Little Drummer Boy (Bob Dylan) – Christmas Countdown No. 5

Advent marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical calendar, commencing on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continuing until Christmas Eve. Derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival,” Advent embodies a time of anticipation and reflection. In our household, however, the season also signifies the return of Dylan’s album Christmas in the Heart, which is lovingly dusted off and given a joyful spin on the turntable. This brings us to one of the album’s standout moments—what I consider a true highlight—Little Drummer Boy.

Little Drummer Boy has always held a cherished place in my heart, dating back to my childhood days. When news broke of Bob Dylan’s upcoming 2009 album, Christmas in the Heart, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of cynicism, even bordering on disbelief. Dylan – my musical hero, and a man of Jewish heritage, no less—was venturing into the Christian festive realm of Winter Wonderlands, Noels, Santa Claus, and Silver Bells. It felt like an unlikely fit, to say the least.

Much like my initial reservations about his Sinatra-inspired detour with Shadows in the Night – an album I eventually grew to admire – my scepticism toward Christmas in the Heart slowly melted away. Over time, what once seemed incongruous transformed into a source of amusement, comfort, and, ultimately, celebration. The album’s charm crept in unexpectedly, solidifying its place in our holiday tradition. At the end of the day, Bob has earned he right to record anything he wants.

[Verse 1]
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
And so to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum
When we come

[Verse 2]
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 a King, pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum
On my drum
On my drum

[Verse 3]
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
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
Me and my drum

Most of the following was extracted from the Wikipedia reference below:

The Little Drummer Boy (originally known as “Carol of the Drum”) is a popular Christmas song written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941 and first recorded in 1951 by the Austrian Trapp Family,

In the lyrics, the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the Infant, the little drummer boy played his drum with approval from Jesus’s mother, Mary…Despite the song’s popularity, the story of the drummer boy is not biblically accurate.

Inspiration for “The Little Drummer Boy” came to Davis in 1941. “[One day], when she was trying to take a nap, she was obsessed with this song that came into her head and it was supposed to have been inspired by a French song, “Patapan”, explained Fontijn. “And then ‘patapan’ translated in her mind to ‘pa-rum-pum-pum’, and it took on a rhythm.” The result was “The Little Drummer Boy“.

I point you to an interesting rendition by an unlikely duo, which my friend Max recently wrote about – Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy“. In 1982 it reached No. 3 on the UK chart.

References:
1. The Little Drummer Boy – Wikipedia