The Little Drummer Boy hate thread

[doc03]

[Angry Dragon]

1. I like it............depends on the singer

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Yes, some singers can do it well

[Angry Dragon]

4. Thank you for the song........I guess I perfer a deeper voice

[ChazInAz]

44. Oh, good!

You might get a kick out of hearing Sir Christopher Lee's rendition of it.
I'm not kidding...it has to be heard to be believed, with Lee's operatic baritone/bass voice in all its menacing splendor.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how to link to it, but it's on You Tube.

[Bradshaw3]

51. Is there a song Joan Baez couldn't do well?

[CCExile]

55. All of them?

[whathehell]

82. I like it too..

Screw the Little Drummer Boy haters.

[Chasstev365]

3. Always hated the song and the Rakin Bass animated Little Drummer Boy was SUPER creepy!

[smirkymonkey]

10. Ugh! Yes! My least favorite Christmas cartoon ever!

[Chasstev365]

18. LOL! Me too!

[Orrex]

39. Have you seen Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestor,_the_Long%E2%80%93Eared_Christmas_Donkey

I experience soul-draining flashbacks just reading the title again.

[smirkymonkey]

40. No, but it sounds like you are recommending that we all give that

one a miss. Thanks for the warning!

[Orrex]

42. Dear God, it's wretched!

Spoiler: there's a scene in which mama donkey uses her body to shield baby Nestor from a blizzard, and of course she dies as a result. That's traumatic for a young child to see in any case but in the 70s it was fashionable for moms to invoke that guilt/sorrow in their children at every opportunity throughout the year, so it was a horror that kept on giving!

[volstork]

75. I remember watching that one at age 7 or 8

with my 3-year-old cousin. She cried for an hour.

[MFM008]

76. Ironically

it had 2 best actors in it. Jose Ferrar and Greer Garson,
You know what I like is' Rudolph's Shiny New Year 'and Frank Gorshins over the top Richard Burton in it...

[Aristus]

5. Best rendition ever:

[ClarendonDem]

7. That was such a good show

And the fact that Donald Trump is demeaning the office of president every single minute he's in the White House is appalling.

[PJMcK]

19. Okay, you made me cry

When Mrs. Landingham tells Toby she'd like to go with him to the soldier's funeral, it reminded me of the better side of America. I miss that.

Recently, I suggested that if the Trump administration had spent a few weeks binge-watching "The West Wing," they would have gotten a Cliff Notes edition of how the government works. However, this clip proves they would not have understood any of it since they are amoral.

Merry whatever, Aristus. Good post. Enjoy the holidays!

ETA: Do you remember what gift Josh gave to Donna at the very beginning of the clip?

[Aristus]

20. A book from the rare book store.

I think it contained poetry, but I forgot. That's terrible, considering I'm a West Wing trivia fanatic...

And of course, it had Josh's note to Donna. (Written on the flyleaf! Of a rare book! Nice job breaking it, Josh!)

[PJMcK]

21. Thanks!

Over the last year, I've re-watched "The West Wing" with my fiancee who had never seen it. While she enjoyed the show, she called it my fairy tale.

Given the events of the last year, I guess she's right. If only we had a President Bartlett...

Better yet, President Hillary Clinton.

[bitterross]

59. Thank you for reminding me of what we can be.

Even if it is just a TV President. For a minute or two I felt like the US was worth living in again.

[lindysalsagal]

68. "I can only hope, sir."

Thank you. I missed that. Beautiful.

[DashOneBravo]

69. Well I loved that show

Kinda dusty this morning. Thank you.

I've never seen that.

[Big_K]

73. Is someone cutting up onions?

'cause I seem to be tearing up.

[classof56]

84. I was prepared to weigh in as a Little Drummer Boy non-fan

Then I watched this video. Then I watched it again...and again, choking back tears each time. Won't swear that I'm now a LDB fan forever, but this version knocked me for a loop. Thanks so much for posting. West Wing was one of my favorite shows for so many reasons. I'm grateful for the Clinton/Obama years, when I could feel good about our country. Lord, how I miss that.

Cheers.

[doc03]

6. We had to sing that crap over and over

a hundred times practicing for a xmas play in the 5th grade.

[smirkymonkey]

8. I have actually always hated the song until I heard the David Bowie/Bing Crosby

version. Actually I hated Bing Crosby's part, but loved Bowie's Part. I don't know if his verses were even part of the original song, but I love his voice.

[TlalocW]

17. Wasn't originally there

Bowie sat down at a piano and came up with it in an hour or so because he wanted something more in the song. Bing wasn't that enthusiastic about it though.

TlalocW

[Orrex]

41. Bing resented the interruption of the time that he'd planned to spend abusing his kids

[pansypoo53219]

45. he made shit better. but most carols are childish shit.

i started hating xmas when crapitalism struck. BAH HUMBUG.

[MustLoveBeagles]

29. I love this version

[vicman]

58. Hmmm...

[Squinch]

9. I don't mind the song, but I am happy this OP title exists. It made me laugh out loud.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. We sang that in high school choir. We altos got to sing the pum puddledee pums.

Not one of my favorites.

[Wolf Frankula]

12. This Baby's been a Pain, Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum

I just got him to sleep Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum.
In comes that little brat playing a drum.
I'll ram those sticks right up his Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum, Rum Pa Pum Pum, Rum Pa Pum Pum.

Wolf

[PJMcK]

22. That's hilarious!

Good one, Wolf.

[2naSalit]

23. ...

[eppur_se_muova]

85. Yeah, kind of thoughtless, isn't it ...

[jpak]

13. I saw REM do this live at Tyrones O.C. in Athens CA

In December 1981.

It was fucking awesome.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. One of my most unfavorite Christmas songs,

usually made worse by horrible arrangements and equally horrible performances. Add to that list "Do You Hear What I Hear" and "Mary, Did You Know." Awful, schlocky, musical dreck.

[2naSalit]

24. Those and...

"I Wonder As I Wander" or something like that. What a miserable piece of "music" that is.

I was fortunate in the 10+ years I was a classical vocalist, I never had to sing that awful "drummer kid thing". For some reason it reminds me of the time when I was about six, I ate way too many walnuts and got ill. That song must have been playing while I was at my worst.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. "I Wonder As I Wander" actually has a very interesting history.

It's based on an Appalachian folk tune. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Wonder_as_I_Wander I kind of like it, but I'm sure there are some horrible arrangements of it, as there are of almost every other Christmas song.

[2naSalit]

32. Well that's

quite a noble history, I agree it has more to it than might appear here. I suppose my major objection to any piece of music that has a unique set of qualities is that I often object to its use. I am so tired of the holiday standards, the schmaltzy shopping schlock--that wannabe rock-ish/show tune sort of stuff. And then, it's not my holiday either since I'm neither xtian nor a capitalist.

[Glorfindel]

35. Wow...I never knew that! I have a lot of relatives in Murphy, NC

and the director of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown is my cousin. How very interesting. I liked Barbra Streisand's version of "I Wonder as I Wander." Really haven't heard it in years. I'll have to find it and listen to it. Thanks for the info., Velveteen Ocelot!

[TomSlick]

36. I LOATH "Mary, Did You Know!"

Terrible tune and dubious theology.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

37. Yes, awful on both counts.

My voice teacher says some of her younger students like to learn songs for Christmas, and she has told them they can learn any song they want except that one.

[gopiscrap]

71. me too

[IcyPeas]

15. The Dandy Warhols version is great

[TlalocW]

16. I like it. Only 3 or 4 Christmas songs I can't stand

Christmas Shoes. If you like that, then honestly there's no hope for you as a human being
Baby, It's Cold Outside - I don't care if it's from another era. It's creepy so it must be from a creepy era
Anything by Pentatonix but especially Leonard Cohen's, "Hallelujah," which I don't know where they got the idea that that's a Christmas song.
Anything by Michael Buble. I want to lock that piece of white bread in a room and play good jazz (Christmas or not) until he renounces his career as a, "singer." Buble isn't good enough to open for Murph and the Magictones at your local Holiday Inn bar.

TlalocW

[2naSalit]

25. I agree with you on

everything else, I don't care for the "Drummer Boy" at all.

[shanny]

78. Mostly agree, except about Hallelujah.

Obviously not a Christmas song--and Thank Dawg for that since I loathe all Christmas music--but Pentatonix's version is amazing.

[Va Lefty]

27. Love Joan Jett's version. Love Joan Jett!!

[applegrove]

28. We sang it in french for the school assembly. Loved it then. I would sing

it to my mom when she was in her last month's of life and she would pa rum pum pun pum. Then the health care aides would run out of the room my singing was so bad.

[Ferrets are Cool]

30. The only version I've ever liked....

oops, Smirky beat me too it.

[colorado_ufo]

64. God bless Bowie for saving that wretched song!

[underpants]

31. How do you get Little Drummer boy off your front porch?

Pay him for the pizza.

[Still In Wisconsin]

53. Ooooh drummer jokes....

I got a million of 'em.

What this the drummer get on his college entrance exam?

... drool.

[CCExile]

56. What do you get when you cross drummer with pig?

Nothing. There are somethings even a pig won't do! (Sorry, it's just a joke!)

[NBachers]

33. I'm glad there's a place here where I can register my hatred for that song, and Michael Bolton too.

[fairfaxvadem]

34. Bob Segers version

My fave of this song...

[justhanginon]

50. Same here!

[Laffy Kat]

38. LDB is tolerable.

But don't get me started on Jingle Bells or the Twelve Days of Christmas.

[bif]

43. Almost as bad as "The 12 Days of Christmas."

God I hate that song.

[JeaneRaye]

46. Agreed!

Those two songs are the absolute worst.... way too much repetition.

[murielm99]

47. I don't hate the song,

but I understand. I own quite a few Christmas music CDs. Almost every one of them has some version of this carol. It does get old after a while.

I think I will go listen to Handel's Messiah. No drummer boys there.

[lastlib]

60. That's okay, I hate it enough for both of us!

[marble falls]

48. One of the few do I do like. It was a song I loved as a child.

[mnhtnbb]

49. You can't hate it once you've heard Duke Pearson in this jazz version.

I absolutely love this version--and my youngest son is a percussionist.

[Still In Wisconsin]

52. Pa- rum-a-pum- CRASH! SMASH! SHATTER!

*walks off feeling strangely satisfied*

[Nitram]

54. Yup. I like it when I was ten year old. Years of repeated exposure in department stores, elevators,

etc have made me a rabid Little Drummer Boy Hater. Rum a tum tum my ass!

[lefty2000]

57. What Can't Be Cured

Must be endured.

[spike jones]

61. Bob Dylan

https://www.bing.com/search?q=bob+dylan+little+drummer+boy&form=EDGHPT&qs=PF&cvid=5bc041e3992149cb9a9bc6851f4defdd&refig=fb00bfc218c14107b9e50191cc216e43&cc=US&setlang=en-US&PC=DCTE

[Leighbythesea]

62. How did you know?

Dinner last night, my 27 year old daughter and her boyfriend have a contest every year to see who can get throught to the 25th without hearing it. Hated. I said "hey my grandmother hated that song too". Then my husband suggested the David Bowie--Bing Cosby version. We researched it and turns out Bowie hated it too. The show had to add the additional song Bowie sings, create the two song blend and David and Bing had about an hour to practice before they performed. She will love that theres a thread here!

[GReedDiamond]

63. This may be turning into a Lil D-Boy LOVE thread...

...what with all of the alternative takes on the tune it has turned up.

Bad Religion:

If this has already been posted, I missed it.

Here's the entire Bad Religion Xmas album:

[Shoonra]

65. The song isn't logical ....

Supposedly a gift to newborn baby Jesus ... but ...
Is banging on a drum ever going to be soothing to a newborn baby?
or the baby's parents?

A harp would be different, or a celeste, or even a flute, but a drum!

[pangaia]

77. Not if it were a Tin Drum

[okwmember]

66. Thank you for this.

It is the one Christmas song I despise no matter who the performer is. Not even David Bowie could cut the hate!

[Lady Freedom Returns]

67. Knew I should have skipped this post!

[drmeow]

70. Damn you

Now I have it as an ear worm! 👿

[lindysalsagal]

72. Best version of Little Drummer Boy: horn band Chicago. Really great!

[TrogL]

74. Crank up your subs and watch this version

[Kahuna7]

79. Not me. I love the original Harry Simeone Chorale version...

In fact, it's my favorite Christmas song.

[frogmarch]

80. Through no fault of its own,

I hate The Little Drummer Boy song. I have ever since I read that, at the trial of the killers of little Lesley Ann Downy of Manchester, England in 1964, the song could be heard playing in the background on the tape recording of her sobbing as she was being tortured.

In the excerpt below, Brian is Brian Crowther, the Daily Mirror crime reporter who covered the trial.

Said Brian: “I remember that the Ray Conniff Singers could be heard in the background of the tape singing The Little Drummer Boy while Lesley sobbed.

“For years afterwards, when it played on a jukebox at Christmas, you would see journalists or policemen you were drinking with walk out of the pub.

“Sometimes they came back in when it finished, other times they went home. It left a deep scar on all of us.

More: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ian-brady-and-myra-hindley-court-1266949

[Thunderbeast]

81. Worst cover of "Little Drummer Boy"

was sung by Luciano Pavarotti!

Painful beyond belief.

[keithbvadu2]

83. Used to be Little Banjo Boy