The Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby – Ukulele Chords

Little Drummer Boy Ukulele Chords – Bing Crosby/David Bowie. This song uses the chords: G, C, D. You can change the key for free, as needed.

Little Drummer Boy Ukulele Chords – Bing Crosby

“The Little Drummer Boy” History:

🎯 Origins of “The Little Drummer Boy”

• The song was originally titled Carol of the Drum.
• It was written in 1941 by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis.
• The narrative of the song describes a poor young boy who, unable to offer traditional gifts to the newborn Jesus, offers to play his drum instead, as a humble gift.
• Although loosely connected (in time/mood) to older European carols, there is no strong evidence the song is a direct translation or arrangement of a specific older carol.

Following its composition:

• The first widely recorded version was by the Austrian Trapp Family Singers, in 1951.
• A key arrangement that shaped modern renditions was produced in 1957 by Jack Halloran Singers.
• That arrangement was adapted in 1958 by Harry Simeone Chorale (produced by Henry Onorati) — this is essentially the version that popularized “The Little Drummer Boy” in the modern Christmas-song canon.

Thus, while Davis wrote the original carol, Simeone and Onorati became credited (controversially) for the “modern” version due to their arrangement and production.

📀 Bing Crosby and “The Little Drummer Boy”

• Bing Crosby recorded “The Little Drummer Boy” — his version appears on his Christmas compilations.
• But the most famous and culturally enduring rendition involving Crosby is actually a duet with David Bowie: Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.
• This duet was recorded on September 11, 1977, during a taping of Crosby’s holiday TV special.
• In that collaboration, Crosby sang the traditional “The Little Drummer Boy,” while Bowie sang a newly written counter-melody and lyrics titled “Peace on Earth,” composed especially for the show by writers Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman and Buz Kohan — in response to Bowie’s discomfort with singing “Drummer Boy” alone.

🕰️ Release & Legacy

• The Bowie–Crosby duet was not released as a single immediately. The master tape was wiped after the special aired, but years later engineers used an available mix (captured via boom mic) to release the song.
• The official single release was on November 27, 1982.
• The single became a surprise hit — it reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart.
• Over time it has become a perennial Christmas-season staple, beloved for the unusual — and poignant — pairing of two vastly different artists from different eras.

Because the duet was taped just about a month before Crosby’s death (in October 1977), the 1977 broadcast and 1982 single carry a bittersweet resonance for many fans.

🌟 Why It Endures — and Why Crosby’s Version Matters

• The original “Little Drummer Boy” — humble and evocative — resonates because its story is about modesty, giving what you can: even if you have little, you can offer something meaningful. That underdog-gift idea feels timeless.
• Crosby’s smooth, warm baritone suits the song’s gentle, reverent tone — his version helped keep the song in popular circulation among traditional Christmas recordings.
• The Bowie–Crosby duet stands out because of its cross-generational, cross-genre contrast: classic mid-20th-century crooner meets avant garde rock-pop figure, blending “old school” with “new school.” The result is nostalgic yet fresh — and that uniqueness helped cement the song’s place in modern holiday lore.
• For listeners across different generations, that duet often serves as an entry point: older listeners cherish the Crosby heritage, younger ones connect perhaps via the Bowie element — bridging a generational divide.