Lyric discussion by casualsinger 

Cover art for Billy-a-Dick lyrics by Bette Midler

The song is sung from the viewpoint of the Tenor Drum. It's owner has gone off to fight in a war and it is wondering when he will be back to play it again. It is lonely and lamenting how rusty and dusty it is becoming. Also, billy-a-dick tick tack is a stylized way of wording the sound the drum makes when it is played... something akin to rat-a-tat.

Song Meaning

@casualsinger the drum....lol. That's a stretch. Pun-intended. Def hard to see how u arrived at that interpretation.