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#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) Asus4A 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#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