Beans in My Ears is a song created and sung by protest singer, Len Chandler. It became a hit single when covered by The Serendipity Singers, reaching #30 in June, 1964. Doctors protested that many children were actually putting beans in their ears and so it was banned in some places such as Boston.[1][2] It was also covered by Lonnie Donegan in 1964.
The insistent chorus goes
My mommy said not to put beans in my ears, beans in my ears, beans in my ears.
The song was covered by Pete Seeger in his 1966 album Dangerous Songs!?. Seeger's version satirically attacked Lyndon B. Johnson's involvement in the Vietnam War. In addition to Chandler's original lyrics, Seeger sang that "Mrs. Jay's little son Alby" had "beans in his ears", which, as the lyrics imply, ensures that a person does not hear what is said to them. To those opposed to continuing the Vietnam War, the phrase suggested that "Alby Jay", a loose pronunciation of Johnson's nickname "LBJ", did not listen to anti-war protests as he too had "beans in his ears".