Day #9 – Cheeseburger In Paradise
Day #9 – Cheeseburger In Paradise
Really, what is not to love about this song? It’s fun and it’s funny. It’s got a rhythm that makes you want to sing right along, and hopefully not choke on a French Fry at the same time.
I know there has been much debate in the last month about this song and its mustard versus Muenster dilemma. I know that in separate places, the lyrics show both things. It’s easy to see how the misunderstanding arises, but Jimmy himself said that it was Muenster, and that the original lyrics were misprinted on an album jacket. So, that’s the official answer. But people can sing it like they want to, it’s all about having fun.
I personally like knowing it’s Muester, because I don’t like mustard and always felt guilty that I wasn’t following the specific recipe that Jimmy put it his song for us!
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-Original post from 9/10/2023-
Day #9 – Cheeseburger In Paradise
Even if you are not very familiar with JB’s music, you will probably know this one. It came out on Jimmy’s 1978 album called Son of a Son of a Sailor, and the single made it to 32 on the Billboard chart. Really not bad for a song about a burger.
I don’t think I ever looked at the lyrics before last night, after all, I’ve been singing it for at least 31 years, but I had my mind blown because what I thought was “mustard be nice” is actually “Muenster’d be nice” – cheese!!! Of course! Hey, I’m still learning things and I love that!
Anyway, in the mid 90’s, I had heard the story that Jimmy wrote this song about the Paradise Bar in Paradise, MT. It seemed logical, and I bought it, knowing that Jimmy had spent time in Montana in the 1970’s in the Livingston and Bozeman areas, as well as other places in the western part of the state. I held onto that story for years.
Another famous claim related to “the burger” was The Cabbage Key Restaurant in the Florida Keys. There are at least twenty places you can come up with on an internet search, and probably plenty more places claim it around the world.
The truth, which Jimmy has told in interviews and concerts is it was written after he and his friends had been sailing in the Caribbean on Jimmy’s very fist boat, The Euphoria. They had hit bad weather and broke the bowsprit. It was slow going after that, but when they finally arrived in Roadtown on the island of Tortola, there was a brand new bar at the marina selling American cheeseburgers. Jimmy will explain that meant beef not horse meat, which was more common in the Caribbean at that time. So, Tortola is the true origin of “the cheeseburger in paradise”, at least according to the man himself.
Hands down, this is my brother Shawn’s favorite Jimmy Buffett song! It’s another of “The Big 8” that Jimmy always played and it’s a great, fun song!
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BTW, I still really like the idea (even if it is completely bogus) that this song came from Paradise, Montana!
Stacy
Please enjoy Cheeseburger In Paradise. I have included the link below. Enjoy!
The link is from Jimmy’s official YouTube channel, which I have no personal affiliation with.
