Download MP3   In one of our local, somewhat tawdry, beach bars, we used to have a woman request this song every time she came in.  She really didn’t need to, as we played this classic at least twice every night.  She would order a cheeseburger, wait for the first few notes, then dance with her burger.  Everybody thought this was hilarious – just made me hungry.  To this day, every time I see a “Hardees” commercial I think of her flailing around on the dance floor – lettuce and tomatoes flying in the air and clutching that dill pickle in her left hand.  Must have been something terribly symbolic for her – I don’t wanna know.

Jimmy Buffett released “Cheeseburger in Paradise” in 1978 and it reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It may not have been the hit it should have, but it’s still one of Buffett’s “Big 8” – the eight songs that he has to perform every concert to keep his fans happy.  I’m sure he doesn’t mind.  There have been rumors he wrote the song for some particular restaurant he ate at or cooked in along the Gulf Coast, but not so.

In his younger days as a sailor, he and his crew ran into some rough weather off the coast of Puerto Rico.  The boat was disabled, so they limped along for days eating nothing but canned food and peanut butter.  The image of a piping hot cheeseburger kept popping into his head as he shoved another cracker and peanut butter in his mouth.  After six days of this, they finally landed on the tiny island of Tortola.  At the end of the dock, like a mirage, was a brand new marina and bar that featured American cheeseburgers.  Now Jimmy had a hit song.

According to the lyrics, the man wants his burger “medium rare with muenster’d be nice”.  Muenster?  As in the cheese?  Well, crap!  I’ve been singing with “mustard” all these years!  Boy, the things you find out when you do a little research.  Should have just asked Alexa.