Like I said here at FR earlier today: Some people hate this song. It was always one of my favorites for some reason. I always like the more traditional renderings (i.e. closer to the original) of it, however.
I tend to agree with this. I love Christmas music, but I hate this song. I liked it as a kid, though. I also don’t care for Rudolph or Frosty.
I agree. It’s not McArthur Park, but still pretty silly lyrics. This is my idea of what Christmas music should sound like
I’m a hater, too.
Which part of (I am a poor boy too...I have no gift to bring...That’s fit to give the King...Shall I play for you...
On my drum?) does this guy not understand? And that drums don’t always have to be played loudly? Ra-pa-pa-pum isn’t bang, bang, bang, after all.
“The Little Drummer Boy” is a beautiful song, for maybe the first 35 minutes. But eventually it gets on your nerves, those voices shrieking “rum-pa-pa-pum!”
For openers, drums do not go “rum-pa-pa-pum.” Drums go “rat-a-tat-tat.” Also I have issues with the line from “The Little Drummer Boy” that goes: “The ox and lamb kept time.”
Really? How? Did they clack their hooves together, castanet-style? Did they dance? Are we supposed to believe that two barnyard animals with legume-level IQs spontaneously started doing the macarena?
I’ll tell you this: If I were taking care of a newborn baby, and somebody came around whacking on a drum, that person would find himself at the emergency room having his drumsticks surgically removed from his rum-pa-pa-pum, if you know what I mean.
—Dave Barry
Well... to make it work, one has to imagine the Holy Child wouldn’t be crying (yet). Also a little kid with a drum might not be a common sight in 0 C.E. Bethlehem, at a time when everybody there just wants to pay his Roman taxes and go back home. So it is mixing scenarios, almost a virtual scenario. (Where is IBM when you need it? But again, this would have needed Jesus to be born in Galilee, not Bethlehem Ephratha.)
It’s more of a parable-flavored legend than anything that would be a reasonable reading of the Christmas story. The Catalan song we know in English as Carol of the Birds is that way, as another example. It gets the significance of the Holy Birth across in metaphor — and God is quite gracious about such things, as they will lead to an appreciation of the spirit of Christ — but there seems to be no support for a literal occurrence. Let it be a parable and it is fine.
I rocked.
And this explains my stellar career as a world-famous stage performer.
Nonsense aside, the Drummer Boy offers to "play my drum for Him" because "I am a poor boy too" and it's all he has to offer. It's a gift given of love, and while the song may get tedious, the sentiments decidedly do not.
Every year, the War on Christmas wears on me a little more.
Is this true? I never knew this.
I'm pretty neutral about this song, but my daughters have always loved it.
Giving back to God his given talent refined is an awesome gift IMHO. I like the song and one of my favorites.