Little Drummer Boy

Christmas Carols Explained, #4

Mannheim Steamroller rendered this arrangement for their 1984 album, the year that I came screaming into this world at an unholy weight of ten pounds and two ounces. Josh Groban’s version with the lyrics is really nice, but Little Drummer Boy is really about the beat, the Mannheim nails it here.

Of the songs we’ve covered so far, this is the most recent, originally written in 1941 by a good God-fearing American named Katherine Kennicott Davis. The music’s origins are a little murkier—some say it’s based on a Czech song called “The Rocking Carol” and others claim it’s from a French beat called “Patapan.” Let them fight, I care not, what matters is, this song has energy.

It’s about a boy who’s got nothing to his name but a drum, and when he discovers the Baby Jesus in the manger with His earthly parents, he doesn’t have anything fancy to give him, so he just plays his drum. The takeaway for me has always been that it doesn’t matter whether we have riches to share or merely service: if we offer up what we can, the Lord cares about our effort.

Although I’ve got to agree with the memes just a little bit: Mary probably wasn’t in the mood to hear a lot of percussion after traveling whilst pregnant and giving birth in a stable full of livestock. Alas.