{"source":"Free Chord Book","source_url":"https://www.free-chords.com","license_note":"Free for personal use. Lyrics and compositions © their respective songwriters and publishers.","tab_id":327617,"song":"Christmas In The Trenches","artist":"John McCutcheon","content_type":"chord","tab_type":"Chords","url":"https://www.free-chords.com/song/11553403-christmas-in-the-trenches-chords-by-john-mccutcheon/","api_url":"https://www.free-chords.com/api/v1/songs/327617?type=chord","rating":4.76086,"votes":82,"content":"Christmas in the Trenches\r\nBy John McCutcheon\r\nWinter Solstice (1984)\r\nAs interpreted by Joe G\r\n\r\nCapo on 2\r\n\r\nINTRO: [ch]D[/ch], [ch]G[/ch], [ch]A[/ch], [ch]D[/ch]\r\n\r\n[tab]   [ch]D[/ch]       [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]   [ch]Bm/A[/ch]     [ch]G[/ch]        [ch]G/F#[/ch]   [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nMy name is Frances Tolliver, I come from Liver-pool[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]A[/ch]             [ch]Asus4[/ch]   [ch]A[/ch]       [ch]G[/ch]            [ch]D[/ch]\r\nTwo years ago the war was waiting for me after school[/tab]\r\n[tab]   [ch]D[/ch]       [ch]D/C#[/ch]   [ch]Bm[/ch]    [ch]Bm/A[/ch]   [ch]G[/ch]      [ch]G/F#[/ch] [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nTo Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany, to here[/tab]\r\n[tab]  [ch]A[/ch]          [ch]A[/ch]        [ch]Asus4[/ch]   [ch]A[/ch]      [ch]D[/ch]    [ch]D[/ch]\r\nI fought for King and country I love dear[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]A[/ch]                [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]            [ch]G[/ch]               [ch]D[/ch]\r\n'Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]Bm[/ch]               [ch]Bm/A[/ch]                    [ch]G[/ch]                [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]\r\nThe frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]D[/ch]        [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]     [ch]Bm/A[/ch]  [ch]G[/ch]        [ch]G/F#[/ch]    [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nOur families back in England were toasting us that day[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]A[/ch]                  [ch]Asus4[/ch]   [ch]A[/ch]     [ch]D[/ch]   [ch]D[/ch]\r\nTheir brave and glorious lads so far a-way[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]      [ch]D[/ch]     [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]      [ch]Bm/A[/ch]     [ch]G[/ch]        [ch]G/F#[/ch]  [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nI was lying with my messmate, on the cold and rocky ground[/tab]\r\n[tab]       [ch]A[/ch]                  [ch]Asus4[/ch] [ch]A[/ch]       [ch]G[/ch]             [ch]D[/ch]\r\nWhen a-cross the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound[/tab]\r\n[tab]     [ch]D[/ch]      [ch]D/C#[/ch]   [ch]Bm[/ch]        [ch]Bm/A[/ch]   [ch]G[/ch]        [ch]G/F#[/ch]       [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nSays I, now listen up me boys, each soldier strained to hear[/tab]\r\n[tab]   [ch]A[/ch]                [ch]Asus4[/ch]      [ch]A[/ch]      [ch]D[/ch]     [ch]D[/ch]\r\nAs one young German voice sang out so clear[/tab]\r\n[tab]     [ch]A[/ch]              [ch]Asus4[/ch]    [ch]A[/ch]        [ch]G[/ch]               [ch]D[/ch]\r\nHe's singing bloody well you know, my partner says to me[/tab]\r\n[tab]     [ch]Bm[/ch]              [ch]Bm/A[/ch]                 [ch]G[/ch]             [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]\r\nSoon one by one each German voice, joined in in har-mo-ny[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]D[/ch]       [ch]D/C#[/ch]   [ch]Bm[/ch]   [ch]Bm/A[/ch]   [ch]G[/ch]          [ch]G/F#[/ch]      [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nThe cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more[/tab]\r\n[tab]   [ch]A[/ch]                    [ch]Asus4[/ch]        [ch]A[/ch]   [ch]D[/ch]    [ch]D[/ch]\r\nAs Christmas brought us respite from the war[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]   [ch]D[/ch]       [ch]D/C#[/ch]      [ch]Bm[/ch]     [ch]Bm/A[/ch]     [ch]G[/ch]        [ch]G/F#[/ch]      [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nAs soon as they were finished, and a reverent pause was spent[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]A[/ch]             [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]                 [ch]D[/ch]\r\nGod Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, struck up some lads from Kent[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]D[/ch]         [ch]D/C#[/ch]      [ch]Bm[/ch]     [ch]Bm/A[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]      [ch]G/F#[/ch]        [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nThe next they sang was \"Stille Nacht\", 'tis \"Silent Night\" says I[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]A[/ch]      [ch]Asus4[/ch]        [ch]A[/ch]           [ch]G[/ch]       [ch]D[/ch]\r\nAnd in two tongues, one song filled up that sky[/tab]\r\n[tab]        [ch]A[/ch]              [ch]Asus4[/ch]     [ch]A[/ch]     [ch]G[/ch]                [ch]D[/ch] \r\nThere's someone comin' t'wards us, the frontline sentry cried[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]Bm[/ch]                   [ch]Bm/A[/ch]            [ch]G[/ch]                   [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]\r\nAll sights were fixed on one lone figure trudging from their side[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]D[/ch]          [ch]D/C#[/ch]   [ch]Bm[/ch]        [ch]Bm/A[/ch]       [ch]G[/ch]       [ch]G/F#[/ch]     [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nHis truce flag like a Christmas star shone on that plain so bright[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]A[/ch]                 [ch]Asus4[/ch]   [ch]A[/ch]      [ch]D[/ch]    [ch]D[/ch] \r\nAs he bravely strode un-armed into the night[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]     [ch]D[/ch]      [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]     [ch]Bm/A[/ch]         [ch]G[/ch]    [ch]G/F#[/ch]     [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nThen one by one, on either side, walked into No Man's Land[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]A[/ch]               [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]    [ch]G[/ch]                 [ch]D[/ch]\r\nWith neither gun or bayonet, we met there hand to hand[/tab]\r\n[tab]   [ch]D[/ch]           [ch]D/C#[/ch]   [ch]Bm[/ch]  [ch]Bm/A[/ch]   [ch]G[/ch]           [ch]G/F#[/ch]  [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nWe shared some secret brandy and wished each other well[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]A[/ch]              [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]        [ch]G[/ch]        [ch]D[/ch]\r\nAnd in a flare-lit soccer game, we gave 'em hell[/tab]\r\n[tab]   [ch]A[/ch]                  [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]       [ch]G[/ch]                [ch]D[/ch]\r\nWe traded chocolates, cigarettes and photographs from home[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]Bm[/ch]               [ch]Bm/A[/ch]          [ch]G[/ch]                 [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]\r\nThese sons and fathers far away from families of their own[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]D[/ch]       [ch]D/C#[/ch]       [ch]Bm[/ch]      [ch]Bm/A[/ch]        [ch]G[/ch]     [ch]G/F#[/ch] [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nYoung Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a vi-o-lin[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]A[/ch]             [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]       [ch]D[/ch]    [ch]D[/ch] \r\nThis curious and un-likely band of men[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]     [ch]D[/ch]        [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]   [ch]Bm/A[/ch]   [ch]G[/ch]          [ch]G/F#[/ch]        [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nSoon daylight stole u-pon us, and France was France once more[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]A[/ch]                 [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]      [ch]G[/ch]              [ch]D[/ch]\r\nWith sad farewells we each began to settle back to war[/tab]\r\n[tab]        [ch]D[/ch]        [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]    [ch]Bm/A[/ch]       [ch]G[/ch]          [ch]G/F#[/ch]     [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nBut the question haunted every heart that lived that wondrous night[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]A[/ch]             [ch]Asus4[/ch]     [ch]G[/ch]     [ch]D[/ch]\r\nWhose family have I fixed within my sights[/tab]\r\n[tab]      [ch]A[/ch]                [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]           [ch]G[/ch]               [ch]D[/ch]\r\n'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung[/tab]\r\n[tab]    [ch]Bm[/ch]               [ch]Bm/A[/ch]                  [ch]G[/ch]                    [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]\r\nThe frozen fields of France were warmed as Christmas songs were sung[/tab]\r\n[tab]        [ch]D[/ch]          [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]     [ch]Bm/A[/ch]    [ch]G[/ch]       [ch]G/F#[/ch]    [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nFor the walls they kept be-tween us to ex-act the work of war[/tab]\r\n[tab]         [ch]A[/ch]                [ch]Asus4[/ch]    [ch]A[/ch]    [ch]D[/ch]    [ch]D[/ch] \r\nHad been crumbled and are gone for ever-more[/tab]\r\n\r\n\r\n[tab]      [ch]D[/ch]       [ch]D/C#[/ch]    [ch]Bm[/ch]    [ch]Bm/A[/ch]   [ch]G[/ch]    [ch]G/F#[/ch]   [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nOh my name is Frances Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell[/tab]\r\n[tab]     [ch]A[/ch]                    [ch]Asus4[/ch]  [ch]A[/ch]            [ch]G[/ch]                    [ch]D[/ch]\r\nEach Christmas come since World War One, I've learned it's lessons well[/tab]\r\n[tab]         [ch]D[/ch]        [ch]D/C#[/ch]     [ch]Bm[/ch]   [ch]Bm/A[/ch]         [ch]G[/ch]        [ch]G/F#[/ch]     [ch]Em[/ch]\r\nThat the ones who call the shots, won't be a-mong the dead and lame[/tab]\r\n[tab]       [ch]A[/ch]               [ch]Asus4[/ch]     [ch]A[/ch]     [ch]D[/ch]\r\nAnd on each end of the rifle, we're the same[/tab]","plain_text":"Christmas in the Trenches\nBy John McCutcheon\nWinter Solstice (1984)\nAs interpreted by Joe G\n\nCapo on 2\n\nINTRO: D, G, A, D","chords":["G","D","A","D/C#","Bm","Bm/A","G/F#","Em","Asus4"],"chord_diagrams":{"A":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,0,1,2,3,0],"frets":[-1,0,2,2,2,0]},"Asus4":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,0,1,2,3,0],"frets":[-1,0,2,2,3,0]},"Bm":{"barres":[2],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,1,3,4,2,1],"frets":[-1,2,4,4,3,2]},"D":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,0,0,1,3,2],"frets":[-1,-1,0,2,3,2]},"Em":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[0,2,3,0,0,0],"frets":[0,2,2,0,0,0]},"G":{"barres":[],"baseFret":1,"fingers":[2,1,0,0,0,3],"frets":[3,2,0,0,0,3]}}}