In fairness, the spirit of Christmas, and because it’s just an excellent post that interprets the song in a fresh manner that I have never encountered, here is Dwayne Zechman’s rebuttal of the criticism by me and others of the popular Christmas song written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. Did you know that the song was first recorded by the Trapp Family singers of “The Sound of Music” fame? That alone raises it a bit in my estimation. I also note that Dwayne, wisely does not defend the wretched lyrics in the David Bowie-Bing Crosby version. That would be impossible.

Here is Dwayne’s Comment of the Day on the post, “Comment of the Day: ‘In Which I Call Ann Althouse’s Expressed Hatred Of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ & Raise My Hatred of the Bing Crosby-David Bowie Duet'”…

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I have to take issue with all the dunking on “The Little Drummer Boy” that I’m reading here. It’s a favorite of mine, and the reason has nothing to do with the ridiculous scenario.

The reason is that this song is a microcosmic allegory of the Christian experience.

I don’t normally speak of my faith and religious beliefs here. I’m a firm believer in the notion that Truth stands on its own; it doesn’t need the support of religion in order to be true. So this post is definitely a bit of a departure for me.

“Come, they told me.” “A newborn King to see”

This is how it begins. We learn from others about the Gospel of Jesus. We are encouraged to come along on the journey.

“Our finest gifts we bring” “to lay before the King”
“So to honor Him” “When we come”

We begin the journey and quickly learn that, to those who invited us on this journey, it’s a big deal. There are songs we may or may not have heard. There are responsive readings that we almost certainly don’t know. There are people here whose whole lives are dedicated to their faith and their church. Am I expected to do that too? What IS expected of me? What does Jesus actually want from me?

“Baby Jesus” “I am a poor boy too”
“I have no gift to bring” “that’s fit to give the King”

I’m not worthy of all this. I can’t do what all these people around me are doing. What CAN I do?

“Shall I play for you” “on my drum?”

DRUM SOLO!!! But seriously, this is the pivotal moment in the song. The drummer boy has nothing to give because he’s poor, but he just begins to realize that to say “I have nothing” isn’t true at all. He does have a skill, and perhaps this is the truest gift he can give.

I should point out right now that “giving a gift” in this context is metaphor for dedicating one’s life to serving Jesus as one’s Lord and Savior.

So is using this skill to serve the Lord the right path to take?

“Mary nodded.”

Of course it is. It’s the whole point of the song.

“The ox and lamb kept time.”

…and the others around correctly offer encouragement. This is one of the main jobs of your brothers and sisters in Christ: to help you find that path that God laid out for you and to stay on it.

“I played my drum for Him.” “I played my best for Him”

So the drummer boy not only starts down this path of finding ways to use his God-given talents in service of the Lord, he does it to the best of his ability.

I’m sure his “best” was not an awe-inspiring jazz drum improvisation that would make Buddy Rich, Neil Peart, and the Muppet AN-I-MAL!!! bow down in humility before the undisputed master of the craft.

But that’s not the point, really.

“Then He smiled at me” “me and my drum”

Finally, the REAL point: the encouragement to live a life of taking the things we’ve been given, no matter how bizarre they might be, and using them for His glory rather than our own.

Thus Jesus is happy with what the drummer boy has done.

…and in fact, this is the beginning of the personal relationship with Jesus that the drummer boy has been seeking all along. The end of the song is the first moment that Jesus interacts with the drummer boy directly.

In many ways this story has echoes of the parable of the Widow’s Mite, in which (now adult) Jesus scolds those who make a big show of their large donations to the synagogue that are more about self-aggrandizement than about charity. Jesus points out to them that the widow’s donation of (in our currency) a few pennies meant MUCH more than their large donations because it was all she had, yet she still donated all of it in the belief that it was the right thing to do.

Musically, my favorite rendition is the 1988 version from Christian rock band White Heart. It starts very light and quiet and gradually builds, adding instruments along the way, and features some excellent drum work (which I think is appropriate to the song) that walks a line between rock and jazz rhythm for what would otherwise be a simple 4/4 time song.

Merry Christmas, everyone!