John McCutcheon - Christmas in the Trenches Chords

[Opening]
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.

[verse 2]
I was [D]lyin’ with my [Bm]messmate
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.

[verse 3]
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.

[verse 4]
“There’s [A7]someone commin’ towards us”
the [G]frontline 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.

[verse 5]
Soon [D]one by one on [Bm]either side
walked [G]into nomans[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]flarelit 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.

[interlude]
[D] [G] [D] [A7] [D]

[verse 6]
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.

[Closing]
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]
[D] [G] [D] [A7] [D]