give the little drummer some

December 24, 2009 3:36 AM

We're mostly pretty familiar, I guess, with the ol' rum pa pum pum of the Little Drummer Boy. He shows up every Christmas, marching drum slung round his waist, rat-a-tat-tatting for the Son of God, thanks to that familiar song about him. A catchy little tune it is, too... heck, David Bowie and Bing Crosby think so! Let's keep in mind, though, that back when a certain Holy Infant made his first grand appearance at a stable back in Bethlehem, any little drummer boy that might've serenaded him wouldn't have been playing any paradiddles or ratamacues. Nah, he'd have been laying down beats more like this, or this, or (from actual boys), this. I think the baby Jesus would've dug the groove, too. Merry Christmas, y'all!
posted by flapjax at midnite (32 comments total)

Nice to wake up to this on Christmas eve. Merry Christmas.
posted by francesca too at 3:45 AM on December 24, 2009

Did the people who wrote this song ever have a baby? Or been around a baby? Been in the same room as a baby?

HI! I'M A DRUMMER BOY! MIND IF I STAND NEXT TO YOUR NEWBORN INFANT AND PLAY A LONG DRUM SOLO? BA-RUM-PUM-PUM-PUM, KID! HEY WHAT...why's he crying?
posted by PlusDistance at 4:06 AM on December 24, 2009 [5 favorites]

This beat's going to get me through that last, frantic shopping foray. Thanks, flapjax!
posted by manos_frias at 4:13 AM on December 24, 2009

Great! Thanks :)
posted by pjern at 4:14 AM on December 24, 2009

Just one more thing... another little drummer boy. I love this picture.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:21 AM on December 24, 2009

thank you!
posted by infini at 4:34 AM on December 24, 2009

As much as I hate Christmas, that Crosby/Bowie rendition always warms this grinch's heart. Thanks!
posted by thisjax at 4:46 AM on December 24, 2009

Pahrump
posted by telstar at 5:17 AM on December 24, 2009

By the way, folks, I know there's a lot of links in this post, but if you only click on one, it should be this one... ONUR DARBUKA SOLO. This guy is Un. Be. Lievable.

But... this little drummer boy, he's no slouch, neither.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:18 AM on December 24, 2009 [1 favorite]

There are plenty of Christmas songs and plenty of drinking songs, but Little Drummer Boy is only song I know in the intersection. What with all that talk about rum and all.

Fewer Christmas and drinking songs from doumbek players too, I've noticed.
posted by twoleftfeet at 5:34 AM on December 24, 2009

Did the people who wrote this song ever have a baby? Or been around a baby? Been in the same room as a baby?

From what I can find online, the Katherine K. Davis who wrote the words and music was a confirmed spinster who studied under Nadia Boulanger, another confirmed spinster. I don't know whether she ever spent much time around babies, but perhaps not.

In any case, Jesus is just a plaything. We wanna make him stay up all night.
posted by pracowity at 5:46 AM on December 24, 2009 [2 favorites]

Silent Night/Little Drummer Boy - Jimi Hendrix
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:54 AM on December 24, 2009 [1 favorite]

This is fantastic! Thank you so much!
posted by LeeJay at 5:57 AM on December 24, 2009

Excellent post! Thanks!
posted by Majorita at 6:28 AM on December 24, 2009

I still dig this one (yoo-toobz one clicky) the most.
posted by The Potate at 6:43 AM on December 24, 2009 [1 favorite]

Low version.
posted by GeorgeBickham at 6:45 AM on December 24, 2009

ONUR DARBUKA SOLO

Thanks. That was absolutely killing.
posted by Wolof at 6:49 AM on December 24, 2009

It's a wonderful world where I get to see and hear things I'd never have got to just a few years ago.
posted by cccorlew at 7:11 AM on December 24, 2009

HURF DURF LADY GAGA
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:21 AM on December 24, 2009

Dandy Warhols Underpants Dance version
posted by The Whelk at 7:24 AM on December 24, 2009

The Beatles' own drummer boy.
posted by hippybear at 7:45 AM on December 24, 2009

Thanks flapjax, another quality post.

Little Drummer Boy (Up The Khyber)
posted by Sailormom at 7:49 AM on December 24, 2009 [2 favorites]

I heard it played on classical guitar (and sung in Spanish, by a priest) in the cathedral in Panajachel, Guatemala, on Christmas Eve, 1999.

That was cool.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:58 AM on December 24, 2009

Sammy C freestyle version (think Miami, '87)


also - Silent Night
posted by vronsky at 8:34 AM on December 24, 2009

Did the people who wrote this song ever have a baby? Or been around a baby? Been in the same room as a baby?

Uh, pretty sure the song's about the grace of god, y'all.

And suffering the little children.

And the rhythmic abilities of oxen and lambs.

Also, it's one of those songs that is very, very easy to make very, very dirty by simply changing some words here and there.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:25 AM on December 24, 2009

Apparently, there's also a 40 minute version available, but here's just five of the Lindstrøm Drummer Boy.
posted by BigBrooklyn at 10:38 AM on December 24, 2009 [1 favorite]

That reminds me, Lindstrom just released a FORTY MINUTE version. I haven't heard it yet, but you can listen to a the 5 minute short edit here.
posted by domakesaypat at 10:39 AM on December 24, 2009

Beat my by a minute!
posted by domakesaypat at 10:39 AM on December 24, 2009

I always liked this Joan Jett version. Yeah, it's no Hendrix. I know.
posted by cazoo at 11:08 AM on December 24, 2009

Wish I could find the SNL Tarzan Tonto Frankenstein Little Drummer Boy on YouTube. That would have been really funny right here. Anyway, great post / thread. Thanks, y'all, merry merry!
posted by ZakDaddy at 11:39 AM on December 24, 2009

Wish I could find the SNL Tarzan Tonto Frankenstein Little Drummer Boy on YouTube. That would have been really funny right here.

Here you go.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:52 AM on December 24, 2009

Mary snarled at me,
Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
"I had the kid asleep,"
Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
"You woke him up, you creep,"
Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
Rum-pa-pum-pum
Rum-pa-pum-pum
posted by straight at 12:39 AM on December 26, 2009 [1 favorite]