John McDermott - Christmas in the Trenches lyrics

Oh, my name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool

Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school

From Belgium and to Flanders, Germany to here

I fought for King and country I love dear

Twas Christmas in the trenches and the frost so bitter hung

The frozen fields of France where still no songs of peace were sung

Our families back in England were toasting us that day

They're brave and glorious lads so far away

I was lying with my mess mates 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 cannons rested silent and the gas cloud rolled no more

As Christmas brought us respite from the war

As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent

'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' struck up some lads from Kent

But the next thing sang was 'Stille Nacht' tis 'Silent Night' says I

And in two tongues one song filled up that sky

There's someone coming towards us now 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 the plane so bright

As he bravely trudged unarmed into the night

Then one by one on either side, walked in to No Mans Land

With neither gun nor bayonet, we met there hand to hand

We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well

And in a flare lit football game we gave them hell

We traded chocolates, cigarettes and photographs from home

These sons and fathers far away from families of their own

Ton Sanders played the 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 wondrous night

Whose family have I fixed within my sights

Twas Christmas in the trenches and the frost so bitter hung

The frozen fields of France were warmed, the 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 comes since World War I have learned its lessons well

For the ones who calls the shots won't be among the dead and lame

And on each end of the rifle we're the same