[Ads-l] marching to the beat of a different drum

[Baker, John]

“Different Drum” was a pop song written by Michael Nesmith in 1965.  The Stone Poneys recorded a cover version in 1967, with vocals by Linda Ronstadt, and that became a hit (her first).  The first line is “You and I travel to the beat of a diff'rent drum.”


John Baker

From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of James A. Landau
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2019 3:44 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: marching to the beat of a different drum

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I am curious about the origin of the phrase "marching to the beat of a different drum" (or "drummer").

The earliest solid-looking date for "different drum" in Google Books is 1975

https://books.google.com/books?id=42Wb1DeDZjcC&pg=PA323&dq=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drum%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiR0tjTj_zlAhUurVkKHRHRDXMQ6AEwA3oECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=%22the%20beat%20of%20a%20different%20drum%22&f=false<https://books.google.com/books?id=42Wb1DeDZjcC&pg=PA323&dq=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drum%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiR0tjTj_zlAhUurVkKHRHRDXMQ6AEwA3oECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=%22the%20beat%20of%20a%20different%20drum%22&f=false>

R. Serge Denisoff _Solid Gold: The Popular Record Industry_ New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1975, ISBN 0-87855-586-2

https://books.google.com/books?id=TWgJAQAAMAAJ&q=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drum%22&dq=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drum%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiR0tjTj_zlAhUurVkKHRHRDXMQ6AEwCHoECAIQAg<https://books.google.com/books?id=TWgJAQAAMAAJ&q=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drum%22&dq=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drum%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiR0tjTj_zlAhUurVkKHRHRDXMQ6AEwCHoECAIQAg>

_Modern Drummer_ Volume 4 includes the text "Between 1961 and 1965 Roy Haynes made some classic recordings with the John Coltrane Quartet which have just been released on a Coltrane record called, “To The Beat of A Different Drum."

https://books.google.com/books?id=6OU1AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA7-PA35&dq=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drummer%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGkeCpkfzlAhUMvVkKHazjD3oQ6AEwAXoECAIQAg#v=onepage&q=%22the%20beat%20of%20a%20different%20drummer%22&f=false<https://books.google.com/books?id=6OU1AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA7-PA35&dq=%22the+beat+of+a+different+drummer%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGkeCpkfzlAhUMvVkKHazjD3oQ6AEwAXoECAIQAg#v=onepage&q=%22the%20beat%20of%20a%20different%20drummer%22&f=false>

_Hearings Before the Special Ad Hoc Subcommittee of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service House of Representatives Ninety-Third Congress First Session on H. R. 3180 February 20 and 27, 1973" twice has the phrase "the beat of a different drummer", on page 30 referring to Seventh-day Adventist and on page 35referring to Henry David Thoreau <quote>"If a man does not keep pace with his companions," said Thoreau, "perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer"

The Thoreau quote can be confirmed by checking _Walden_ at

https://books.google.com/books?id=JXlbAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA358&dq=%22a+different+drummer%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf0PfZkvzlAhVEp1kKHeIiBFAQ6AEwB3oECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=%22a%20different%20drummer%22&f=false<https://books.google.com/books?id=JXlbAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA358&dq=%22a+different+drummer%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf0PfZkvzlAhVEp1kKHeIiBFAQ6AEwB3oECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=%22a%20different%20drummer%22&f=false>


I remember hearing a pop song with lyrics including "he marches to the beat of a different drum" but I cannot recall what or when the song was.

I think (but I'm not sure) that I heard the expression from someone I worked for in 1970.

https://books.google.com/books?id=juIJAQAAMAAJ&q=%22a+different+drummer%22&dq=%22a+different+drummer%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf0PfZkvzlAhVEp1kKHeIiBFAQ6AEwAnoECAAQAg<https://books.google.com/books?id=juIJAQAAMAAJ&q=%22a+different+drummer%22&dq=%22a+different+drummer%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf0PfZkvzlAhVEp1kKHeIiBFAQ6AEwAnoECAAQAg>

David Kemp _A Different Drummer: an ideas book from drama". A snippet view on page 4 gives bibliographic data as "Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1972".

https://books.google.com/books?newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&id=jn5GNe31js8C&dq=%22a+different+drummer%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=1958<https://books.google.com/books?newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&id=jn5GNe31js8C&dq=%22a+different+drummer%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=1958>

Robert H. Walker "A Different Drummer". A snippet view shows "copyright 1958 by Robert H. Walker Library of Congress Catalog Number 58-6249" but gives no other bibliographic data.

- Jim Landau


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