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Christmas In The Trenches

John Mccutcheon

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Christmas in the Trenches By John McCutcheon Winter Solstice (1984) As interpreted by Joe G Capo on 2 INTRO: D, G, A, D D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em My name is Frances Tolliver, I come from Liver-pool A Asus4 A G D Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany, to here A A Asus4 A D D I fought for King and country I love dear A Asus4 A G D 'Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung Bm Bm/A G Asus4 A The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em Our families back in England were toasting us that day A Asus4 A D D Their brave and glorious lads so far a-way D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em I was lying with my messmate, on the cold and rocky ground A Asus4 A G D When a-cross the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em Says I, now listen up me boys, each soldier strained to hear A Asus4 A D D As one young German voice sang out so clear A Asus4 A G D He's singing bloody well you know, my partner says to me Bm Bm/A G Asus4 A Soon one by one each German voice, joined in in har-mo-ny D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more A Asus4 A D D As Christmas brought us respite from the war D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em As soon as they were finished, and a reverent pause was spent A Asus4 A G D God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, struck up some lads from Kent D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em The next they sang was "Stille Nacht", 'tis "Silent Night" says I A Asus4 A G D And in two tongues, one song filled up that sky A Asus4 A G D There's someone comin' t'wards us, the frontline sentry cried Bm Bm/A G Asus4 A All sights were fixed on one lone figure trudging from their side D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em His truce flag like a Christmas star shone on that plain so bright A Asus4 A D D As he bravely strode un-armed into the night D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em Then one by one, on either side, walked into No Man's Land A Asus4 A G D With neither gun or bayonet, we met there hand to hand D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em We shared some secret brandy and wished each other well A Asus4 A G D And in a flare-lit soccer game, we gave 'em hell A Asus4 A G D We traded chocolates, cigarettes and photographs from home Bm Bm/A G Asus4 A These sons and fathers far away from families of their own D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a vi-o-lin A Asus4 A D D This curious and un-likely band of men D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em Soon daylight stole u-pon us, and France was France once more A Asus4 A G D With sad farewells we each began to settle back to war D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em But the question haunted every heart that lived that wondrous night A Asus4 G D Whose family have I fixed within my sights A Asus4 A G D 'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung Bm Bm/A G Asus4 A The frozen fields of France were warmed as Christmas songs were sung D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em For the walls they kept be-tween us to ex-act the work of war A Asus4 A D D Had been crumbled and are gone for ever-more D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em Oh my name is Frances Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell A Asus4 A G D Each Christmas come since World War One, I've learned it's lessons well D D/C# Bm Bm/A G G/F# Em That the ones who call the shots, won't be a-mong the dead and lame A Asus4 A D And on each end of the rifle, we're the same
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