My (D)name is Francis (Bm)Tolliver. I (G)come from Liver(Em)pool.
Two (A)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
(A)fought for King and country I love (D)dear.
It was (A)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 (A)sung.
Our (D)families back in (Bm)England were
(G)toasting us that (Em)day,
Their (A)brave and glorious lads so far a(D)way.
I was (D)lyin' with my (Bm)mess-mate on the (G)cold and rocky (Em)ground
When a(A)cross the lines of battle came
a (G)most peculiar (D)sound.
Says I "Now listen (Bm)up me boy", each (G)soldier strained to (Em)hear
As (A)one young
German voice sang out so (D)clear.
"He's (A)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(A)ny.
The (D)cannons rested (Bm)silent. The (G)gas cloud rolled no
(Em)more
As (A)Christmas brought us respite from the (D)war.
As (D)soon as they were (Bm)finished a (G)reverent pause was (Em)spent.
'God (A)rest ye merry ,gentlemen' struck
(G)up some lads from (D)Kent.
The next they sang was (Bm)'Stille Nacht". "T’is (G)'Silent Night'" says (Em)I
And
(A)in two toungues one song filled up that (D)sky.
"There's (A)someone commin' towards us" the (G) front-line sentry (D)cried.
All
(Bm)sights were fixed on (F#m)one lone figure (G)trudging from their (A)side.
His (D)truce flag, like a (Bm)Christmas star,
shone (G)on that plain so (Em)bright
As he (A)bravely strode, unarmed, into the (D)night.
Then (D)one by one on (Bm)either side walked (G)into no-mans-(Em)land
With (A)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 (A)flare-lit soccer
game we gave 'em (D)hell.
We (A)traded chocolates, cigarettes and (G)photographs from (D)home
These (Bm)sons and fathers
(F#m)far away from (G)families of their (A)own.
Young (D)Sanders played his (Bm)squeeze box and they (G)had a vio(Em)lin
This
(A)curious and unlikely band of (D)men.
Instrumental Bridge (Air of ‘The Minstrel Boy’)
D-Bm-D-G D-Bm-A-D
Soon (D)daylight stole u(Bm)pon us and (G)France was France once (Em)more.
With (A)sad farewells we each began
to (G)settle back to (D)war.
But the question haunted (Bm)every heart that (G)lived that wonderous (Em)night
"Whose
(A)family have I fixed within my (D)sights?"
It was (A)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 (A)sung.
For the (D)walls they'd kept bet(Bm)ween
us to e(G)xact the work of (Em)war
Had been (A)crumbled and were gone forever (D)more.
D-G-Em-F#m Em-A-A7-D
My (D)name is Francis (Bm)Tolliver. In (G)Liverpool I (Em)dwell.
Each (A)Christmas come since World War One I've (G)learned
it's lessons (D)well.
That the ones who call the (Bm)shots won't be a(G)mong the dead and (Em)lame
And on (A)each end
of the rifle we're the (D)same.
Instrumental Bridge
D-Bm-D-G D-Bm-A-D
D-G-Em-F#m Em-A-A7-D
