I’m constantly on the lookout for inspiration when writing blogs. In this business, you’ve got to have a keen eye and a ready pen – anticipating that inspiration can strike at any time and any place! So when I was half-working out, half-dancing with my cats to “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, I realised that I needed to list my favourite fruit-and-vegetable-inspired songs. Weirdly specific, yes. But that’s just how inspiration works, people.
Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles
The inspiration of this list – this contemporary song reminds me of my childhood, oddly enough. For me, childhood was eating too much watermelon and jumping in our pool in the back garden during the blisteringly hot summers in South Africa. During those scorching afternoons, watermelon made the perfect snack – fresh, juicy, rejuvenating, and easily cleaned up by a dunk in the pool. Styles was also a must-have on this list as his discography also includes songs like “Kiwi” and “Cherry”.
Green Onions – Booker T. & The MGs
While it says Green Onions in the title, it actually doesn’t mention my favourite vegetable whatsoever in the lyrics, but mainly that’s because there are no lyrics. Nevertheless, Green Onions by Booker T. & the MGs is an absolute jam (food pun intended) and is probably instantly recognisable to you if you know anything about 1960s rock and blues music. As a matter of fact, Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
This classic is one of the first songs that I can remember being associated with food. I’m a big fan of Neil Diamond anyways, so maybe his thinking with his stomach influenced me in more ways than one – he also has a song called “Crunchy Granola Suite”. I think I might be having a food breakthrough here, actually.
If I didn’t know that this was the Beach Boys and I heard it, I’d most likely guess it was written by the Schoolhouse Rock crew for an episode about the health benefits of vegetables. While I think that good or bad music is in the ear of the beholder, I always felt that in spite of the positive message being brought across in this song, I assumed the Beach Boys only put in, like, 50% effort with this track. And considering “Good Vibrations” and “Heroes and Villains” were on this same album, I don’t think their creative juices were running low.
Peaches – The Presidents of the United States of America
Yeah, alright, I wanted a deep-cut in this list. It couldn’t all be popular songs that everyone knows. The band called the Presidents of the United States of America (as opposed to the position in the executive branch) are best known for their one-hit-wonder “Lump” which is a delightful track that instantly transports me to the mid-90s. “Peaches” was their follow-up single from the same self-titled album and details the thoughts of a man who is very excited to go out to the country and eat a bunch of peaches – something relatable, to be sure.
Did I miss out on your favourite vegetable or fruit song? What comes to mind for you?
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