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