The Little Drummer Boy
Henry Mancini and his orchestra and chorus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
When we come
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
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
on my drum?
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum
The song, The Little Drummer Boy, is about a poor boy, who upon hearing about the birth of a newborn king, decides to pay his respects by playing his drum for the baby. The lyrics describe how the boy has no gift fit for a king, but he offers to play his drum for the baby to show his appreciation. Mary nods her approval, and the ox and lamb in the manger appear to keep time with the rhythmic beat of the drum.
The boy then plays his heart out for Baby Jesus and plays his best for him. When the boy finishes playing, the baby smiles at him. This signifies the message of the song, which is that we can all offer what we have, whether large or small, to show our appreciation and reverence for a higher power.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum
I was informed to come and visit the newborn King with a specific sound of pa-rum pum pum pum
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
We come to see our newly born King since we belong to His kingdom
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
We bring the best gifts we can possibly offer to honor the King
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
We lay our gifts before the King as a sign of respect and reverence
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
The beating of my drum adds to the festive and celebratory atmosphere
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
We came to honor the King with our presence and offerings
When we come
We come with a humble heart and grateful spirit to pay homage to the King
Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum
The King we come to visit is a little baby born in a manger
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I am a humble boy without any lavish gifts to offer the King
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
I cannot offer any physical gifts to the King but I offer my music instead
That's fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
The only gift I can offer is the music from my drum that is appropriate for the King
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum on my drum?
May I have your permission to play my drum for the King as a sign of respect and humbleness?
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
Mary, the mother of the King, agreed to my request with a nod of her head
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
Even the animals around the manger listened to my drumbeat and danced in harmony with the music
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum as a joyful expression of love and honor for the King
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
I gave my best effort on my drum to show my sincerity and devotion to the King
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
The rhythmic sound of my drum adds to the atmosphere of reverence and joy
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
The King looked at me with a smile of appreciation and gratitude for my humble offering
Me and my drum
I left the manger with my drum, feeling blessed to have played my part in honoring the King
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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