A Musical Analysis of For King & Country's Energetic Rendition of "Little Drummer Boy"

Countless versions of the holiday classic song "Little Drummer Boy" have been produced by many different people over the years. According to Kelly O'Sullivan in an article that she wrote for Country Living, this song, "was first recorded by the Trapp Family Singers in 1951." While they were the ones who first recorded this beloved song, it is unclear who first wrote the song and where they did it. One of my favorite renditions of the song was released in 2013 by the band For King & Country. For King & Country is an American based group, although they have traveled around the world to perform, and the founding members of the band are originally from Australia.




Timbre

Most bands generally have their own specific sound. For King & Country is no different in this respect. As seen (and heard) in this example, For King & Country uses a lot of different instruments in their music. I really enjoy the unique sound this combination of instruments gives to many of their songs. "Little Drummer Boy" fits particularly well with their wide variety of percussion instruments. As Joseph Hudak, of Rolling Stone, wrote, "A Christian pop group fronted by the brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, For King & Country place the drums of the holiday chestnut front and center, with multiple percussionists pounding out a rhythmic beat." In addition to all of the drums, For King & Country also makes use of a cello, at least two guitars, and other instruments that provide an interesting overall texture to the piece. It's smooth and beautiful while energetic and drum-filled at the same time.


Form

In their rendition of this already popular song, For King & Country begins with an instrumental introduction to the song followed by the chorus. After the chorus, the band plays the first verse, which is then followed by the chorus again. This leads naturally to the second verse and then the chorus for the third time. Next comes the third verse, the chorus for the fourth and final time, and an instrumental outro. One aspect I love about the way For King & Country performs their version is that the band seems more excited and energetic for each successive verse. It keeps the song building toward a dramatic ending.


Dynamics

Another element that I love about this version is the use of dynamics. The song starts out at a medium level (probably mezzo forte) and grows just a little bit louder during the intro. Then there is a pause where the music stops for a couple seconds before the band launches into the first instance of the chorus. When they come to the first verse, the song suddenly becomes quieter, as most of the drums have stopped, but quickly regains its volume when the chorus comes back for a second time. The second verse retains some of the energy from the chorus and is louder than the first verse, but not yet as loud as the chorus itself. This crescendo and decrescendo happen again similarily for the third verse. Finally, the song grows in volume and energy into the last instance of the chorus and the outro. The outro keeps all of the momentum and volume from the chorus, if not adds to it. 


Lyrics

Although the lyrics of For King & Country's rendition of the song are basically the same as many other versions, they are still worth mentioning. The overall story contained in the lyrics is about a young boy who is going to see Jesus as a baby and is poor. Because of his poverty, the boy does not have anything to bring Jesus (the King). Instead of giving Him a gift, the boy decides to play the drum for Jesus. While this specific story is fictitious, it is interesting to think of it as a picture of Jesus accepting a young child who has hardly anything at all to give Jesus.


Rhythm

 Perhaps the most important element of this piece is rhythm. With all of the drums used in this piece, the rhythm is certainly intriguing and essential. The cello plays a steady background rhythm for much of the song, while the different types of drums play various rhythms that are happening in the song. Not always, but in some parts of this song For King & Country seems to make use of polyrhythms. This provides a very interesting piece of music to listen to. It seems to get better almost every time I listen to it.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!


Sources

 Hudak, Joseph. "For King & Country Perform a Hard-Hitting ‘Little Drummer Boy’" Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone Magazine, 4 Dec. 2019. Web. 4 Oct. 2020. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/for-king-and-country-little-drummer-boy-921892/


O'Sullivan, Kelly. "For King & Country Sang a Wild Version of 'Little Drummer Boy' at 'CMA Country Christmas'" Country Living. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc., 4 Dec. 2019. Web. 4 Oct. 2020. https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a30123637/cma-country-christmas-for-king-and-country-little-drummer-boy/

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