By John McCutcheon
Winter Solstice (1984)
As interpreted by Joe GCapo on 2
INTRO: D, G, A, D
My name is [D/C#]Frances Tolli[Bm/A]ver, I come from L[G/F#]iver-pool
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school
To Belgium [D/C#]and to Flande[Bm/A]rs, to Germany[G/F#], to here
I fought for King and country I love dear
‘Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung
The frozen fields of [Bm/A]France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families [D/C#]back in England[Bm/A] were toasting [G/F#]us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far a-way
I was lying [D/C#]with my messmate[Bm/A], on the cold and [G/F#]rocky ground
When a-cross the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, now [D/C#]listen up me boys[Bm/A], each soldier s[G/F#]trained 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 [Bm/A]German voice, joined in in har-mo-ny
The cannons [D/C#]rested silen[Bm/A]t, the gas clouds [G/F#]rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as [D/C#]they were finishe[Bm/A]d, and a reverent [G/F#]pause was spent
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, struck up some lads from Kent
The next they [D/C#]sang was “Stille [Bm/A]Nacht”, ’tis “Silent [G/F#]Night” says I
And in two tongues, one song filled up that sky
There’s someone comin’ t’wards us, the frontline sentry cried
All sights were fixed on [Bm/A]one lone figure trudging from their side
His truce flag [D/C#]like a Christmas [Bm/A]star shone on that [G/F#]plain so bright
As he bravely strode un-armed into the night
Then one by [D/C#]one, on either [Bm/A]side, walked into [G/F#]No Man’s Land
With neither gun or bayonet, we met there hand to hand
We shared some [D/C#]secret bran[Bm/A]dy and wished each [G/F#]other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game, we gave ’em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes and photographs from home
These sons and fathers [Bm/A]far away from families of their own
Young Sanders [D/C#]played his squeezeb[Bm/A]ox and they had a [G/F#]vi-o-lin
This curious and un-likely band of men
Soon daylight [D/C#]stole u-pon u[Bm/A]s, and France was [G/F#]France once more
With sad farewells we each began to settle back to war
But the question [D/C#]haunted every [Bm/A]heart that lived that [G/F#]wondrous night
Whose family have I fixed within my sights
‘Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost so bitter hung
The frozen fields of [Bm/A]France were warmed as Christmas songs were sung
For the walls they [D/C#]kept be-tween u[Bm/A]s to ex-act the [G/F#]work of war
Had been crumbled and are gone for ever-more
Oh my name is [D/C#]Frances Tolliv[Bm/A]er, in Liver[G/F#]pool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War One, I’ve learned it’s lessons well
That the ones who [D/C#]call the shots[Bm/A], won’t be a-mong the [G/F#]dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle, we're the same
