Not soon enough.
This analyst makes a decent case that The Little Drummer Boy is the worst Xmas song ever.
The best I can say for Xmas music is that when a version of a carol by the Reverend Horton Heat comes up on iPod shuffle, I may not immediately stab at the button to move on to the next song.
The case against The Little Drummer Boy seems to fall into one of four catagories:
Let’s tackle these one at a time:
There is much reason for joy and celebration at the prospect of humanity saved from these conditions. But without an awareness of the solemnity of the miracle, the despair of the world is minimized. Christmas music that offers hope while acknowleding the suffering is appropriate.
The lyrics of TLDB may be simple, but I prefer to think of it as a naive minimalism. The message is unambiguous. Love, give what you can, and be smiled upon.
Unlike many other Christmas songs, which repeat whole stanzas word for word, this song uses the rumpa pum pum to advance the plot while adding an appropriate soundtrack to accompany the story.
Those that argue against the details of the TLDB narrative do so unfairly. When you give birth to a savior perhaps you can exercise your own judgement as to appropriate nursery music. But Mary, aware that much bigger things are going on here than Raffi, understands the lad is giving what he can. The baby smiles. You all who would tell a youngster the one thing he had to give was not good should look into your hearts instead. Do you tell a child his drawing sucks, or do you magnet it to the refrigerator and encourage more? My Christmas spirit says the latter.
A good carol. A nice moral.
I’m with the op. I’ve always like tldb. It’s not the best Christmas carol. But it’s a good Christmas song. And there are soooo many horrible ones out there. Jingle Bell Rock, that thing with barking dogs, I could go on and on. I about half the radio stations at this time if year because the Christmas music gets on my nerves.
No, I don’t want to hear “The Little Drummer Boy” on an endless loop. But mixed in with a few other Christmas songs, from time to time? Sure.
I liked the TV show, too. Like “Rudolf” (which has a worse song, but it’s a great show) it says that kids count, too. Even kids who aren’t important and don’t have the cool stuff. As an awkward child, I really liked the message.
I’m hoping that is a painting on the album cover, because at least one of those kids has a nose that would look ridiculous if it was created by a carrot for a snowman.
My main complaint with TLDB is that I sing bass in choir, and the ‘puddly-pum’ lyrics get really, really tiresome to keep repeating.
If I had to choose between listening to nonstop “The Little Drummer Boy” and nonstop “The Twelve Days of Christmas” I’d be pa-rum-pum-pumming.
I recall the Roches version of SILENT NIGHT where Mary screams through childbirth but when I search for that I get stuff with bleating goats. Go figure.
Meanwhile, a joke.
It’s THAT NIGHT. Angel choirs singing, goats bleating, snotty drummer kid pounding away, yada yada. Mary beams down on the newborn glory and turns to her mortal husband.
“He’s so wonderful, Yusef! But what shall we name him?”
Right then a chunk of brink falls from the manger roof and squashes Yusef’s foot.
“JESUS CHRIST!” he yells.
Mary looks thoughtful.
“Y’know, that has a nice ring to it…”
I have a theory why people have the song. Unlike “Frosty the snowman” or “Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer”, it’s almost a serious piece of music. So people resent that it isn’t as good as “away in the manger” or “Jesu joy of man’s desiring”.
I don’t think this is completely off-base. Little Drummer Boy falls into a Christmas song uncanny valley – it’s not as fun or jaunty or catchy as the more festive songs, but it’s not as pretty or spiritual or moving as the best carols.
I personally hate it because it’s one of the few I can’t “tune out.” Songs with repetitive rhythmic lyrics get on my nerves generally, and Little Drummer Boy is a prime example of the genre.
Little Drummer Boy falls into a class of “legendary” Christmas songs: not quite scriptural but not secular either. Old examples of this are The Cherry Tree Carol, Herod and the Cock and The Friendly Beasts. The only other recent song that seems to be in the same category is Do You Hear What I Hear?
I 85% agree with you. From the lyrical standpoint, it’s sweet. All he has is his drum, and he does his very best job, and the baby is happy. It makes me cry (I’m one of the people who cry at nearly the drop of a hat - but, this is one of the ones that gets to me.)
The other 15% has heard really horrible versions of this so often that I understand where people are coming from. (I really hate the David Bowie/Bing Crosby thing)
<tangent>It happened many years ago, but it was still, um, memorable. The friends’ kids were invited to a Christmas party at Chuck E. Cheese. I rode along because, well, I hadn’t come down with appendicitis at the opportune moment. But it wasn’t really as bad as I had feared. Even so…
.
There’s a stage show where the dancing robotic stuffed baby animals are singing Christmas carols. Well, of course. The baby duckling, oh so cute, steps forward and starts singing “Do You Hear What I Hear”… in a beautiful, professional, adult female voice. It really got to me, but not in a good way.</tangent>
It’s a hand colored black and white photo. What looks like a carrot-nose is an illusion, the shading of her cheek blends in with the end of her nose.
Here’s a better version. Now be nice.
I’d always assumed the problem was that repetitive bass line. It’s just the same notes, over and over. At least that seemed to be why the pianist hated playing it when I would sing it as a kid. At the time, I liked it, because it was one my dad’s favorites.
I’m less enamored with it now. I prefer the songs that either lift my spirits or have gorgeous harmonies. This song just plods along, without anything to actually say. I would need people trying to make it fun again to enjoy it–or, yes, the duet with David Bowie so that is had interesting harmonies.
Oh, and I have heard a version where the repetitive “Pah-rum-pum-pum-pum” is actually played by a drum. They only sang the line at the climax of each verse, where it has other notes, and then at the end of the verse to rhyme with drum. It’s possible a children’s chorus came in and sang the lines towards the end–but that might have been a different version.
For my repetitive nonsense syllable Christmas song, I prefer Deck the Halls. Especially since it’s fun to sing in 7/8 or add some cool a capella rhythms.
To me its definitely the repetitiveness of it. It’s basically the same three stanzas over and over again with minor variations, and since its telling a story you can just play one verse and stop, but instead have to play the whole thing. The only thing worse is the 12 days of Christmas.
“Then him smile at me, pa rum pum pum
Me and drum.”
(If you recognize this, do not reveal where it’s from! My generation knows things! Sorry kids. We don’t share!)
Poll: Ox and lamb or Ass and lamb?
Wow, you guys really know how to harsh the mellow of a beloved episode of The West Wing.
Are you seriously saying that TLDB is worse for repetition than Holly Jolly Christmas? Than friggin’ Feliz Navidad? Than Last Cbristmas? Then Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree? Ugh. I respectfully disagree.
Oh gawd, not to mention Christmas shoes, Grandma got run over,The Christmas Song (Don’t Be Late)" by Alvin and The Chipmunks, any modern version of Santa Baby (Only Eartha Kitt, period. ) and several others.
TLDB is way, way down on my dislike list and only if they play it too often.
And since the great Burl Ives sings Holly Jolly, I give it a pass. But dont play it too often, either.
Great one thanks.
If I ever became President, I would make sure that the term “Homeless veteran” was a thing of the past.