John McCutcheon - Christmas in the trenches

My ^Dname is ^D/C#Frances ^BmTolli^Bm/Aver, I co^Gme from L^G/F#iver-po^Emol Two ^Ayears ago the ^Asus4war was ^Awaiting ^Gfor me after ^Dschool To ^DBelgium ^D/C#and to ^BmFlande^Bm/Ars, to ^GGermany^G/F#, to ^Emhere I ^Afought for ^AKing and ^Asus4country ^AI love ^Ddear ^D 'Twas ^AChristmas in the ^Asus4trenche^As, where the ^Gfrost so bitter ^Dhung The ^Bmfrozen fields of ^Bm/AFrance were still, no Ch^Gristmas song was ^Asus4sung ^A Our ^Dfamilies ^D/C#back in ^BmEngland^Bm/A were ^Gtoasting ^G/F#us that ^Emday Their ^Abrave and glorious ^Asus4lads so ^Afar a-^Dway ^D

I was ^Dlying ^D/C#with my ^Bmmessmate^Bm/A, on the ^Gcold and ^G/F#rocky ^Emground When a-^Across the lines of ^Asus4battle^A came a ^Gmost peculiar ^Dsound Says ^DI, now ^D/C#listen ^Bmup me boys^Bm/A, each ^Gsoldier s^G/F#trained to ^Emhear As ^Aone young German ^Asus4voice sang ^Aout so ^Dclear ^D He's ^Asinging bloody ^Asus4well you ^Aknow, my ^Gpartner says to ^Dme Soon ^Bmone by one each ^Bm/AGerman voice, joined ^Gin in har-mo-n^Asus4y ^A The ^Dcannons ^D/C#rested ^Bmsilen^Bm/At, the ^Ggas clouds ^G/F#rolled no ^Emmore As ^AChristmas brought us ^Asus4respite from ^Athe ^Dwar ^D

As ^Dsoon as ^D/C#they were ^Bmfinishe^Bm/Ad, and a ^Greverent ^G/F#pause was ^Emspent God ^ARest Ye Merry ^Asus4Gentlem^Aen, struck ^Gup some lads from ^DKent The ^Dnext they ^D/C#sang was &^Bmquot;St^Bm/Aille Nacht&quo^Gt;, 'ti^G/F#s "Sile^Emnt Night" says I And ^Ain two ^Asus4tongues, one ^Asong filled ^Gup that ^Dsky There's ^Asomeone comin' ^Asus4t'wards us^A, the ^Gfrontline sentry ^Dcried All ^Bmsights were fixed on ^Bm/Aone lone figure ^Gtrudging from their ^Asus4side ^A His ^Dtruce flag ^D/C#like a ^BmChristmas ^Bm/Astar shone ^Gon that ^G/F#plain so ^Embright As he ^Abravely strode un-^Asus4armed in^Ato the ^Dnight^D

Then ^Done by ^D/C#one, on ^Bmeither ^Bm/Aside, walked ^Ginto ^G/F#No Man's ^EmLand With^A neither gun or ^Asus4bayonet^A, we ^Gmet there hand to ^Dhand We ^Dshared some ^D/C#secret ^Bmbran^Bm/Ady and ^Gwished each ^G/F#other ^Emwell And ^Ain a flare-lit ^Asus4soccer ^Agame, we ^Ggave 'em ^Dhell We ^Atraded chocolates, ^Asus4cigaret^Ates and ^Gphotographs from ^Dhome These ^Bmsons and fathers ^Bm/Afar away from ^Gfamilies of their ^Asus4own ^A Young ^DSanders ^D/C#played his ^Bmsqueezeb^Bm/Aox and they ^Ghad a ^G/F#vi-o-^Emlin This c^Aurious and un-^Asus4likely ^Aband of ^Dmen ^D

Soon ^Ddaylight ^D/C#stole u-^Bmpon u^Bm/As, and ^GFrance was ^G/F#France once ^Emmore With^A sad farewells we ^Asus4each be^Agan to ^Gsettle back to ^Dwar But the ^Dquestion ^D/C#haunted ^Bmevery ^Bm/Aheart that ^Glived that ^G/F#wondrous ^Emnight Whose ^Afamily have I ^Asus4fixed with^Gin my ^Dsights 'Twas ^AChristmas in the ^Asus4trenche^As where the ^Gfrost so bitter ^Dhung The ^Bmfrozen fields of ^Bm/AFrance were warmed as ^GChristmas songs were ^Asus4sung ^A For the ^Dwalls they ^D/C#kept be-^Bmtween u^Bm/As to ex-^Gact the ^G/F#work of ^Emwar Had been ^Acrumbled and are ^Asus4gone for ^Aever-^Dmore ^D

Oh my ^Dname is ^D/C#Frances ^BmTolliv^Bm/Aer, in ^GLiver^G/F#pool I ^Emdwell Each ^AChristmas come since ^Asus4World W^Aar One, I've ^Glearned it's lessons ^Dwell That the ^Dones who ^D/C#call the ^Bmshots^Bm/A, won't be a-^Gmong the ^G/F#dead and ^Emlame And on ^Aeach end of the ^Asus4rifle, we'^Are the^D same