Christmas in the Trenches [D]

X: 1
T: Christmas in the Trenches   [D]
S: http://www.irish-folk-songs.com/christmas-in-the-trenches-guitar-chords-and-lyrics.html
M: 4/4
L: 1/4
K: D
A |\
"D"f g a g | "Bm"f3/ e/ d d | "G"B3/ B/ B A | "Em"G3 d |\
"A"c3/ c/ c d | e d c B | "G"B3/ A/ A B | "D"A3 ||
A |\
"D"f g a g | "Bm"f e d d | "G"B3/ B/ B A | "Em"G3 d |\
"A"c3/ c/ c d | e d c d | "D"d4- |  d2 z |]
d |\
"A"c/ c3/ c d | e d c B | "G"B A A/ B3/ | "D"A3 f |\
"Bm"f e d e | "F#m"e3/ e/ d d | "G"B3/ B/ c d | "A"e3 ||
A |\
"D"f g a g | "Bm"f e d2 | "G"B/ B3/ B A | "Em"G3 d |\
"A"c3/ c/ c d | e d c3/ d/ | "D"d4- | d2 z |]
W:1.
W: My (D)name is Francis (Bm)Tolliver. I (G)come from Liver(Em)pool.
W: Two (A)years ago the war was waiting (G)for me after (D)school.
W: To Belgium and to (Bm)Flanders, to (G)Germany to (Em)here,
W: I (A)fought for King and country I love (D)dear.
W: It was (A)Christmas in the trenches where the (G)frost so bitter (D)hung.
W: The (Bm)frozen fields of (F#m)France were still, no (G)Christmas song was (A)sung.
W: Our (D)families back in (Bm)England were (G)toasting us that (Em)day,
W: Their (A)brave and glorious lads so far a(D)way.
W:2.
W: I was (D)lyin' with my (Bm)mess-mate on the (G)cold and rocky (Em)ground
W: When a(A)cross the lines of battle came a (G)most peculiar (D)sound.
W: Says I "Now listen (Bm)up me boy", each (G)soldier strained to (Em)hear
W: As (A)one young German voice sang out so (D)clear.
W: "He's (A)singin' bloody well you know", my (G)partner says to (D)me.
W: Soon (Bm)one by one each (F#m)German voice (G)joined in in harmo(A)ny.
W: The (D)cannons rested (Bm)silent. The (G)gas cloud rolled no (Em)more
W: As (A)Christmas brought us respite from the (D)war.
W:3.
W: As (D)soon as they were (Bm)finished a (G)reverent pause was (Em)spent.
W: 'God (A)rest ye merry ,gentlemen' struck (G)up some lads from (D)Kent.
W: The next they sang was (Bm)"Stille Nacht". "T'is (G)'Silent Night'" says (Em)I
W: And (A)in two toungues one song filled up that (D)sky.
W: "There's (A)someone commin' towards us" the (G) front-line sentry (D)cried.
W: All (Bm)sights were fixed on (F#m)one lone figure (G)trudging from their (A)side.
W: His (D)truce flag, like a (Bm)Christmas star, shone (G)on that plain so (Em)bright
W: As he (A)bravely strode, unarmed,  into the (D)night.
W:4.
W: Then (D)one by one on (Bm)either side walked (G)into no-mans-(Em)land
W: With (A)neither gun nor bayonet we (G)met there hand to (D)hand.
W: We shared some secret (Bm)brandy and (G)wished each other (Em)well
W: And in a (A)flare-lit soccer game we gave 'em (D)hell.
W: We (A)traded chocolates, cigarettes and (G)photographs from (D)home
W: These (Bm)sons and fathers (F#m)far away from (G)families of their (A)own.
W: Young (D)Sanders played his (Bm)squeeze box and they (G)had a vio(Em)lin
W: This (A)curious and unlikely band of (D)men.
W:5.
%W:      Instrumental Bridge (Air of "The Minstrel Boy")
%W:      D-Bm-D-G  D-Bm-A-D
%W: 
W: Soon (D)daylight stole u(Bm)pon us and (G)France was France once (Em)more.
W: With (A)sad farewells we each began to (G)settle back to (D)war.
W: But the question haunted (Bm)every heart that (G)lived that wonderous (Em)night
W: "Whose (A)family have I fixed within my (D)sights?"
W: It was (A)Christmas in the trenches where the (G)frost so bitter (D)hung.
W: The (Bm)frozen fields of (F#m)France were warmed as (G)songs of peace were (A)sung.
W: For the (D)walls they'd kept bet(Bm)ween us to e(G)xact the work of (Em)war
W: Had been (A)crumbled and were gone forever (D)more.
W:6.
%W:      D-G-Em-F#m  Em-A-A7-D
W: My (D)name is Francis (Bm)Tolliver. In (G)Liverpool I (Em)dwell.
W: Each (A)Christmas come since World War One I've (G)learned it's lessons (D)well.
W: That the ones who call the (Bm)shots won't be a(G)mong the dead and (Em)lame
W: And on (A)each end of the rifle we're the (D)same.
%W: 
%W:      Instrumental Bridge 
%W:      D-Bm-D-G  D-Bm-A-D
%W:      D-G-Em-F#m  Em-A-A7-D

Alternative sources for this tune:

• trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/song/Christmas_in_the_Trenches/0000

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