Willie Take Your Little Drum (Pat-a-Pan)

Willie, Take Your Little Drum (Pat-a-Pan)

Carol, France.

This is a Christmas carol from France, originally written in Burgundian by Bernard de La Monnoye and published in 1720. Its title is onomatopoetic, mimicking the sound of the drums of shepherds gathering around the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Apparently, the same shepherds also play the flute, as indicated in the lyric “tu-re-lu-re-lu”.

The original title of this carol was “Guillô, Pran Ton Tamborin” (“Willie, Take Your Little Drum”).

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Sing-Along Video with Lyrics

Willie, Take your Little Drum (Pat-...
Willie, Take your Little Drum (Pat-a-pan) | Christmas Sing-Along with Lyrics

Lyrics (English)

Willie, take your little drum,
with your whistle, Robin, come!
When we hear the fife and drum,
ture-lure-lu, pata-pata-pan,
When we hear the fife and drum,
Christmas should be frolicsome.

Thus the men of olden days
for the King of Kings to praise,
When they heard the fife and drum,
ture-lure-lu, pata-pata-pan,
When they hear the fife and drum, sure,
our children won’t be dumb.

God and man are now become
more at one than fife and drum.
When you hear the fife and drum,
ture-lure-lu, pata-pata-pan,
When you hear the fife and drum,
dance and make the village hum.

Lyrics (French)

Guillaume, prends ton tambourin,
Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin;
Au son de ces instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments,
Je dirai Noël gaîment.

C’était la mode autrefois,
De louer le Roi des rois,
Au son de ces instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments,
Il nous en faut faire autant.

L’homme et Dieu sont plus d’accord,
Que la flûte et le tambour;
Au son de ces instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments,
Chantons, dansons, sautons en!

Click here for more free printable Christmas lyrics.

Free karaoke MP3 download

To download your free instrumental mp3 of this song, click or tap on the following button, then choose “Save link as…”

“Willie, Take Your Little Drum (Pat a Pan)” free mp3 download (instrumental)

Commercial License for Willie Take your Little Drum / Pat-a-pan (karaoke)

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Song

This is the song with vocals, which you can also license for commercial use:

Commercial License for Willie Take your Little Drum (song)

Purchase a license that permits the commercial use of this track. You can license this track for:

YouTube license

YouTube License

Meta - Facebook and Instagram license

Insta/FB License

TikTok License

TikTok License

Other commercial licenses

Other License

Not sure which license is best for you?

Read our licensing page or contact us!

Click on the button to watch a piano tutorial video and download a PDF file with music score of this song for free.

Pat-a-pan (Patapan) - Christmas Music Score (in Dm)
Patapan (Pat-a-pan) - Free Christmas Carols mp3 download

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Mia

    Hello, I was wondering if I could use your song recording for “Pat-a-pan” on YouTube? The video will not be monetized. We are having a children’s gathering in October and I am wanting to sing over your recording on post to youtube for the children to learn the lyrics and melody before the gathering. We will be happy to give you credit and post a link to your http://www.singing-bell.com site. Thank you for your consideration.

    1. Singing Bell

      Hi Mia! Since the video will not be monetized, we’d love to grant you the license. Thanks in advance for giving us a link, too!

Leave a Reply to Mia Cancel reply