Little Drummer Boy
The Merry Christmas Players Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The song "Little Drummer Boy" by The Merry Christmas Players tells the story of a young boy who is on his way to see the new born King and he is asked to bring his finest gifts to lay before the King. The boy replies that he is poor and does not have any gifts that are fit for the King. However, he offers to play his drum for the baby, and asks Mary for permission. Mary nods in agreement and the boy plays his drum, accompanied by the sounds of the ox and lamb keeping time. When he finishes playing, the baby smiles at him, appreciating his gift.
The song is about the true meaning of Christmas, which is not necessarily about giving expensive gifts to celebrate the holiday, but rather about the gift of oneself. The little drummer boy may be poor and lack material wealth, but he has something valuable to give: his music, his talent, and his spirit. This is a message that resonates with people of all cultures, regardless of religious belief, and one that has made "Little Drummer Boy" a beloved holiday classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Come they told me
They told me to come
Pa rum pum pum pum
The soothing sound of the drum that I play
A new born King to see
To see the new born king
Our finest gifts we bring
We bring the best of the gifts that we have
To lay before the kIng
To offer to the King
So to honor Him
To pay respect to Him
When we come
While we arrive
Little baby
Baby Jesus
I am a poor boy too
Just like Jesus, I am a poor boy
I have no gift to bring
I have nothing to offer as a gift
That's fit to give our King
Nothing that I have is good enough to give to the King
Shall I play for you
May I play my drum for you?
On my drum
The beautiful drum that I play
Mary nodded
Mary agreed
The ox and lamb kept time
The animals in the barn kept the rhythm with their sounds
I played my drum for Him
I played music for Baby Jesus
I played my best for Him
I played my heart out for Him
Then He smiled at me
Baby Jesus smiled at me
Me and my drum
I played music with my drum, it was just the two of us
Contributed by Henry D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.