The Little Drummer Boy a.k.a. the Carol of the Drum

By Freddie W. Parks Jr.

Isn’t it wonderful how inspiration comes to life?  The Lord has such wonderfully creative ways of placing the spark of wisdom into our minds.  For some, it is a mundane ride through rush hour traffic that prompts revelation.  Still other times, it’s during fervent prayer.   And in the case of Katherine K. Davis, it came toher while she was trying to take a nap.

Katherine K. Davis was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on June 25th, 1892.  From a young age, she showed much musical talent and interest.  When she was only 15 years old, she composed her first piece of music called “Shadow March”.  But, the world would best remember Katherine Davis for the contribution of a much loved Christmas carol; The Little Drummer Boy (originally named The Carol of the Drum).

Since its early recordings by the Trapp family in 1955, the Little Drummer Boy has been a holiday staple.  The song has been covered by musicians of all genres, from metal to folk; attracting an audience that is as inclusive as the message contained within the lyrics. But, “The Little Drummer Boy” has reached beyond just the boundaries of musical fame and has captured the imagination of children of all ages, as it took on a new dimension of life in the 1968 Rankin-Bass stop motion animation by the same name.

Although the song does not recite particular scriptures dealing with the birth of Christ, the lyrics of the song describe the manger scene of the night of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth.  They interject the little poor boy with his drum and a desire to give the new born King something that could be of worth; this is the very essence of the song.  It is through this child’s eyes that the song takes us to the point of realization that we really “have no gift to bring that’s fit to give the King”(2) but that which we have been gifted with we can use for the honor and glory of God.

As one researches the song, it’s easy to find hundreds of sound bytes and even videos of musicians performing this song.  There are versions all the way from Wyclef Jean with a unique rendition that is all his own to versions by Bob Seger, the Cranberries, the Finnish cello-rock band Apocalyptica and a particularly rocking version done by Aly and AJ.  These represent just a fraction of the secular artists that have jumped on the pa rum pum pum pum band wagon.  Out of all the Christian and secular artists that can be found performing this song, there was one video that stuck out above all the rest.  It was a home video that can be found on you tube.  The video is of three children called The Castillo Kids.  The video is less than a minute long and the children only perform the first verse or so of the song.  But, seeing those children standing there singing that song was something that can touch the heart.  As the video is watched, one can get a vision in the heart that this is what the song is about.  It’s not about big named musicians like Bing Crosby and David Bowie crooning out a paycheck.  It’s all about giving what we have; all that we have, for nothing but the honor of our God.

Listening to the pa rum pum pum pum, one can almost see Hannah pleading with God for a son, a son she would gladly turn around and give back to Him in His service.  Pa rum pum pum pum echoes once again and we see Abraham laying his son upon the alter and preparing to sacrifice the child, a child that was the fulfilled promise to Abraham that he would have a son by his wife Sarah even in their advanced age.  Once again pa rum pum pum pum and we see a widow with only two mites to her name as she gives all to the house of God and the Love in the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ as He tells the disciples how much more she has given than those who have given from abundance. Finally, pa rum pum pum pum and we see Christ upon the cross and then an empty grave.

Katherine K Davis bestowed upon the world a gift of a song, a song she herself felt had been “done to death on radio and TV”(1).  Through all the renditions and TV programs that the song has appeared in and or inspired, the message contained within is endearing and could never be proclaimed enough.  The song speaks of humility and of service and this is something our world could greatly benefit from now and until the Lord returns for us.

From a disrupted nap to some 21 pa rum pum pum pums and fifty years later, The Little Drummer boy has and will continue to thump out his message of giving all that we have in the service of God for generations to come.

God bless

“Little Drummer Boy: Lyrics
Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum. ” (2)

References:
1. http://www.wellesley.edu/Anniversary/kkdavis.html
2. http://www.carols.org.uk/little_drummer_boy.htm

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