Cheeseburger in Paradise

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This article is about the song. For the restaurant chain named after this song, see Cheeseburger in Paradise (restaurant).

"Cheeseburger in Paradise"
Cover of the Japanese 7-inch single[1]
Single by Jimmy Buffett
from the album Son of a Son of a Sailor
B-side"African Friend"
ReleasedMarch 1978
Genre
Length2:51
LabelABC
Songwriter(s)Jimmy Buffett
Producer(s)Norbert Putnam
Jimmy Buffett singles chronology
"Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
(1977) 		"Cheeseburger in Paradise"
(1978) 		"Livingston Saturday Night"
(1978)
Audio sample

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

greatest hits album Songs You Know by Heart.[2][3]

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").[2][3][4] However, other burger restaurants in the Caribbean have claimed to be the inspiration for the song as well.

Reception

Cash Box praised the bass line and vocals.[5] Record World 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."[6]

Chart performance

1978 chart performance for "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
Chart (1978) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top Singles[7] 27
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 32
2023 chart performance for "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[9] 22

Diner

Main articles: Cheeseburger in Paradise (restaurant) and Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
A Cheeseburger in Paradise at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

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

OSI Restaurant Partners as the name of the Buffett-themed Cheeseburger in Paradise 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 remained of the chain.[10]
The last location closed in September 2020.

A Cheeseburger in Paradise is a menu item at Buffett-owned Margaritaville Cafes located in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean, as well as being on the menu at his sister Lucy's restaurant "Lulu's" in Gulf Shores, Alabama.[11] [12]

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.[13] Whether this is a fact for the studio version has not 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 instead of Muenster.[14]

Tour

1978 saw Buffett begin his own tour with the

You Had To Be There[15]

1978 Coral Reefer Band

Performance

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

The Captain and the Kid" appeared during the acoustic set; and "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was missing. The shows opened with "Son of a Son of a Sailor" 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
.

Setlist

An average set list:[16]

  1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor"
  2. "Pencil Thin Mustache"
  3. "Wonder Why We Ever Go Home"
  4. "Landfall"
  5. "Mañana"
  6. "Livingston Saturday Night"
  7. "Margaritaville"
  8. "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit" (acoustic)
  9. "Banana Republics" (Steve Goodman cover) (acoustic)
  10. "He Went to Paris" (acoustic)
  11. "God's Own Drunk" (Richard Buckley cover) (acoustic)
  12. "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (mostly performed with the Coral Reefer Band, but occasionally performed acoustically)
  13. "
    Coast of Marseilles
    " (Keith Sykes cover)
  14. "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
  15. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
  16. "A Pirate Looks at Forty"
  17. "Come Monday"
  18. "Tampico Trauma"
    Encore:
  19. "Morris' Nightmare"
  20. "Dixie Diner" (Larry Raspberry And The Highsteppers cover)
    Encore 2:
  21. "The Last Line" (Keith Skyes cover)

References

  1. ^ The U.S. single did not have a picture cover but was issued with a standard ABC Records cover.
  2. ^ a b "Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett". SongFacts. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "FAQ". Margaritaville. Archived from the original on May 29, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  4. ^ "Jimmy Buffett's Support Helps St. Barts Move Forward". New York Times. April 7, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 29, 1978. p. 28. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. April 29, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - June 17, 1978" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Jimmy Buffett Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "Jimmy Buffett Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  10. ^ King, Rebecca (December 28, 2018). "Cheeseburger in Paradise, a once-thriving chain, down to one location in New Jersey". USA Today. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  11. ^ Lulu's – Our Story Archived November 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine lulubuffet.com
  12. ^ Best Cheeseburger recipe[permanent dead link] apnimauj.com
  13. ^ Jimmy Buffett – Cheeseburger In Paradise YouTube
  14. ^ Jimmy's Discography Archived April 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
  15. ^ BuffettWorld, Cheeseburger In Paradise tour
  16. ^ Average set list for the Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour
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