(D)Christmas (A)Eve in (G)nineteen-(D)fourteen
Stars were burning, (Em)burning (A)bright
(D)And all a(A)long the
(G)Western (D)Front
Guns were lying (A)still and (D)quiet.
Men lay dozing (A)in the trenches,
(D)In the cold and
(A)in the dark,
(D)And far a(A)way be(G)hind the (D)lines
A village dog be(A)gan to (D)bark.
(D)Some lay (A)thinking (G)of their (D)families,
Some sang songs while (Em)others were (A)quiet
(D)Rolling
(A)fags and (G)playing (D)brag
To pass away that (A)Christmas (D)night.
But as they watched the (A)German trenches
(D)Something
moved in (A)No Man’s Land
(D)And through the (A)dark (G)came a (D)soldier
Carrying a white flag (A)in his (D)hand.
D)Then from (A)both sides (G)men came (D)running,
Crossing into (Em)No Man’s (A)Land,
(D)Through the
(A)barbed-wire, (G)mud and (D)shell holes,
Shyly stood there (A)shaking (D)hands.
Fritz brought out ci(A)gars and brandy,
(D)Tommy
brought corned (A)beef and fags,
(D)Stood there (A)talking, (G)singing, (D)laughing,
As the moon shone down on (A)No
Man’s (D)Land.
(D)Christmas (A)Day we (G)all played (D)football
In the mud of (Em)No Man’s (A)Land;
(D)Tommy (A)brought
some (G)Christmas (D)pudding,
Fritz brought out a (A)German (D)band.
When they beat us (A)at the football
(D)We shared
out all the (A)grub and drink
(D)And Fritz showed (A)me a (G)faded (D)photo
Of a dark-haired girl back (A)in Ber(D)lin.
(D)For four days (A)after (G)no one (D)fired,
Not one shot dis(Em)turbed the (A)night,
(D)For old (A)Fritz
and (G)Tommy (D)Atkins
Both had lost the (A)will to (D)fight.
So they withdrew us (A)from the trenches,
Sent us far
be(A)hind the lines,
(D)Sent fresh (A)troops to (G)take our (D)places
And told the guns “Pre(A)pare to (D)fire”.
(D)And next (A)night in (G)nineteen-(D)fourteen
Flares were burning, (Em)burning (A)bright;
(D)The message
(A)came a(G)long the (D)trenches
Over the top we’re (A)going to(D)night.
And the men stood waiting (A)in the trenches,
(D)Looked
out across our (A)football park,
(D)And all a(A)long the (G)Western (D)Front
The Christmas guns be(A)gan to (D)bark.
(D)Men stood waiting (A)in the trenches,
(D)Looked out across our (A)football park,
(D)And all a(A)long the
(G)Western (D)Front
The Christmas guns be(A)gan to (D)bark.
