Two alternative spellings, spicily evocative and colourful, they are adjectives pertaining to the Zingiberaceae family of flowering plants that variously bring that distinctive flavour of, and are a rather fancy way of saying – ginger. The Zingiberaceae family also includes turmeric cardamom and galangal. But ginger, with a southeast Asian original is used as a spice for flavouring food such as biscuits, cakes and savoury dishes, especially curries, but also particularly healthy in winter for protection against colds. But what of the these more colourful words in song?
Here’s a little taste of the exotic and the nostalgic from that popular crooner Bing Crosby, with Sing Me A Song Of The Islands (1942):
Bring me the fragrance of ginger
Strum your guitars while I dream away
Then sing me a song of the islands Aloha au-I-o-ei.
And here’s a little more flavour from the Beatles’ White Album, with ginger on the Savoy Truffle menu:
Creme 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
Here also a few more sweet, catchy gingery examples, variously from beginning play with metaphor, from Frankie Avalon and Sammy Davis Jr,:
In a different context, there are many more songs about the hair colour than the food, and all the connotations of being red of hair. Here’s one of the best by the cult indie-pop band David Devant and His Spirit Wife:
There are also a number of thematically named musicians. Here’s another excellent pop artist, the American-Chinese singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Cameron Lew, aka Ginger Root, with No Problems, from last September’s album SHINBANGUMI:
Want to add further examples of ginger-flavoured or coloured songs? Feel free to share anything more in relation to anything whether in music or wider culture, such as from film, art, or other contexts, in comments below.
Ginger root notes
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