While I'm Thinking About It

Number Four: The Little Drummer Boy

Why I hate it: The traditional Nativity scene as fought over in the occasional courtroom is the Readers' Digest Condensed version of what is recorded in the Gospels. Between Luke and Matthew, every indication is that the shepherds and the wise men were not there at the same time. In fact, it seems in Matthew that the wise men arrived some time after Jesus was born.

Which wouldn't be a big problem, except the line

The ox and lamb kept time

But not nearly as much as "Pa rum-pum-pum-pum" does. Seriously, that line sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it. Even when sung by the Warner brothers (and their sister, Dot):