(Annoying) Little Drummer Boy
By: Michael Murray
Tags: Christmas, Jesus, Religion, Christmas Music, Spirituality

(In this series, we’re taking a look at the Christmas story through the lens of songs. If you missed any, you can catch up on Part I & Part II.)

I have some ambivalence about the next Christmas song on our list. I love the lyrics, but the song itself can be somewhat annoying in practice. (Is that bad to say???)

The song I am referring to is none other than “Little Drummer Boy.” My annoyance comes from the endless drones of “Pa rum pum pum-pum’s.” I know — those drum beats are the whole essence of the song. But they seem to drown out the lyrics, which carry a beautiful message.

Come they told me

Pa rum pum pum-pum

A newborn King to see

Pa rum pum pum-pum

Our finest gifts we bring

Pa rum pum pum-pum

To lay before the king

“Little Drummer Boy” was written by Katherine K. Davis in 1941, but there is a bit of mystery surrounding it. Some accounts say Davis wrote the lyrics herself, while others say it was a collaboration between Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone.

The song was first recorded by the Trapp Family Singers (the family The Sound of Music was based on) in 1951. Like most Christmas carols, “Little Drummer Boy” has been recorded by hundreds of artists, most recently by Carrie Underwood. (I guess Carrie is saving Christmas for me this year!)

The lyrics tell the tale of a boy who tags along with the Magi to see baby Jesus. The Magi bring extravagant gifts to lay before this newborn King. But the little boy has no gifts to offer. The sound he makes on his drum is the only thing he can give to Jesus.

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 our King

Pa rum pum pum-pum

Shall I play for you?

Pa rum pum pum-pum

On my drum

Do you ever feel like you have no gifts to give to Jesus?

Even in the Christian subculture, it’s easy to feel like service to God is reserved for a select few. I’m not as eloquent as that pastor. I don’t have a platform like that writer. When we see people doing “big things for God,” we might think, “I could never serve God like that.” (Truth talk here: These are a few of the discouragements I find myself battling against!)

But using our gifts to serve God isn’t reserved for “professional Christians.” While some may be called into vocational ministry, every vocation is a ministry. There is no secular and non-secular divide.

When laid down before King Jesus, anything we offer becomes holy.

The pulpit the pastor preaches in is holy, but so is the stethoscope the doctor uses to diagnose sickness. The plumber’s wrench is holy as he fixes the leaky sink. The bacon and eggs the waitress sets down on the table is holy, as is the broom used to sweep the floor.

The high schooler who struggles with math offers his best to Jesus right before the big exam. He receives a 72, and it is holy.

The frazzled parent brings home takeout for the family for the third night in a row. They manage to have a ten-minute dinner together before someone has to rush off to soccer practice. It is a holy ten minutes.

The ordinary becomes holy when presented before Jesus. That’s the magic of Christmas. A barn becomes a palace. A feeding trough becomes a bed fit for a King. And the sounds of a little boy beating a wooden drum becomes a joyous proclamation to the world that a savior has been born.

I played my drum for Him

Pa rum pum pum-pum

I played my best for Him

Pa rum pum pum-pum

Then He smiled at me

Pa rum pum pum-pum

Me and my drum

Earlier I confessed to finding the refrain of “Pa rum pum pum-pum’s” irritating. But there is an irony to my grievance when viewed through the meaning of the song.

The little drummer boy, of course, is not playing his drum for my approval. He’s playing his best for Jesus. So it doesn’t really matter what I or the rest of the world thinks of his gift.

Those “Pa rum pum pum-pum’s” may annoy me to the point of switching to another station, but Jesus accepts the gift. Jesus smiles at the boy playing his best for his King.

Imagine the feeling of Jesus smiling at you.

What gift do you have to give Jesus this Christmas?

Spending an afternoon with a lonely friend? Sending a funny Christmas card to make someone laugh? (Thank you, Ron Jon!) Paying for the person behind you at the McDonald’s drive-thru?

However meager your gift feels, it becomes holy at the feet of Jesus.

There will always be people like me who roll their eyes at little drummer boys.

But Jesus smiles at them.