Davis was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on June 25, 1892, the daughter of Jessie Foote (Barton) and Maxwell Gaddis Davis.[1] Her father was descended from John and Mariah Jane Boylan Murphey, one of the early pioneer settlers of Morgan County, Ohio and a foreman during the construction of the National Road—also known as the Cumberland National Road, as it pushed westward from Cumberland, Maryland through Ohio and on to Vandalia, Illinois.[2] She composed her first piece of music, "Shadow March," at the age of 15. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1910, and studied music at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.[3] In 1914 she won the Billings Prize.[3] After graduation she continued at Wellesley as an assistant in the Music Department, teaching music theory and piano. At the same time she studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.[3] Davis also studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. She taught music at the Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts, and at the Shady Hill School for Girls in Philadelphia.
She became a member of ASCAP in 1941.[4] and was granted an honorary doctorate from Stetson University, in DeLand, Florida. Katherine K. Davis continued writing music until she became ill in the winter of 1979-1980. She died on April 20, 1980, at the age of 87, in Littleton, Massachusetts.[3] She left all of the royalties and proceeds from her compositions, which include operas, choruses, children's operettas, cantatas, piano and organ pieces, and songs, to Wellesley College's Music Department. These funds are used to support musical instrument instruction.
Many of her over 600 compositions were written for the choirs at her school. She was actively involved in The Concord Series, multiple-volume set of music and books for educational purposes. Many of the musical volumes were compiled, arranged, and edited by Davis with Archibald T. Davison, and they were published by E.C. Schirmer in Boston.
She wrote "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally titled "The Carol of the Drum"), in 1941.[3] It became famous when recorded by the Harry Simeone Chorale in 1958: the recording sailed to the top of the Billboard charts and Simeone insisted on a writer's royalty for his arrangement of the song. Another famous hymn by Katherine Davis is the Thanksgiving hymn "Let All Things Now Living" which uses the melody of the traditional Welsh folk song The Ash Grove.
The Little Drummer Boy
Katherine Kennicott Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A newborn king to see (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Our finest gifts we bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
To lay before the king (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
So, to honor Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
When we come
Little baby (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I am a poor boy too (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I have no gifts to bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
That's fit to give a king (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Shall I play for you (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
On my drum?
Mary nodded (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
The ox and lamb kept time (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I played my drum for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I played my best for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Then, He smiled at me (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Me and my drum
The Little Drummer Boy is a song by Katherine Kennicott Davis that tells the story of a young boy who goes to see the newborn king with a group of wise men. The boy is poor and has no gifts to bring to the king, but he decides to play his drum for the baby instead. The chorus of the song repeats the sound of the drum, which adds to the story of the little drummer boy.
The first verse shows the excitement of the wise men as they go to see the newborn king while also emphasizing the importance of the baby's arrival. The second verse introduces the little drummer boy and highlights his poverty, but also his desire to honor the king with his talent of drumming. The third and final verse shows the little boy's interaction with the baby, who smiles at him after he played his drum. The repetition of the "pa-rum-pa-pum-pum" sound throughout the song provides a rhythmic and catchy beat that helps to make the song memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, they told me (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Someone informed me with a gentle drumbeat to come along
A newborn king to see (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
A freshly born king to visit
Our finest gifts we bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
The best things we can bring we take along
To lay before the king (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
To offer it to the king
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Drum sounds
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Drum sounds
So, to honor Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Honor him we intend
When we come
When we reach there
Little baby (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
A small infant
I am a poor boy too (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I am also a destitute child
I have no gifts to bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I don't have anything to offer as a present
That's fit to give a king (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
That a king would like as a present
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Drum sounds
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Drum sounds
Shall I play for you (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Would you like me to play an instrument for you?
On my drum?
Use my drum as an instrument?
Mary nodded (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Mary indicated yes with a nod
The ox and lamb kept time (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
The ox and lamb matched my rhythm
I played my drum for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I used my drum as an instrument for Him
I played my best for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I played with all my energy for Him
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Drum sounds
(Rum-pa-pum-pum)
Drum sounds
Then, He smiled at me (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
He gave me a grin at that moment
Me and my drum
Both me and my drum
Contributed by Jacob G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brendadisharoon9353
This song was a favorite of my dear friend Kevin. Who is celebrating his first Christmas in Heaven . I miss Kevin but know I will see him again someday!
@brendalee1619
Love this song!
@user-pb2sk9vm8s
Einfach himmlisch
@odiliawankwi4623
The Little Drummer Boy
Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A new born 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
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,
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
@thedabick
Was she catholic?
@joekel55
Who cares, enjoy the beauty.
@julitin4827
Me parece que era cristiana protestante.
@Swisshoopz
of course...christmas is a Catholic thing
@julitin4827
@@Swisshoopz no