323 Children of the Drum

About this song: (lyrics below)

Every year at Christmas time I would ask for a drum.

Every single year…

However, my mom was a 2nd grade teacher. So every year she intercepted my urgent letters to Santa Claus asking for a drum. There was no way she was going to come home after a long day dealing with noisy kids and listen to me bang!

So she expertly “sold” me on learning to play the flute (“because they need fifes in the fife and drum corps”), then the piano (Because “you know Mark, the piano is a percussion instrument! See all those hammers in there? They are banging on those strings…”) then guitar, (“Mark your father has a guitar sitting unplayed in his closet. Go get it and learn how to play it. After all son, the guitar is a RHYTHM instrument”), then French Horn (“Mark they have plenty of drummers in the band but they NEED French horns!)…

And so I learned to play the flute and the piano and the guitar and the French horn…

It wasn’t until I was in my mid thirties that my son Andrew (8 at the time) ended up in an after school program on African Drumming… After picking him up from school one day I asked the teacher if I could join the class!

To make a long story short, I apprenticed myself to an incredible African drummer named Kevin (Kazi) Oliver…

Soon I became OBSESSED. I lived and breathed drumming so intensely that I began to carve my own HUGE drums out of Sycamore logs and writing songs on the drum and added storytelling… eventually I started doing my drumming and storytelling programs for elementary, middle and high schools all over New England and the Hudson Valley…

of course there’s a lot more to THAT story which I’ll share another time…

Dedicated to my friend Kevin (Kazi) Oliver.

Children of the Drum

Song #323   |  11/27/01, 9/27/02   |  CD: Thirsty For The Sky

He was born in Trenton NJ , where the boom-box ruled in the streets
He was born in Trenton, NJ , But he lived for an older beat
Kevin wanted a drum for Christmas, Kevin wanted a drum,
Kevin wanted a drum for Christmas, Kevin wanted a drum

I was born in suburbia just, wondering what I was worthy of
I was born in suburbia, with a passionate rhythm love
I just wanted a drum for Christmas, I just wanted a drum
I just wanted a drum for Christmas, I just wanted a drum

Refrain:
Play on my brother, Play on my friend
Play on my brother, We are brothers of the drum

Kevin joined the marines for music. They said he could march in the band
Kevin joined the marines for music, But they put a gun in his hand
I got a job just to pay the rent and, Soon I felt like a rat in a race
I got a job just to pay the rent but, My dream still showed on my face

Refrain:

Life somehow brought us both together to the beat of an African drum
Life somehow brought us both together 2 souls playing as one
Sometimes it takes a while to live the dreams you had as a kid
Sometimes it takes a while to live, but aren’t you glad that you did…

Last Refrain:
Play on my brothers. Play on my friends
Play on my sisters. We are Children of the Drum

Kevin wanted a drum for Christmas, Kevin wanted a drum
I just wanted a drum for Christmas, I just wanted a drum…

Copyright 2001-2015 by Mark Shepard. All Rights Reserved. ASCAP

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