A lot of people would agree that these two things make life worth living: food and music. If you bring the two together, you can get some great tunes about food. And this is what this list is all about. We’re serving up delicious sonic experiences with songs inspired by food.
Mainstream music has given us a lot of song titles that sound tasty, but let’s be real…they’re not really about food. So what we have here instead are songs that really talk about eating, cooking, and the joy of treating yourself to good food. Now, let’s play these flavorful tunes!
15. Cookie Bakers of the Night by The Laurie Berkner Band
To start off this list, let’s listen to a song about everyone’s favorite snack: cookies! Cookie Bakers of the Night is a children’s song released in 2011. It talks about the steps involved in making cookies: mixing, rolling, cutting, baking, and of course, eating those chewy treats! It’s a great song to play especially if you’re baking cookies with kids. Cookie Bakers of the Night sounds like a modern country song, which should make it also appealing to grown-ups.
14. Potato by Cheryl Wheeler
Potato lovers, you’re gonna love this next song. Sang by contemporary country-folk singer Cheryl Wheeler, Potato is, well, about how great potatoes are. In the lyrics, Cheryl even said “We don’t care what they look like, we’ll eat them.” That’s some truth right there. Whether boiled, mashed, or fried, even as chips, potatoes are honestly good!
Here’s a fun fact about how the song took shape: Cheryl was walking in the woods and she suddenly thought of the chorus of Mexican Hat Dance but only with the word potato. It was a long walk, and later on, she found herself with an entire song about potatoes! The song with the melody of Mexican Hat Dance appeared on her album “Sylvia Hotel.”
13. Vegetables by The Beach Boys
The next song is something you would like to play (or hear) while strolling through the Farmer’s Market during summertime. Vegetables was sung by the 1960s band The Beach Boys. Over ten years later after its release, the song is still being played on YouTube, with some fans praising the harmonies and how the band made vegetables “special.” The lyrics also asked listeners to tell the name of their favorite vegetables, and you’ll see that fans actually shared the veggies they love on YT’s comment section! Why not share yours, too?
12. Jambalaya (On the Bayou) by Hank Williams
A country classic, Jambalaya (On the Bayou) revolves around life, parties, and Cajun cuisine. For the uninitiated, Jambalaya is a hearty rice dish with influences from African, French, and Spanish cuisines, and is described to be the Cajun equivalent of paella. Jambalaya (On the Bayou) has been sung by many other artists in different genres, including the Carpenters.
11. On top of Spaghetti by Tom Glazer
Meanwhile, On Top of Spaghetti is a classic children’s song about the bittersweet tale of a meatball tumbling off a plate when somebody sneezed. The song also has fantasy elements as it described that the fallen meatball grew into a tree. Even though whimsical, On Top of Spaghetti was thought to relay lessons on taking responsibility and understanding the consequences of doing something that’s not too serious (i.e. sneezing on a spaghetti meatball).
10. Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
While this song isn’t entirely about Banana Pancakes, it alludes to the comfort of creating the staple breakfast food. Sometimes, we need to take it slow, wake up a little late, and nourish ourselves with some hearty pancakes. According to Jack Johnson himself, it’s a kind of song that inspires you to make breakfast with your family. It was created from a time when he noticed his wife was too busy doing something and he wanted her to relax and take a break.
9. Eat It by Weird Al Yankovic
Now, time to hear a parody of Michael Jackson’s smash hit Beat It! (Almost) everyone knows the original song, so it should be easy to follow along. I should warn you, though, that the lyrics are a bit surprising. Nevertheless, they rhyme. The lyrics essentially talk about getting a child to eat and not be too picky about food. Part of the song also called out bad table manners, such as playing with food. Fans agree that Weird Al was like channeling angry moms while singing the song. 🤣
8. Meat and Potatoes by Joan Osborne
A plate full of meat and potatoes screams comfort on another level, and we have a song to back that up: Joan Osborne’s Meat and Potatoes. The song doesn’t have a fancy music video to go with it, but it does show that meat and potatoes is a common pairing in many households. In the video, homecooks enjoying the process of making a meat and potato dish might just convince you to whip up your own. After all, Joan implies in the song that the meat and potatoes are so filling, especially when piled high on the plate!
7. Taco Tuesday by Migos
Many say that Taco Tuesday by Migos could easily be used as an ad for Taco Bell, and it’s not hard to see why! The song was released back in 2020, just in time for the celebration of Cinco de Mayo, which included Mexican cuisine. In the music video, the hip-hop trio from Georgia seemed to enjoy making homemade tacos. The lyrics also emphasized the importance of other ingredients, including cheese and nachos!
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6. Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett
Cheeseburger in Paradise is part of Jimmy Buffett’s 1978 album called Son of Sailor. And fittingly, this song was inspired by an event that happened while Buffett was on a sailing voyage. It was somewhere in the Caribbean, when they had to stay longer on their boat because of a mishap.
As food items got exhausted, the crew grew hungry. Eventually, though, they made it to safety and headed to the nearest burger place they could find. That’s when musical inspiration hit Buffett. In the lyrics, he said he likes his cheeseburger with onion slices, and Muenster, a semi-soft American cheese with a buttery flavor.
5. Rubber Biscuit by The Chips / Blue Brothers
This song by The Chips has a deeper meaning compared to others on the list. It talks about poverty and hunger, specifically the lyrics about the “wish sandwich,” which refers to two slices of bread that could use some meat. There was also a mention of “ricochet biscuit” that bounces off the wall and back into your mouth. The song was covered by Blues Brothers in 1978, and this caused The Chips to record a new song and perform in a few more shows.
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4. Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
Similar to Banana Pancakes, this song will get you feeling cozy while eating some good ol’ fried chicken! The song mentioned other delicious food items found in a Southern home, including pecan pie, sweet tea, and homemade wine. There’s also a patriotic verse that mentioned “for the stars and stripes” and a line about being grateful for one’s life. Overall, the song is a celebration of home and heritage, and a reminder that happiness lies in simple, little things.
3. Da Coconut Nut by Smokey Mountain
Da Coconut Nut is a song from the 90s with lyrics written by Filipino national artist Ryan Cayabyab. The song is all about the coconut tree and its many uses as seen in The Philippines and other parts of the world.
In case you didn’t know, coconut wood can be used to build different parts of the house, including doors, walls, and window frames. And the coconut fruit? It’s among the most versatile fruits, with its meat often used in cakes and custards, and milk that makes stew dishes extra creamy. The lyrics warned that if you eat too much of the coconut fruit, “you’ll get very fat!”
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2. Savoy Truffle by The Beatles
We know The Beatles by their hit songs Here Comes the Sun, Hey Jude, and Come Together. But a song about an empty box of chocolates? Not really. Savoy Truffle was written by one of the band members, George Harrison, and dedicated it to Eric Clapton, who was fond of chocolates at that time.
Putting his creativity to work, Harrison used the flavors of chocolates from Mackintosh’s Good News chocolates, including “montelimar” and “creme tangerine.” The song warns about the consequences of eating too much sugar and all the painful dental issues that may come with it. We love a world-famous band that’s also health-conscious!
1. Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar by The Jaynetts
We started with cookies, and we’re finishing with more cookies. Taking the number one spot on this list is the American nursery rhyme Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar—but with a twist. The original one is usually sung aloud by children as a group while playing a round-robin game. It’s a call-and-answer kind of situation, wherein there’s an accuser and accused (of stealing the cookie). The song has repetitive lyrics and will continue until every child has had a go of being accused.
For this list, though, we’re specifically giving the top spot to the soulful version of the 60s American girl group The Jaynetts. It could become your new favorite upbeat song to play in the morning or the background music you need to hype everyone up while baking Christmas cookies. If you’re fond of baking with kids, we suggest you also include Sesame Street’s version in your playlist. Elmo, Abby, and Cookie Monster covered the song, and we have a pretty good guess which of the three stole the cookie. 👀
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From The Club
It’s easy to find songs with names of food in their titles, but a lot of them don’t really talk about the food itself or the joy of eating. This is why this list (or should I say playlist?) is so special. Each song is an ode to a specific dish, snack, or fruit that transcends time; some of them even talk about deeper issues related to food, like table manners, overeating, and hunger. Ultimately though, we want the #1 song to bring a little more joy to kids and adults, probably by making them dance in the kitchen. We’re in the most joyous season after all, so play those beats and bake some Christmas cookies. We hope no one ends up stealing anything!
