Set your pride aside and consider marching to the beat of the Little Drummer Boy’s drum this holiday season.
A tune sure to be played throughout many households and stores in the coming weeks, “The Little Drummer Boy” has long been a staple of the Christmas season. The story goes that American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis (K. K. Davis) was struck with inspiration as she attempted to take a nap in 1941.
When Davis first published the song, she gave herself credit for arranging the song, but credited a “CRW Robertson”—a made up male name—as the song’s transcriber. She also falsely described the song as being inspired by an old Czech lullaby. While Davis may have conjured these origins to lend greater credibility to her carol (she is, after all, one of a handful of women who composed famous Christmas carols), it’s also possible this was another facet to Davis’ spunk: “She was known as a very charming, witty, mischievous woman,” explains Lisa Graham, director of Director of the Choral Program & Senior Lecturer in Music at Wellesley College. “So I think this was sort of in character with her to do something capricious like this.” (This controversy is covered in greater detail in our Hark! podcast episode on “The Little Drummer Boy,” which you can listen to here.)
Though written in 1941, “The Little Drummer Boy” was not recorded until 1951, when it was performed by the Trapp Family Singers. In 1959, Harry Simeone created a new arrangement of the song, and his rendition brought it even more success. After a battle for authorship rights, Davis, Simeone and his producer Henry Onorati settled on sharing the royalties. Since then, there have been a dozen covers and renditions performed by famous artists such as Johnny Cash (1963), Frank Sinatra (1964), Bing Crosby and David Bowie (1977) and Pentatonix (2012).
Through the decades and a plethora of versions, the story of “The Little Drummer Boy” has remained one of love and humility before the Lord; the catchy “pa-rum-pum-pum-pums” evoking the essence of the season.
The lyrics of the carol are straightforward, fitting for a song told from the perspective of a little boy. Traveling to see the “newborn King,” the narrator, we are told, is “a poor boy, too.” Humbling himself before Jesus, our drummer boy admits to having no gift “fit to give the King.” The boy then offers to play his drums for Jesus, to which Mary agrees. He plays his “very best for Him,” and in return receives a smile from baby Jesus for his drumming gift.
The Advent season prepares us for the incredibly humble journey of Jesus’ birth. We are told the story of Mary and Joseph being turned away again and again upon their arrival in Bethlehem, and images of lowly mangers and farm animals decorate our Christian nativity imagery. This carol provides another dimension of this humility.
As spectators of the spectacular birth of Jesus Christ, we cannot possibly have gifts fit enough for our king. He was sent by the father to save us, and we must humble ourselves before him in all of his glory. What better way to demonstrate this than a poor boy offering all he has to offer before Jesus?
In the drummer boy’s state of pure humility, he gains the approval of not only the mother of God (“Mary nodded”) but of the baby Jesus as well (“Then He smiled at me”). This moment of divine and human connection is only made possible through the goodness and well-intentioned gift of our Little Drummer Boy.
Though the boy does not offer the best material gift, God rejoices in his giving from the heart, just as he rejoices in our own day-to-day charity. No one person may have the means to aid every single person in need. But through doing our best to give what we can—be it financially, interpersonally or through volunteering our time—we are helping our common home move closer to peace on Earth. And for this, Jesus smiles at each and every one of us.
Through its rhythmic drumming and its simple lyrics, “The Little Drummer Boy” grounds us in the real reason we celebrate during the Advent season, and challenges us to reflect on what gifts we can give to God and each other. The gifts worth gifting are born from a place of humility, love and good intention; and that is enough for the baby Jesus.
If marching to the beat of your own drum means worshiping the Lord in all of his glory through acts of charity this holiday season, then by all means—march on!
