ECLECTICA #15:  Never Drink On An Empty Stomach
(a.k..a. “B.Y.O.”, “Buffet & Open Bar,” “Munchies & Mixed Drinks”)
compiled June 1999 by Paul Estin
http://home.intranet.org/~estin/cd/

This is a collection of songs about food and alcoholic beverages.  There’s a LOT of 
them out there, but I tried to pick my real favorites, the ones I thought were the most 
fun even after repeated listening experiences.

We start with the “Super Supper March,” lyrics by Dr. Seuss, which I got from 
James and Nova’s food mix tape.  Then Dick Siegel, a local artist to whose music I 
was introduced by Mike Webster, provides “Angelo’s,” presumably referring to the 
same Ann Arbor diner where I once ate brunch with, coincidentally enough, James 
and Nova.  Then it’s on to “Food” and “Food for Rent” by Eclectica favorites The 
Pursuit Of Happiness and The Bobs, respectively.

Time for fast food and junk food.  Another local artist, filker Tom Smith, appears on 
yet another Eclectica mix, here presenting the well-known (in certain subculture 
populations) “Domino Death,” which was written back when Domino’s Pizza still 
had the 30-minute delivery guarantee.  Then it’s on to the classic “Junk Food Junkie” 
by Larry Groce.  Next is John Forster with the ecological  and political commentary, 
“The Big Mac Tree.”   “Weird Al” Yankovic of course is famous for food song 
parodies, but I decided to forego his well-known songs“Fat,” “Eat It,” “My 
Bologna,” etc., and select two lesser-known (but really good) ones.  Here’s the first: 
“Taco Grande,” a parody of “Rico Suave.”

“Hot Lunch Jam” from Fame finally appears on an Eclectica mix—this was one of 
the first songs to inspire the Eclectica mix concept, back when I was still calling it 
“Funky Jam” in the early 1990s.  Then it’s the very very very short “I Like Food” by 
the Descendants.  (Consider this a preview of “Attention Deficit Disorder,” the next 
collection.)  Urban Tapestry’s “My Jalapeño Man” could have easily fit on the sex-
themed mix CD instead of this one; it makes me think of the sex-and-food movie 
Like Water For Chocolate.  The Presidents of the United States of America provide 
the quirky “Peaches,” and then it’s off to Japan for Shonen Knife’s “Flying Jelly 
Attack.”  Next, the Polish Muslims re-ethnicize a well-known song, transforming it 
into “Funky Cold Czarnina.”  (Czarnina, incidentally, is Polish duck’s blood soup.  
According to my grandmother, who ought to know: “It’s ghastly!”)

About this time we’re starting to put on weight.  The Bobs’ “Corn Dogs” picks up on 
the overeating theme, as do “Eat Too Much” by Guns ‘n’ Moses and “Getting Fatter 
All The Time” from Bob Rivers’ Twisted Tunes.  The inevitable “The Diet Song” by 
Shel Silverstein (via James and Nova’s mix) follows, but alas, those carbohydrates 
intervene, thanks to Weird Al’s “Addicted to Spuds.”

Then it’s over to the bar.  Oddly, I seem to have preferred some of the older songs 
for the category of alcoholic drinks.  John Lee Hooker kicks things off with “One 
Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.”  Continuing the beer theme, Tom T. Hall opines “I 
Like Beer,” Too Much Joy sing about the “King Of Beers,” and Homer J. Simpson 
reminisces that “It Was A Very Good Beer.”  Spike Jones’ novelty song “Cocktails 
For Two” holds up well decades later, followed by Tom Smith’s wonderful sing-
along filk classic “307 Ale.”  One more short parody from the Simpsons, “Flaming 
Moe’s,” ought to sound familiar.  Finally, Moxy Früvous brings matters to a 
conclusion with “The Drinking Song.”


Food and drink songs from previous Eclectica mixes:

- 01-16   Be Careful What You Eat   Animaniacs
- 01-17   Johnny Saucepan   Moxy Früvous
- 02-02   Family Restaurant   Uncle Bonsai
- 02-03   Born To Run   Rob Carlson
- 02-04   Cold Pizza For Breakfast   Christine Lavin
- 02-05   Potato   Cheryl Wheeler
- 02-06   Carrot Juice Is Murder   The Arrogant Worms
- 04-01   Cat In The Kettle   [unknown artist]
- 04-18   No Anchovies, Please   The J. Geils Band
- 05-19   The Last Saskatchewan Pirate   Captain Tractor
- 08-15   Honey Glazed Ham   Tom Smith