The Little Drummer Boy

Bing, Bowie and Bob,
They all do the drummer boy.
It must be the drum.

"The Little Drummer Boy" was written by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941, and represents one of the best examples of the "ear worm" arsenal in popular music. There is no way to remove the "pa rum pum pum pum" refrain from your ears except for repeated applications of lye or death metal. So the experts say.

The famous versions of this song include the ones by the Von Trapp family singers, the Harry Simeone Chorale, and the utterly bizarre Christmas TV special version with Bing Crosby and David Bowie. Bob Dylan's version appears on the 2009 album "Christmas in the Heart."

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 the 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