Full of Beans

Musicians write songs about the strangest things. Loudon Wainwright’s “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road,” for instance. Or “Milkshake,” by Kelis. I find this phenomenon sad and wonderful at the same time. One of my favorite groups is, after all, They Might Be Giants, and those guys crank out some deliciously strange stuff. “Purple Toupe“, “Snail Shell,” “Exquisite Dead Guy.” If you don’t know TMBG, check them out; your world will be better for it. Don’t dawdle too long with the “Milkshake” lady, though, her song is just painful. And it might ruin milkshakes for you.

Comedian Dana Carvey has a great spoof about rock’n'roll lyrics in his brilliant ditty “Choppin’ Broccoli.” But the song I’m about to share with you is no joke. My friend Randy, a former radio DJ, read my recent blog post about my son the Nose/Ear Stuffer and promptly sent me an MP3 clip of the legendary Pete Seeger. “Your son’s new theme song,” he wrote. The song tripping off Pete’s lips? “Beans in My Ears”, from his Dangerous Songs!? album. Here’s Pete performing the song with Len Chandler: video. It makes you scratch your head and smile at the same time, doesn’t it? I almost played it for my boys, but then common sense kicked in: Can you think of a more sure-fire way to have them stuffing more things in their ears within minutes? And up their noses. A dangerous song, indeed. No, for now at least, the Halverson boys will have to stick to songs about men stuffing macaroni in their hats and worms getting squished on railroad tracks. We cannot have the image of bean-stuffed ears in their heads.

I’m wondering, though . . . do you think the Wiggles know about it? Now that would be painful.