Christmas in the Trenches
By John McCutcheon
Winter Solstice (1984)
As interpreted by Joe G

Capo on 2

INTRO: D, G, A, D

   D (xx0232@1)     D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1) Bm/A (x04440@1)   G (320003@1)      G/F# (320002@1) EmMy (022000@1)name is Frances Tolliver, I come from Liver-pool
    A (x02220@1)           Asus4 (x02230@1) A (x02220@1)     G (320003@1)          DTwo (xx0232@1)years ago the war was waiting for me after school
   D (xx0232@1)     D/C# (x40232@1) Bm (x24432@1)  Bm/A (x04440@1) G (320003@1)    G/F# (320002@1)name="chord_022000@1">Em
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany, to here
  A (x02220@1)        A (x02220@1)      Asus4 (x02230@1) A (x02220@1)    D (xx0232@1)  DI (xx0232@1)fought for King and country I love dear
      A (x02220@1)              Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)          G (320003@1)             D'Twas (xx0232@1)Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung
    Bm (x24432@1)             Bm/A (x04440@1)                  G (320003@1)              Asus4 (x02230@1)AThe (x02220@1)frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
    D (xx0232@1)      D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1)   Bm/A (x04440@1)G (320003@1)      G/F# (320002@1)  EmOur (022000@1)families back in England were toasting us that day
      A (x02220@1)                Asus4 (x02230@1) A (x02220@1)   D (xx0232@1) DTheir (xx0232@1)brave and glorious lads so far a-way


      D (xx0232@1)   D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1)    Bm/A (x04440@1)   G (320003@1)      G/F# (320002@1)EmI (022000@1)was lying with my messmate, on the cold and rocky ground
       A (x02220@1)                Asus4 (x02230@1)name="chord_x02220@1">A       G (320003@1)           DWhen (xx0232@1)a-cross the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
     D (xx0232@1)    D/C# (x40232@1) Bm (x24432@1)      Bm/A (x04440@1) G (320003@1)      G/F# (320002@1)     EmSays (022000@1)I, now listen up me boys, each soldier strained to hear
   A (x02220@1)              Asus4 (x02230@1)    A (x02220@1)    D (xx0232@1)   DAs (xx0232@1)one young German voice sang out so clear
     A (x02220@1)            Asus4 (x02230@1)  A (x02220@1)      G (320003@1)             DHe's (xx0232@1)singing bloody well you know, my partner says to me
     Bm (x24432@1)            Bm/A (x04440@1)               G (320003@1)           Asus4 (x02230@1)ASoon (x02220@1)one by one each German voice, joined in in har-mo-ny
    D (xx0232@1)     D/C# (x40232@1) Bm (x24432@1) Bm/A (x04440@1) G (320003@1)        G/F# (320002@1)    EmThe (022000@1)cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
   A (x02220@1)                  Asus4 (x02230@1)      A (x02220@1) D (xx0232@1)  DAs (xx0232@1)Christmas brought us respite from the war


   D (xx0232@1)     D/C# (x40232@1)    Bm (x24432@1)   Bm/A (x04440@1)   G (320003@1)      G/F# (320002@1)    EmAs (022000@1)soon as they were finished, and a reverent pause was spent
    A (x02220@1)           Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)        G (320003@1)               DGod (xx0232@1)Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, struck up some lads from Kent
    D (xx0232@1)       D/C# (x40232@1)    Bm (x24432@1)   Bm/A (x04440@1)        G (320003@1)    G/F# (320002@1)      EmThe (022000@1)next they sang was "Stille Nacht", 'tis "Silent Night" says I
    A (x02220@1)    Asus4 (x02230@1)      A (x02220@1)         G (320003@1)     DAnd (xx0232@1)in two tongues, one song filled up that sky
        A (x02220@1)            Asus4 (x02230@1)   A (x02220@1)   G (320003@1)              D (xx0232@1)There's someone comin' t'wards us, the frontline sentry cried
    Bm (x24432@1)                 Bm/A (x04440@1)          G (320003@1)                 Asus4 (x02230@1)AAll (x02220@1)sights were fixed on one lone figure trudging from their side
    D (xx0232@1)        D/C# (x40232@1) Bm (x24432@1)      Bm/A (x04440@1)     G (320003@1)     G/F# (320002@1)   EmHis (022000@1)truce flag like a Christmas star shone on that plain so bright
      A (x02220@1)               Asus4 (x02230@1) A (x02220@1)    D (xx0232@1)  D (xx0232@1)As he bravely strode un-armed into the night


     D (xx0232@1)    D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1)   Bm/A (x04440@1)       G (320003@1)  G/F# (320002@1)   EmThen (022000@1)one by one, on either side, walked into No Man's Land
    A (x02220@1)             Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)  G (320003@1)               DWith (xx0232@1)neither gun or bayonet, we met there hand to hand
   D (xx0232@1)         D/C# (x40232@1) Bm (x24432@1)Bm/A (x04440@1) G (320003@1)         G/F# (320002@1)EmWe (022000@1)shared some secret brandy and wished each other well
    A (x02220@1)            Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)      G (320003@1)      DAnd (xx0232@1)in a flare-lit soccer game, we gave 'em hell
   A (x02220@1)                Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)     G (320003@1)              DWe (xx0232@1)traded chocolates, cigarettes and photographs from home
      Bm (x24432@1)             Bm/A (x04440@1)        G (320003@1)               Asus4 (x02230@1)AThese (x02220@1)sons and fathers far away from families of their own
      D (xx0232@1)     D/C# (x40232@1)     Bm (x24432@1)    Bm/A (x04440@1)      G (320003@1)   G/F# (320002@1)name="chord_022000@1">Em
Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a vi-o-lin
      A (x02220@1)           Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)     D (xx0232@1)  D (xx0232@1)This curious and un-likely band of men


     D (xx0232@1)      D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1) Bm/A (x04440@1) G (320003@1)        G/F# (320002@1)      EmSoon (022000@1)daylight stole u-pon us, and France was France once more
    A (x02220@1)               Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)    G (320003@1)            DWith (xx0232@1)sad farewells we each began to settle back to war
        D (xx0232@1)      D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1)  Bm/A (x04440@1)     G (320003@1)        G/F# (320002@1)   EmBut (022000@1)the question haunted every heart that lived that wondrous night
      A (x02220@1)           Asus4 (x02230@1)   G (320003@1)   DWhose (xx0232@1)family have I fixed within my sights
      A (x02220@1)              Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)         G (320003@1)             D'Twas (xx0232@1)Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung
    Bm (x24432@1)             Bm/A (x04440@1)                G (320003@1)                  Asus4 (x02230@1)AThe (x02220@1)frozen fields of France were warmed as Christmas songs were sung
        D (xx0232@1)        D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1)   Bm/A (x04440@1)  G (320003@1)     G/F# (320002@1)  EmFor (022000@1)the walls they kept be-tween us to ex-act the work of war
         A (x02220@1)              Asus4 (x02230@1)  A (x02220@1)  D (xx0232@1)  D (xx0232@1)Had been crumbled and are gone for ever-more


      D (xx0232@1)     D/C# (x40232@1)  Bm (x24432@1)  Bm/A (x04440@1) G (320003@1)  G/F# (320002@1) EmOh (022000@1)my name is Frances Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
     A (x02220@1)                  Asus4 (x02230@1)A (x02220@1)          G (320003@1)                  DEach (xx0232@1)Christmas come since World War One, I've learned it's lessons well
         D (xx0232@1)      D/C# (x40232@1)   Bm (x24432@1) Bm/A (x04440@1)       G (320003@1)      G/F# (320002@1)   EmThat (022000@1)the ones who call the shots, won't be a-mong the dead and lame
       A (x02220@1)             Asus4 (x02230@1)   A (x02220@1)   DAnd (xx0232@1)on each end of the rifle, we're the same