Songs About Food and Drinking

This is Part I of a LXI Part Series on St. Barths, traveling, and the Colonial period.

Despite the fact that most people, save models and those protesting the British, need to eat and drink at least once a day, there is a relative dearth of songs about food and booze. Songs are mostly written about dudes who love chicks who love poetry or cars. Sure, there is Escape ("The Pina Colada Song"), that Gwen Stefani song about bananas, and Honey by Mariah Carey, but who listens to those with the windows rolled down in a 1997 Camaro? Not I, said the bug.

So face it, the greatest song about food and drink is Cheeseburger in Paradise by none other than James T. Buffet. The song itself is pure genius from a get in your head and stay there point of view. Plus making fun of a menu at a Holiday Inn is always welcome in our book. Well, the story behind the song states that The Pirate now looking at Sixty wrote the diddly after a cheeseburger at Le Select in Gustavia Harbor on St. Barth's. And guess where Lindsay and I were last week? Not at work I can assure you.

(Sorry had to include this photo, I took it all by myself, and it doesn't suck!)

Le Select will celebrate its 60th Anniversary this November. Their fiftieth featured the above balladeer performing a free concert, so plan now. Situated under a canopy of trees is a snack bar, a booze bar, and some tables. You grab a few Caribs, order a burger (a single for Lindsay, a double bacon laced deal for moi), and wait. In a few minutes over a cackling loudspeaker comes a Franglish sputtering which sounds like this "Un, numba won, pick up yer or dare." Translated it means: "Your food is ready."

A frosty Carib.

The Marius Special at Le Select. Two all beef patties, cheese, bacon, white onion, lettuce, mayo, mustard, ketchup, and tomato.

Sure there are better burgers. But combine the setting, this history, and the fact it beat work and it sure was a Cheeseburger in Paradise, except where was the big kosher pickle?