Faith was a band-leader, orchestrator, and composer best known for his arrangements of standard tunes using lush string sections and female choruses. The latter sometimes sang, most often they just vocalized without words.
Faith's live orchestra was a staple of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's live-music broadcasts from 1938 to 1940. After moving to the U.S., Faith made many recordings for Voice of America. After working briefly for Decca Records, he went to work for Mitch Miller at Columbia Records. There, he turned out dozens of albums and provided arrangements for many of the pop singers of the 1950s. The use of the female chorus really became a Percy Faith signature with his mid-late 1960's "Young Lovers" projects; it was also used in his final Holiday album, "Christmas Is," released in 1967.
Faith's most famous and best-remembered recordings are "Delicado" (1952), "Moulin Rouge" (1953) and "Theme from A Summer Place" (1960).
The Little Drummer Boy
Percy Faith 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 a Christmas carol that tells the story of a poor boy who is invited to see the newborn King and has nothing to offer as a gift but his drum. The song starts with the boy being told to come and see the King, to which the boy responds "I am a poor boy too." However, he decides to play his drum for the King as a gift instead. The chorus "pa-rum pum pum pum" mimics the sound of the drum being played.
When the boy arrives, Mary nods her approval while the animals in the stable, an Ox and a Lamb, keep time to the beat of his drum. The boy plays his best for the King, and to his surprise, the King smiles at him. The underlying message of the song is that everyone has something to offer, regardless of their background or social status, and that the best gift is one given from the heart.
The song was first recorded by the Trapp Family Singers in 1951, but it was Percy Faith's instrumental version that became the most popular, reaching #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959. Over the years, the song has been covered by numerous artists such as Bing Crosby, Johnny Cash, and Jimi Hendrix.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum
They invited me with a beat of the drum
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
To witness the birth of our new King
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
We bring our best gifts
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
To give to the King as an offering
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
The sound of the drum beating
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
To show respect and admiration for the King
When we come
As we arrive
Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum
The baby King
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I am also poor
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
I lack presents to give
That's fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
Suitable for the royal baby
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
May I use my drum to entertain you?
on my drum?
With this musical instrument I have
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
Mary granted me permission to play
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
The animals danced to the beat
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I performed music for the baby King
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
I gave my all in my performance
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
The drum's rhythm continues
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
The baby King showed me appreciation
Me and my drum
I and my musical instrument
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, INTERNATIONAL KORWIN CORP, Sentric Music, Anthem Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind