Christmas in the Trenches John McCutcheon
By John McCutcheon
Winter Solstice (1984)
As interpreted by Joe G
Capo on 2
INTRO: D, G, A, D
My [D]name is [D/C#]Frances [Bm]Tolli[Bm/A]ver, I co[G]me from L[G/F#]iver-po[Em]ol
Two [A]years ago the [Asus4]war was [A]waiting [G]for me after [D]school
To [D]Belgium [D/C#]and to [Bm]Flande[Bm/A]rs, to [G]Germany[G/F#], to [Em]here
I [A]fought for [A]King and [Asus4]country [A]I love [D]dear[D]
'Twas [A]Christmas in the [Asus4]trenche[A]s, where the [G]frost so bitter [D]hung
The [Bm]frozen fields of [Bm/A]France were still, no Ch[G]ristmas song was [Asus4]sung[A]
Our [D]families [D/C#]back in [Bm]England[Bm/A] were [G]toasting [G/F#]us that [Em]day
Their [A]brave and glorious [Asus4]lads so [A]far a-[D]way[D]
I was [D]lying [D/C#]with my [Bm]messmate[Bm/A], on the [G]cold and [G/F#]rocky [Em]ground
When a-[A]cross the lines of [Asus4]battle[A] came a [G]most peculiar [D]sound
Says [D]I, now [D/C#]listen [Bm]up me boys[Bm/A], each [G]soldier s[G/F#]trained to [Em]hear
As [A]one young German [Asus4]voice sang [A]out so [D]clear[D]
He's [A]singing bloody [Asus4]well you [A]know, my [G]partner says to [D]me
Soon [Bm]one by one each [Bm/A]German voice, joined [G]in in har-mo-n[Asus4]y[A]
The [D]cannons [D/C#]rested [Bm]silen[Bm/A]t, the [G]gas clouds [G/F#]rolled no [Em]more
As [A]Christmas brought us [Asus4]respite from [A]the [D]war[D]
As [D]soon as [D/C#]they were [Bm]finishe[Bm/A]d, and a [G]reverent [G/F#]pause was [Em]spent
God [A]Rest Ye Merry [Asus4]Gentlem[A]en, struck [G]up some lads from [D]Kent
The [D]next they [D/C#]sang was "[Bm]Stille [Bm/A]Nacht", 'tis "[G]Silent [G/F#]Night" says [Em]I
And [A]in two [Asus4]tongues, one [A]song filled [G]up that [D]sky
There's [A]someone comin' [Asus4]t'wards us[A], the [G]frontline sentry [D]cried
All [Bm]sights were fixed on [Bm/A]one lone figure [G]trudging from their [Asus4]side[A]
His [D]truce flag [D/C#]like a [Bm]Christmas [Bm/A]star shone [G]on that [G/F#]plain so [Em]bright
As he [A]bravely strode un-[Asus4]armed in[A]to the [D]night[D]
Then [D]one by [D/C#]one, on [Bm]either [Bm/A]side, walked [G]into [G/F#]No Man's [Em]Land
With[A] neither gun or [Asus4]bayonet[A], we [G]met there hand to [D]hand
We [D]shared some [D/C#]secret [Bm]bran[Bm/A]dy and [G]wished each [G/F#]other [Em]well
And [A]in a flare-lit [Asus4]soccer [A]game, we [G]gave 'em [D]hell
We [A]traded chocolates, [Asus4]cigaret[A]tes and [G]photographs from [D]home
These [Bm]sons and fathers [Bm/A]far away from [G]families of their [Asus4]own[A]
Young [D]Sanders [D/C#]played his [Bm]squeezeb[Bm/A]ox and they [G]had a [G/F#]vi-o-[Em]lin
This c[A]urious and un-[Asus4]likely [A]band of [D]men[D]
Soon [D]daylight [D/C#]stole u-[Bm]pon u[Bm/A]s, and [G]France was [G/F#]France once [Em]more
With[A] sad farewells we [Asus4]each be[A]gan to [G]settle back to [D]war
But the [D]question [D/C#]haunted [Bm]every [Bm/A]heart that [G]lived that [G/F#]wondrous [Em]night
Whose [A]family have I [Asus4]fixed with[G]in my [D]sights
'Twas [A]Christmas in the [Asus4]trenche[A]s where the [G]frost so bitter [D]hung
The [Bm]frozen fields of [Bm/A]France were warmed as [G]Christmas songs were [Asus4]sung[A]
For the [D]walls they [D/C#]kept be-[Bm]tween u[Bm/A]s to ex-[G]act the [G/F#]work of [Em]war
Had been [A]crumbled and are [Asus4]gone for [A]ever-[D]more[D]
Oh my [D]name is [D/C#]Frances [Bm]Tolliv[Bm/A]er, in [G]Liver[G/F#]pool I [Em]dwell
Each [A]Christmas come since [Asus4]World W[A]ar One, I've [G]learned it's lessons [D]well
That the [D]ones who [D/C#]call the [Bm]shots[Bm/A], won't be a-[G]mong the [G/F#]dead and [Em]lame
And on [A]each end of the [Asus4]rifle, we'[A]re the[D] same
Important: The song above is NOT stored on the Chordie server. The original song is hosted at www.guitaretab.com. Chordie works as a search engine and provides on-the-fly formatting. Chordie does not index songs against artists'/composers' will. To remove this song please click here.
