Drawing from Reserves (Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum)

Tuesday, 27th February 2007

Just the other day, a colleague from my company's Christian Fellowship asked me whether I ever run out of things to blog about. I told him that whenever I blog about songs, then those are the days when I am actually drawing from the "reserves".

Like today, for example :-)

In an earlier blog entry, I had mentioned what my all-time Top 10 Christian rock/pop songs are. Just to recap, they are:
01. Jesus Freak - DC Talk
02. Take Me To Your Leader - Newsboys
03. More Sold Out - Whiteheart
04. I Am On The Rock - Petra
05. (Never Gonna Be As) Big As Jesus -Audio Adrenaline
06. Little Drummer - Jars of Clay
07. To Hell With The Devil - Stryper
08. Original Superman - Pillar
09. All For You - JONAH33
10. Alive - POD

I have already featured in other blog entries the top 5 songs. Now I shall talk about the song at Number 6 :-)

Jars of Clay is one of the most successful Christian bands. They were formed in 1994 and hail from Illinois, USA. Their name is taken from 2 Cor 4:7 (NIV), "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." Several of their songs even crossed over into the secular charts.

Their debut self-titled album was certified triple-platinum and contained several hit songs, including Flood, Liquid and Love Song For A Savior. I even went to see their concert with some churchmates when they performed at the now-defunct Harbour Pavilion back in 1998.

But the one song that stands out (for me at least) is their grungy, garage version of the Christmas classic Little Drummer Boy, which they released as part of a Christmas EP in 1996. Do listen to the way the guitar chords are transposed after the "pa-rum-pa-pum-pums", starting from Verse 2, which gives the song a very unique Jars-y flavour :-)

Verse 1:
Come they told me (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
A newborn king to see (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Our finest gifts we bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
To lay before the King (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum 3x)
So, to honor Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
When we come...

Verse 2:
Little baby (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I am a poor boy too (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I have no gifts to bring (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
That's fit to give a King (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum 3x)
Shall I play for You (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
On my drum?

Verse 3:
Mary nodded (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
The ox and lamb kept time (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I played my drum for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
I played my best for Him (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum 3x)
Then, He smiled at me (pa-rum-pa-pum-pum)
Me and my drum...

Cool version, eh?

Shalom
Malcolm