(Christmas in the Trenches)
	(John McCutcheon)


My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany, to here,
I fought for king and country I loved dear.

It was Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France where still no Christmas song was sung.
Our families back in England were toasting us that day,
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.

I was lying with my mess mate on the cold and rocky ground,
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound.
Says I, "Now listen up me boys;" each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.

"He's singing bloody well, you know," my partner says to me.
Soon one by one, each German voice joined in in harmony.
The canons rested silent, the gas cloud rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war.

As soon as they were finished, a reverent pause was spent,
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," struck up some lads from Kent.
Oh the next they sang was "Stille Nacht"; "'Tis 'Silent Night'," says I,
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky.

"There's someone coming toward us!" the front line sentry cried.
All sights were fixed on one lone figure trudging from their side.
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shone on that plain so bright
As he bravely strolled unarmed into the night.

Then one by one on either side walked into no man's land,
With neither gun nor bayonet, we met there hand to hand.
We shared some secret brandy and wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave them hell.

We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home,
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own.
Young Sanders played his squeeze box, and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men.

Soon daylight stole upon us, and France was France once more.
With sad farewells we each began to settle back to war.
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night:
Whose family have I fixed within my sights?

It's Christmas in the trenches, where frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung.
For the walls they'd kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forever more.

Oh my name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell,
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its lessons well:
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame,
And on each end of the rifle we're the same.