Music Notes

Day Three: Little Drummer Boy, by The Jackson 5

I remember remarking here last year that I never could bear to hear anyone singing Little Drummer Boy because it's just so inane. I tried listening to For King and Country doing it, and good grief, I had to turn it off less than halfway in. Well, I'm not even sure how I discovered it, but sometime between then and now, I found a vocal rendition I actually like: by the Jackson 5.

I didn't even know who the Jackson 5 were at the time. I looked them up and found that they were the band formed by Michael Jackson and his four brothers when they were kids. Which is like “aww…” I don't like Michael Jackson, but knowing he was a kid once… How quaint.

I think the little boy's voice is perfect for this. It makes much more sense than if adults try to sing it. The “pa rum pa pum pums” are not idiotic anymore, and we can hear the innocent sincerity with which he sings as if it were a true story. The climax even gives me a bit of a chill, as Mary nods and the ox and mule keep time for the boy to play his best for Baby Jesus. I'm glad I found this.

Words: 208.