The Little Drummer Boy
Bob Seger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A new born king to see (ba rum bu bu bum)
Our finest gifts we bring (ba rum bu bu bum)
To set before the king (ba rum bu bu bum)
Rum bu bu bum, rum bu bu bum
So to honor him (ba rum bu bu bum)
When we come
I am a poor boy too (ba rum bu bu bum)
I have no gift to bring (ba rum bu bu bum)
That's fit to give a king (ba rum bu bu bum)
Rum bu bu bum, rum bu bu bum
Shall I play for you (ba rum bu bu bum)
On my drum
Then he nodded (ba rum bu bu bum)
The ox and lamb kept time (ba rum bu bu bum)
I played my drum for him (ba rum bu bu bum)
I played my best for him (ba rum bu bu bum)
Rum bu bu bum, rum bu bu bum
Then he smiled at me (ba rum bu bu bum)
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
The Little Drummer Boy is a Christmas carol that originally tells the story of a young boy who wants to visit the newborn Jesus but is devoid of any tangible gifts to offer to the baby king. Instead, he offers to play his drum for him. The first stanza establishes the central theme of the song; the wise men have come to visit Jesus to bring gifts worthy of a king. This stanza also emphasizes the ba-rum-bum-bum beat of the drummer boy, which infuses the song with a tribal, ethnic feel - something about humans coming together to worship a higher power that is uniting regardless of ethnicity, language, or origin.
The second stanza has the little drummer boy say that he is a poor boy too, but like the Magi, he can only bring his talent to share with the Christ child. Here, the song effectively portrays the message that one doesn’t need a lot of monetary resources to offer something to God, just a heart of love and gratitude for the blessings they have received. The third and fourth stanzas describe the drummer boy playing for Jesus, and the ox and lamb accompanying the rhythm, creating a musical atmosphere for him to play his very best for the newborn King. And in the end, the climax of the song, Jesus smiles at the boy, who felt he had nothing worthwhile to give, yet could share something of himself. Here, the song teaches the timeless lesson that gifts come in various forms, and each one of us is capable of giving something meaningful that can touch the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Come they told me (ba rum bu bu bum)
I was informed that there was a new born king to see
A new born king to see (ba rum bu bu bum)
The purpose of my journey was to visit a newly born king
Our finest gifts we bring (ba rum bu bu bum)
I brought my best gifts to present as an offering
To set before the king (ba rum bu bu bum)
I wanted to place my gifts in front of the king
Rum bu bu bum, rum bu bu bum
Repetition of the drumming sound
So to honor him (ba rum bu bu bum)
I wanted to show respect and admiration to the king
When we come
When I arrived to meet the king
Little baby (ba rum bu bu bum)
The king was a little baby
I am a poor boy too (ba rum bu bu bum)
I'm also a poor person with nothing much to offer
I have no gift to bring (ba rum bu bu bum)
I don't have any gifts that are suitable to present to a king
That's fit to give a king (ba rum bu bu bum)
I don't have any good enough gifts for a king
Shall I play for you (ba rum bu bu bum)
Maybe I can play my drum instead of presenting a gift
On my drum
Playing music on my drum instrument
Then he nodded (ba rum bu bu bum)
The baby king agreed with my offer to play music
The ox and lamb kept time (ba rum bu bu bum)
Even the animals kept the rhythm as I played music
I played my drum for him (ba rum bu bu bum)
I performed a musical piece for the baby king
I played my best for him (ba rum bu bu bum)
I gave my best musical performance for the baby king
Rum bu bu bum, rum bu bu bum
Repetition of the drumming sound
Then he smiled at me (ba rum bu bu bum)
The baby king smiled at me as a sign of appreciation
Me and my drum
A closing line signifying the special bond between me and my musical instrument
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Me and my drum
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, INTERNATIONAL KORWIN CORP, Anthem Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steven Harbers
on No Man's Land
I always liked 'No Man's Land' and equated it to all the times I'd get underway (ships at sea) especially when I was a younger Sailor. I always felt safer away from shore riding a wave that never crested.