Cheeseburger in Paradise

Cheeseburger in Paradise
by Jimmy Buffett

Tried to amend my carnivorous habits
Made it nearly seventy days . . .

So begins Jimmy Buffett’s paean to perhaps the most visible manifestation of God’s grace and beneficence to us Americans (OK – maybe jazz, baseball, BBQ and the freedom of religion are up there, too). And so also begins this installment of Fun-Time Friday on our Lenten Blog 2008. We’ll take a look at some of the lighter songs in the popular pantheon as we wind down the work week.

It’s fitting that we kick off this Friday with a song about food – specifically meat. Lent invites us to observe times of fasting and prayer. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christendom, even in this post-Vatican II world, still observe meatless Fridays during Lent. Many of us “give up something” during the forty days of Lent. We are reminded of Jesus asking his disciples, “Could you not stay awake with me one hour?”

Denial and fasting can bring moments of insight. Mr Buffett recounts first in his song what happened during his seventy day voyage into vegetarianism. Like St Peter’s dreams of the Lord’s gracious smorgasbord descending from the heavens (Acts 10), Mr Buffett had his own visions. The verse starts out with intervals of thirds: there’s reservation in those closely-knit tones. By the time he’s halfway through the second verse, though, he’s worked in some perfect fourths, bouncing back and forth between them:

But at night I'd have these wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zucchini, fettuccine or bulgar wheat
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat

And by the first chorus, the repetitive open fourths tell us everything we need to know about longing, anticipation, insistence and joy:

Cheeseburger in paradise
Heaven on earth with an onion slice
Not too particular, not too precise
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise

I know from whence Mr Buffett speaks. This year, I am trying to be more intentional about the meat I eat. Don’t worry: I’m still a committed carnivore. In fact, I must confess that when I read the passage in Acts where the Lord basically tells Peter, “It’s all good,” my mouth starts watering. What I’m getting at is that my thoughts this year have turned to that we should try to treat our livestock well while they’re alive. So I’ve been trying to increase my consumption of free-range, free-roaming, humanely treated animals. Thankfully, there are more and more outlets, both in stores and online (and Paul James – yeah, the Gardener Guy – just opened a butcher shop in Brookside with these same sensibilities, thanks be to God!) The trouble comes when eating out, so I find myself eating a lot more lentils and such. Say what you want; it can get boring.

Now, I know that the Lord had something else in mind when he rebuffed the devil in the wilderness with “Man does not live by bread alone,” but Mr Buffett and I would like to elaborate:

Not just Havanas or bananas or daiquiris
But that American creation on which I feed

Cheeseburger in paradise
Medium rare with mustard 'be nice
Heaven on earth with an onion slice
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise

Anyway, I guess the point I’d like to make with all this rambling today is that whatever Lenten discipline you’re following, I hope you’ll be intentional about it for the purposes of drawing nearer to the Lord through it. And I know the Lord will bless your efforts.

Me? I already sense a heightened awareness that we, as humans, are blessed with dominion over God’s creation. And with that dominion comes great responsibility to be good stewards of such bounty. I’ve also started noticing throughout the scriptures that the animals seem to know that they’re part of The Plan and make the appropriate sacrifices. And – if this isn’t too far out there – just maybe, when we get to Heaven, we’ll be able to thank them face-to-face just as we thank the Lord every time we sit down to eat. Or maybe that’s just the protein-deficit talking.

Have a great weekend, everybody! Take us there, Jimmy!

I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer
Well good gosh almighty which way do I steer for my

Cheeseburger in paradise
Makin' the best of every virtue and vice
Worth every bit of sacrifice
To get a cheeseburger in paradise
To be a cheeseburger in paradise
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise