Chords:
{t:Christmas in the Trenches}
{artist: John McCutcheon}
{key: D}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi41RWaTCs
{c: Thanks to Frank de Lathouder}
My [D] name is Francis [Bm] Tolliver.
I [G] come from Liver-[Em]pool.
Two [A7] years ago the war was waiting
[G] for me after [D] school.
To Belgium and to [Bm] Flanders,
to [G] Germany, to [Em] here,
I [A7] fought for King and country I love [D] dear.
Twas [A7] Christmas in the trenches
where the [G] frost so bitter [D] hung.
The [Bm] frozen fields of [F#m] France were still,
no [G] Christmas song was [A7] sung.
Our [D] families back in [Bm] England
were [G] toasting us that [Em] day,
Their [A7] brave and glorious lads so far a-[D]way.
I was [D] lyin' with my [Bm] mess-mate
on the [G] cold and rocky [Em] ground
When a-[A7]cross the lines of battle
came a [G] most peculiar [D] sound.
Says I "Now listen [Bm] up me boys",
each [G] soldier strained to [Em] hear
As [A7] one young German voice sang out so [D] clear.
"He's [A7] singin' bloody well you know",
my [G] partner says to [D] me.
Soon [Bm] one by one each [F#m] German voice
[G] joined in in harmo-[A7]ny.
The [D] cannons rested [Bm] silent.
The [G] gas cloud rolled no [Em] more
As [A7] Christmas brought us respite from the [D] war.
As [D] soon as they were [Bm] finished
a [G] reverent pause was [Em] spent.
“God [A7] Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
struck [G] up some lads from [D] Kent.
The next they sang was [Bm] 'Stille Nacht"
"Tis [G] 'Silent Night'" says [Em] I
And [A7] in two tongues one song filled up that [D] sky.
{np}
"There's [A7] someone commin’ towards us"
the [G] front-line sentry [D] cried.
All [Bm] sights were fixed on [F#m] one lone figure
[G] trudging from their [A7] side.
His [D] truce flag, like a [Bm] Christmas star,
shone [G] on that plain so [Em] bright
As he [A7] bravely strode, unarmed, into the [D] night.
Soon [D] one by one on [Bm] either side
walked [G] into no-mans-[Em]land
With [A7] neither gun nor bayonet
we [G] met there hand to [D] hand.
We shared some secret [Bm] brandy
and [G] wished each other [Em] well
And in a [A7] flare-lit soccer game we gave 'em [D] hell.
We [A7] traded chocolates, cigarettes
and [G] photographs from [D] home
These [Bm] sons and fathers [F#m] far away
from [G] families of their [A7] own.
Young [D] Sanders played his [Bm] squeeze box
They [G] had a vio-[Em]lin
This [A7] curious and unlikely band of [D] men.
Instrumental Bridge (Air of ‘The Minstrel Boy’):
[D](8) [G](2) [D](2) [A7](2) [D](2)
Soon [D] daylight stole u-[Bm]pon us
and [G] France was France once [Em] more.
With [A7] sad farewells we each began
to [G] settle back to [D] war.
But the question haunted [Bm] every heart
that [G] beat that wonderous [Em] night
"Whose [A7] family have I fixed within my [D] sights?"
Twas [A7] Christmas in the trenches
where the [G] frost so bitter [D] hung.
The [Bm] frozen fields of [F#m] France were warmed
as [G] songs of peace were [A7] sung.
For the [D] walls they'd kept be-[Bm]tween us
to e-[G]xact the work of [Em] war
Had been [A7] crumbled and were gone forever [D] more.
My [D] name is Francis [Bm] Tolliver.
In [G] Liverpool I [Em] dwell.
Each [A7] Christmas come since World War One I've
[G] learned its lessons [D] well.
That the ones who call the [Bm] shots won't be
a-[G]mong the dead and [Em] lame
And on [A7] each end of the rifle we're the [D] same.
Outro (repeat bridge): [D](8) [G](2) [D](2) [A7](2) [D](hold)
