“An apple, a carrot, a sweet potato. An orange, some broccoli, a green tomato. Vegetables and fruits taste better than newts.”
– Somebody who was not Dr. Seuss
Feeling sad and saggy? You might just need a metabolic rush. Put away the pizza for a day and pick up something more natural. If you need some extra help making the healthy stuff digestible, here are some songs to enjoy while you chomp away.
(put the lime in the) “Coconut” – Harry Nilsson
Don’t actually chomp on one of these unless you have steel incisors. Instead, crack one open with a hammer and see how the lime thing works out. That is, as long as you feel comfortable murdering one of Wilson’s cousins. If innuendos bother you, don’t worry. This is one of the few fruit songs that is actually about fruit.
“Rotten Apple” – Alice in Chains
If front man Layne Stanley had stuck to fruit and avoided heroin, he might have still been around to work on the band’s newest album, “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.”
“Strawberry Fields Forever” – The Beatles
Who knew that strawberries were psychedelic? In the late ’60s when rumors of Paul McCartney’s death were going around, people thought they could make out John Lennon saying “I buried Paul” at the end of the song. Turns out he was just talking about more fruit — he actually said “cranberry sauce.” Anyway, back to strawberries. For a sampling of Florida’s finest, check out the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Feb. 28 through March 3.
“I Heard it Through the Grapevine” – Marvin Gaye
Some accuse R&B of being whiny, but if anything this song is only wine-y. Bad puns aside, this tune only gets better with age.
“Hollaback Girl” (Bananas) – Gwen Stefani
Ever heard fruits referred to as brain food? Well, this song should make you a little smarter. You will learn what an awful song sounds like, and how to spell bananas. (That’s B-A-N-A-N-A-S).
“Choppin’ Broccoli” – Dana Carvey
Dana Carvey performed this comical song as part of his tryout for Saturday Night Live in 1986. Obviously, he made it. Another example of how vegetables can work wonders.
“Hot Potato” – The Kinks
Memorable lines: “La, la, la, la, la, la, potatoes.” The Kinks wrote this song about how simplicity is beautiful. Maybe potatoes aren’t so pretty, but your tongue won’t know the difference. If this version doesn’t strike your fancy, give the similarly titled number by The Wiggles a listen.
