Name your kid Fagel, and see how much he gets beaten up.
We’ve had all we can take. Let’s eat!
If you’ve already eaten, you can occupy your time by checking out these old Stoner Songs (Many from the Jazz Age, too). For some more Jazz, there’s Shatner’s Jazzy rendition of Sarah Palin’s farewell speech.
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