"Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...

. It appeared on his 1978 album ''

Son of a Son of a Sailor ''Son of a Son of a Sailor'' is the eighth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was initially released in March 1978 as ABC Dunhill AA-1046 and later re-released on its successor label, MCA. Chart perfor ...

'' and was released as a single, reaching No. 32 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" has become one of Buffett's signature songs and was selected as the first track on his

greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

album '' Songs You Know by Heart''.

Content

The song is about a man who "is trying to amend his carnivorous habits" with health food such as sunflower seeds, but it was inspired by an experience that actually happened to Buffett: he had been forced to eat only canned food and peanut butter due to a boating mishap in the Caribbean, but eventually made it to landfall and managed to order the song's titular dish in paradise (" Roadtown on the island of

Tortola Tortola () is the largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It has a surface area of with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in ...

"). However, other burger restaurants in the Caribbean have claimed to be the inspiration for the song as well.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' praised the

bass line Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and some f ...

and vocals. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said that it "rocks with a hint of country, and has a hand-clapping segment that is especially appealing" and that it makes for "most amusing listening."

Chart performance

Diner

In 2002, Buffett's company Margaritaville Holdings LLC licensed the name of the song to

OSI Restaurant Partners Bloomin' Brands, Inc. is a restaurant holding company that owns several American casual dining restaurant chains. The company was established in 1988 in Tampa, Florida, where it is headquartered. History The company was founded in August 1988 as ...

as the name of the Buffett-themed

Cheeseburger in Paradise "Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer Jimmy Buffett. It appeared on his 1978 album ''Son of a Son of a Sailor'' and was released as a single, reaching No. 32 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ...

restaurant chain. In 2006, the restaurant had 38 locations in 17 states in the United States and one in Sydney, Australia. By 2018 only a single restaurant in

Secaucus, New Jersey Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264, A Cheeseburger in Paradise is a menu item at Buffett-owned Margaritaville Cafes located in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

, as well as being on the menu at his sister Lucy's restaurant "Lulu's" in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Misheard lyrics

According to the lyrics found on the vinyl sleeve, Buffett sings "cheeseburger is Paradise" twice throughout the song. It is unclear whether he is actually saying in or is, but "cheeseburger is Paradise" can clearly be heard during live performances. Whether this is a fact for the studio version hasn't been confirmed. Also, another lyrical confusion is in the second chorus, during the line "''medium rare with Muenster'd be nice''"; the line is commonly mistaken as saying

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

instead of

Muenster Muenster may refer to: * Münster, Germany * Muenster, Saskatchewan * Muenster, Texas * Muenster cheese Muenster ( or ) or munster is a semi-soft cheese from the United States. It is thought to be an imitation of the Alsatian washed-rind Muns ...

Tour

1978 saw Buffett begin his own tour with the

Coral Reefer Band The Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. The band's name alludes to both coral reefs (in line with Buffett's tropical-themed music) and "reefer" (slang for marijuana). Origins Current ...

, spending March and April playing along the east coast and then the mid-west. June brought California dates which included a few shows opening for

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

in San Jose and

Angels Camp, California Angels Camp, also known as City of Angels and formerly Angel's Camp, Angels, Angels City, Carson's Creek and Clearlake, is the only incorporated city in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 3,836 at the 2010 census, up ...

. August brought a Florida stadium tour with the

Little River Band Little River Band (LRB) are a rock band originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums rea ...

and the

Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock music, rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles t ...

along with three shows in Atlanta and Miami which were recorded for the live album ''

You Had To Be There ''You Had to Be There'' is a live double album by the American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was originally released in October 1978 as ABC AK-1008/2 and later re-released on ABC's successor label MCA. It is the first of Bu ...

1978 Coral Reefer Band

*Jimmy Buffett: Vocals and guitar *Barry Chance: Guitar *Harry Dailey: Bass and background Vocals *Deborah McColl: Background vocals *

Greg "Fingers" Taylor Greg "Fingers" Taylor (born June 3, 1952) is an American harmonica player, best known for his work with Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. Career Greg Taylor was born in Wichita, Kansas, June 3, 1952 where he attended Wichita North High School. ...

– Harmonica and background Vocals *Jay Spell – Piano *

Michael Utley Michael Edward Utley is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. He is the musical director of the band. Born in Blytheville in Mississippi County, Arkansas, he graduated from the Univer ...

– Organ *

Kenneth Buttrey Aaron Kenneth Buttrey (April 1, 1945 – September 12, 2004) was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history". Buttrey was born in Nashville, Tennessee, became a ...

– Drums

Performance

The set list changed nightly, mainly with an acoustic set between "

Margaritaville "Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album ''Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes''. This song was written about a drink Buffett discovered at Lung's Cocina del Sur restaurant ...

" and "

Why Don't We Get Drunk "Why Don't We Get Drunk" is a novelty song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was a B-side to "The Great Filling Station Holdup", the first single from his 1973 album ''A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean ...

"—however, ''You Had to Be There'' chronicles some unusual inclusions, such as: " Miss You So Badly" replaces "Mañana"; a new song "

Perrier Perrier ( , also , ) is a French brand of natural bottled mineral water obtained at its source in Vergèze, located in the Gard ''département''. Perrier is known for its carbonation and its distinctive green bottle. Perrier was part of the ...

Blues" emerges later in the tour; a rare performance of " The Captain and the Kid" appeared during the acoustic set; and "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was missing. The shows opened with "

" and closed with "Tampico Trauma" every night; and the encore typically consisted of "Morris' Nightmare", "Dixie Diner" (Larry Raspberry and the Highsteppers cover) and "Last Line" (Keith Sykes cover) respectively, with "Morris' Nightmare" closing the show only when it debuted in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Setlist

An average set list:Average set list for the Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour
/ref> #"Son of a Son of a Sailor" #"

Pencil Thin Mustache "Pencil Thin Mustache" is a song written and performed by American popular-music singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released as a single (with "Brand New Country Star") on Dunhill D-15011 in August 1974. It was first released on his a ...

" #"Wonder Why We Ever Go Home" #"Landfall" #"Mañana" #"Livingston Saturday Night" #"Margaritaville" #"

Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1973 album ''A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean'' and was his third single from that album. The single rea ...

" (acoustic) #"Banana Republics" (

Steve Goodman Steven Benjamin Goodman (July 25, 1948 – September 20, 1984) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter from Chicago. He wrote the song "City of New Orleans", which was recorded by Arlo Guthrie and many others including John Denver, ...

cover) (acoustic) #"

He Went to Paris "He Went to Paris" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1973 album ''A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean'' and was his fourth and final single from that album. Although ...

" (acoustic) #" God's Own Drunk" ( Richard Buckley cover) (acoustic) #"Why Don't We Get Drunk" (mostly performed with the Coral Reefer Band, but occasionally performed acoustically) #" Coast of Marseilles" (Keith Sykes cover) #"Cheeseburger in Paradise" #"

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes ''Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes'' is the seventh studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. This is his breakthrough 1977 album, which remains the best-selling studio album of Buffett's career, and co ...

" #"

A Pirate Looks at Forty "A Pirate Looks at Forty" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1974 album ''A1A'' and "Presents to Send You" is the B-side of the single. Buffett wrote the song about Phillip C ...

" #"

Come Monday "Come Monday" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1974 album '' Living & Dying in ¾ Time''. Content Buffett wrote the song to his wife while he was on tour. At a live perfo ...

" #"Tampico Trauma"
Encore: #"Morris' Nightmare" #"Dixie Diner" (Larry Raspberry And The Highsteppers cover)
Encore 2: #"The Last Line" (Keith Skyes cover)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheeseburger In Paradise 1978 singles Jimmy Buffett songs Songs written by Jimmy Buffett ABC Records singles 1978 songs Hamburgers (food)