The Beatles unleash a one-two multimedia wallop today with the release of their branded “Rock Band” video game and remastered versions of their entire album catalogue.

It occurs to me that little (read: nothing) has been discussed about the way the Fab Four dropped culinary references into their work. This for a group who used a tart and beautiful Granny Smith apple as the iconic image for their musical corporation.

So I went through the Beatles Lyrics Archive line by line to sift through their songs for crumbs of food references. Having OCD will do that for a guy.

For the purposes of discussion, there are a few caveats to the following list:

I considered “Honey Pie” more a lovebird nickname than a dessert. “Glass Onion” doesn’t count, either, because it makes no sense whatsoever (which makes it a great image.) As for “Strawberry Fields Forever,” it’s a geographical location that happens to have a fruit in the name. It counts, but it doesn’t. And, although the song’s original title was “Scrambled Eggs,” the lyrics to “Yesterday” contain no food references.

One last thing: Before nitpickers point out the omission of “Yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog’s eye,” they should consider holding off. It may well fit amid the context of the psychedelic lyrics to “I Am The Walrus,” but in the realm of food, the image is just, well, gross.

So here you go. All lyrics are listed in alphabetical order, according to the song title. See how many you remember:

____

Made a lightning trip to Vienna,
Eating chocolate cake in a bag.
The newspapers said,
She’s gone to his head,
They look just like two Gurus in a drag.

The Ballad of John and Yoko

He wear no shoeshine he got toe-jam football
He got monkey finger he shoot coca-cola
He say “I know you, you know me”
One thing I can tell you is you got to be free
Come together right now over me

He bag production he got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard he one spinal cracker

Come Together

The king of Marigold was in the kitchen
Cooking breakfast for the queen.
The queen was in the parlor
Playing piano for the children of the king.

Cry Baby Cry

Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.

A Day In The Life

I told that girl that my prospects were good,
She said, baby it’s understood,
Working for peanuts is all very fine,
But I can show you a better time.

Drive My Car

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been.

Eleanor Rigby

Let me tell you about a girl I know,
She’s my baby and I love her so.
Every morning when the sun comes up,
She brings me coffee in my favorite cup.
That’s why I know, yes I know,
Hallelujah I just love her so.

Hallelujah I Just Love Her So

I wanna tell her that I love her a lot,
But I gotta get a belly full of wine.
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl,
Someday I’m gonna make her mine

Her Majesty

I’m so tired, I haven’t slept a wink,
I’m so tired, my mind is on the blink.
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink.
No, no, no.
I’m so tired I don’t know what to do.

I’m So Tired

Lady Madonna baby at your breast
Wonder how you manage to feed the rest.

Lady Madonna

Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
* Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain
Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Lovely Rita meter maid,
May I inquire discreetly,
When you are free
To take some tea with me?

Took her out and tried to win her,
Had a laugh and over dinner,
Told her I would really like to see her again.

Got the bill and Rita paid it
Took her home and nearly made it
Sitting ona sofa with a sister or two.

Lovely Rita

Mean Mister Mustard sleeps in the park,
Shaves in the dark
Trying to save paper.

Mean Mr. Mustard

I sat on a rug
Biding my time,
Drinking her wine.
We talked until two,
And then she said,
‘It’s time for bed’.

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes,
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer meanwhile back

Penny Lane

Everywhere there’s lots of piggies living piggie lives,
You can see them out for dinner with their piggie wives,
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon.

Piggies

Now the doctor came in stinking of gin
And proceeded to lie on the table.
He said Rocky you met your match.
And Rocky said, Doc it’s only a scratch
And I’ll be better, I’ll be better doc as soon as I am able.

Rocky Raccoon

Cream tangerine and montelimar,
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart,
A coffee dessert, yes you know it’s good news,
But you’ll have to have them all pulled out after the savoy truffle.

Cool cherry cream and nice apple tart,
I feel your taste all the time we’re apart,
Coconut fudge really blows down those blues,
But you’ll have to have them all pulled out after the savoy truffle

Savoy Truffle

Wednesday morning and five o’clock as the day begins
Silently closing her bedroom door
Leaving the note that she hoped would say more
She goes downstairs to the kitchen
Clutching her handkerchief
Quietly turning the backdoor key
Stepping outside she is free.

She’s Leaving Home

Dream of your first kiss, and then,
I feel upon my lips again,
A taste of honey… tasting much sweeter than wine.

A Taste of Honey

She looks as an African queen,
she eating twelve chapattis and cream,
she tastes as Mongolian lamb,
she coming from out of Bahran.

What a shame Mary Jane
had a pain at the party.
What a shame Mary Jane.
What a shame Mary Jane
had a pain at the party.

She like to be married with Yeti,
he grooving such cooky spaghetti,
she jumping as Mexican bean
to make that her body more thin.

What a shame Mary Jane
had a pain at the party.
What a shame Mary Jane.
What a shame Mary Jane
had a pain at the party.

She catch Patagonian pancake
with that one a gin party makes.
She having all the ways good contacts,
she making with Apple an contract.

What’s The New Mary Jane

When I get older, losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

When I’m Sixty-Four