Cheeseburger in Paradise facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Cheeseburger in Paradise" |
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Cover of the Japanese 7-inch single
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| Single by Jimmy Buffett | ||||
| from the album Son of a Son of a Sailor | ||||
| B-side | "African Friend" | |||
| Released | March 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:51 | |||
| Label | ABC | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jimmy Buffett | |||
| Producer(s) | Norbert Putnam | |||
| Jimmy Buffett singles chronology | ||||
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"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. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" has become one of Buffett's signature songs and was selected as the first track on his greatest hits album Songs You Know by Heart.
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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"). However, other burger restaurants in the Caribbean have claimed to be the inspiration for the song as well.
Chart performance
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 32 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 24 |
Diner
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.
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.
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 instead of Muenster.
Tour
1978 saw Buffett begin his own tour with the Coral Reefer Band, 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 in San Jose and Angels Camp, California. August brought a Florida stadium tour with the Little River Band and the Steve Miller Band along with three shows in Atlanta and Miami which were recorded for the live album You Had To Be There
