Chords for Christmas In The Trenches (Live At The Barns Of Wolf Trap / 1990 & 1991)
Tempo:
114.7 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
A
Em
Bm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
There are some songs as a writer that you write and there are other songs that you just sort of write down.
They come through you and they and that was definitely the case for this song so I can speak with it with a certain amount of
distance.
This came to me totally as a gift.
Five minutes, bam, it was there and some of the most remarkable things that have happened to me in my life
have happened to me because of this song.
Probably the most remarkable thing though that's happened to me is happened a couple years ago when I was a little festival in Denmark.
A little town called Turnder and every time I played there was this little bevy of very old, and we're talking old,
German men
who had come across the border and
showed up at my shows and they usually came in late.
Came trotting up the aisle and there usually wasn't a seat left.
So they just stood there at the edge of the stage and watched me and without expression
turned around, left when I was done.
The last set and I'm watching these guys turn around to leave as I finished my last song and I'm thinking,
who are these guys?
So I sat down my auto harp or whatever I was playing,
jumped off the edge of the stage and ran up the aisle and caught the last guy.
And I said, you guys have been really sweet showing up all these places, but
what's the deal?
The guy said, well we're here because because of that song.
I said, what song?
He said, well, you know that song, the one that's on the radio.
That's how we heard about you and about this festival.
He said, because all our lives, our families, our friends
have told us we were crazy.
Couldn't possibly have happened to us.
But then we heard your song on the radio and we said, see?
See?
Because we were there and they were there 75 years ago this last Christmas Eve when
the events of this song commemorates happened.
Oh, my [D] name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
I come [Em] from Liverpool.
[G] [A] Two years ago, the war [G] was waiting for me after school.
[D] From Belgium [G] and the Flanders,
[F#m] to Germany, [Em] to here, [G] I [A] fought for king and country [D] I loved dear.
[A] It was [G] Christmas in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] The frozen [D] fields of France were still, no [D] Christmas songs [G] were sung.
[D] Our families [G] back in England were [D] toasting us [Em] that day.
[E] Their brave [G] and glorious lads so [D] far away.
Well, I was lying [G] with my mess mates on [Bm] the cold and rocky [Em] ground.
[A] When across the [G] lines of battle came [D] a most peculiar sound.
Says, I [G] now listen up me boys, each [D] soldier [Em] strained to hear, [A] as one young [G] German voice
[D] sang out so clear.
[A] Singing [G] bloody well, you know, my [D] partner says to me,
[Bm] soon one by one [A] each German voice
[G] joined [D] in in [G] harmony.
[D] The cannons [G] rested silent and the gas [Em] clouds rolled no more.
[A] As Christmas brought [G] us respite from [D] the war.
Well, as soon as they [G] were finished and a [D] reverent pause [Em] was spent, [A] God rest ye [G] merry gentlemen,
struck up some [D] lads from Kent.
Oh, the next they [G] sang was Stiele Nacht,
Tis silent [Em] night, says I, [A] and in two [G] tongues one song [D] filled up that sky.
[A] As someone [G] coming towards us, the front [D] line sentry cried.
[Bm] All sights were [D] fixed on one lone figure trudging from [A] their side.
[D] His truce flag like a Christmas star shone on that [Em] plain so bright as he bravely
[D] strode on armed into the night.
One [G] by one on either side walked into [Em] no man's land.
[A] With [G] neither gun nor bayonet, we met [D] there hand to hand.
We shared some [G] secret brandy and we wished each [Em] other well.
[A] And in a flare [G]-lit soccer game, we [D] gave hell.
[A] We traded [G] chocolates, cigarettes, and [D] photographs from home.
[Bm]
These sons and fathers far away from [D] families of [A] their own.
[D] Young Sanders [G] played his squeeze box and [D] they had a violin.
[A] This curious [G] and unlikely band [D] of men.
[G] [D]
[B] [D]
Soon daylight [G] stole upon us.
France [Em] was France once more.
[A] With sad [G] farewells, we each began to settle [D] back to war.
But the question haunted [G] every heart that beat that [Em] wondrous night.
[A] Whose family [G] have I fixed within [D] my sights?
[A]
It was Christmas [G] in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] Frozen [D] fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung.
[D] The walls [G] they'd kept between us to [Bm] exact the work [Em] of war [A] had been crumbled [G] and were gone [D] forevermore.
Oh, my name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
In Liverpool [Em] I dwell.
[A]
Each Christmas [G] comes as World War I.
[D] I've learned his lessons well.
That the ones who [G] call the shots won't be among the [Em] dead and lame.
[A] And on each end [G] of the [C#] rifle, we're [D] the same.
[G] [D]
[B] [D]
[E] [D]
[N]
They come through you and they and that was definitely the case for this song so I can speak with it with a certain amount of
distance.
This came to me totally as a gift.
Five minutes, bam, it was there and some of the most remarkable things that have happened to me in my life
have happened to me because of this song.
Probably the most remarkable thing though that's happened to me is happened a couple years ago when I was a little festival in Denmark.
A little town called Turnder and every time I played there was this little bevy of very old, and we're talking old,
German men
who had come across the border and
showed up at my shows and they usually came in late.
Came trotting up the aisle and there usually wasn't a seat left.
So they just stood there at the edge of the stage and watched me and without expression
turned around, left when I was done.
The last set and I'm watching these guys turn around to leave as I finished my last song and I'm thinking,
who are these guys?
So I sat down my auto harp or whatever I was playing,
jumped off the edge of the stage and ran up the aisle and caught the last guy.
And I said, you guys have been really sweet showing up all these places, but
what's the deal?
The guy said, well we're here because because of that song.
I said, what song?
He said, well, you know that song, the one that's on the radio.
That's how we heard about you and about this festival.
He said, because all our lives, our families, our friends
have told us we were crazy.
Couldn't possibly have happened to us.
But then we heard your song on the radio and we said, see?
See?
Because we were there and they were there 75 years ago this last Christmas Eve when
the events of this song commemorates happened.
Oh, my [D] name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
I come [Em] from Liverpool.
[G] [A] Two years ago, the war [G] was waiting for me after school.
[D] From Belgium [G] and the Flanders,
[F#m] to Germany, [Em] to here, [G] I [A] fought for king and country [D] I loved dear.
[A] It was [G] Christmas in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] The frozen [D] fields of France were still, no [D] Christmas songs [G] were sung.
[D] Our families [G] back in England were [D] toasting us [Em] that day.
[E] Their brave [G] and glorious lads so [D] far away.
Well, I was lying [G] with my mess mates on [Bm] the cold and rocky [Em] ground.
[A] When across the [G] lines of battle came [D] a most peculiar sound.
Says, I [G] now listen up me boys, each [D] soldier [Em] strained to hear, [A] as one young [G] German voice
[D] sang out so clear.
[A] Singing [G] bloody well, you know, my [D] partner says to me,
[Bm] soon one by one [A] each German voice
[G] joined [D] in in [G] harmony.
[D] The cannons [G] rested silent and the gas [Em] clouds rolled no more.
[A] As Christmas brought [G] us respite from [D] the war.
Well, as soon as they [G] were finished and a [D] reverent pause [Em] was spent, [A] God rest ye [G] merry gentlemen,
struck up some [D] lads from Kent.
Oh, the next they [G] sang was Stiele Nacht,
Tis silent [Em] night, says I, [A] and in two [G] tongues one song [D] filled up that sky.
[A] As someone [G] coming towards us, the front [D] line sentry cried.
[Bm] All sights were [D] fixed on one lone figure trudging from [A] their side.
[D] His truce flag like a Christmas star shone on that [Em] plain so bright as he bravely
[D] strode on armed into the night.
One [G] by one on either side walked into [Em] no man's land.
[A] With [G] neither gun nor bayonet, we met [D] there hand to hand.
We shared some [G] secret brandy and we wished each [Em] other well.
[A] And in a flare [G]-lit soccer game, we [D] gave hell.
[A] We traded [G] chocolates, cigarettes, and [D] photographs from home.
[Bm]
These sons and fathers far away from [D] families of [A] their own.
[D] Young Sanders [G] played his squeeze box and [D] they had a violin.
[A] This curious [G] and unlikely band [D] of men.
[G] [D]
[B] [D]
Soon daylight [G] stole upon us.
France [Em] was France once more.
[A] With sad [G] farewells, we each began to settle [D] back to war.
But the question haunted [G] every heart that beat that [Em] wondrous night.
[A] Whose family [G] have I fixed within [D] my sights?
[A]
It was Christmas [G] in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] Frozen [D] fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung.
[D] The walls [G] they'd kept between us to [Bm] exact the work [Em] of war [A] had been crumbled [G] and were gone [D] forevermore.
Oh, my name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
In Liverpool [Em] I dwell.
[A]
Each Christmas [G] comes as World War I.
[D] I've learned his lessons well.
That the ones who [G] call the shots won't be among the [Em] dead and lame.
[A] And on each end [G] of the [C#] rifle, we're [D] the same.
[G] [D]
[B] [D]
[E] [D]
[N]
Key:
D
G
A
Em
Bm
D
G
A
There are some songs as a writer that you write and there are other songs that you just sort of write down.
They come through you and they and that was definitely the case for this song so I can speak with it with a certain amount of
_ distance.
This came to me totally as a gift.
Five minutes, bam, it was there and some of the most remarkable things that have happened to me in my life
have happened to me because of this song.
Probably the most remarkable thing though that's happened to me is happened a couple years ago when I was a little festival in Denmark.
A little town called Turnder and every time I played there was this little bevy of very old, and we're talking old,
_ German men
_ who had come across the border and
showed up at my shows and they usually came in late.
_ _ Came trotting up the aisle and there usually wasn't a seat left.
So they just stood there at the edge of the stage and watched me and without expression
turned around, left when I was done.
_ The last set and I'm watching these guys turn around to leave as I finished my last song and I'm thinking,
who are these guys?
So I sat down my auto harp or whatever I was playing,
jumped off the edge of the stage and ran up the aisle and caught the last guy.
And I said, you guys have been really sweet showing up all these places, but
_ _ _ what's the deal?
_ _ The guy said, well we're here because because of that song.
I said, what song?
He said, well, you know that song, the one that's on the radio.
That's how we heard about you and about this festival.
He said, because all our lives, our families, our friends
_ have told us we were crazy.
Couldn't possibly have happened to us. _ _
But then we heard your song on the radio and we said, see?
See?
_ _ _ Because we were there _ and they were there 75 years ago this last Christmas Eve when
_ _ the events of this song commemorates happened.
_ _ Oh, my [D] name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
_ I come [Em] from Liverpool. _
[G] _ [A] Two years ago, the war [G] was waiting for me after school.
[D] _ _ From Belgium [G] and the Flanders,
[F#m] to Germany, [Em] to here, [G] I [A] fought for king and country [D] I loved dear. _ _ _ _
[A] It was [G] Christmas in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] The frozen [D] fields of France were still, no [D] Christmas songs [G] were sung.
[D] Our families [G] back in England were [D] toasting us [Em] that day.
[E] Their brave [G] and glorious lads so [D] far away. _ _
Well, I was lying [G] with my mess mates on [Bm] the cold and rocky [Em] ground.
[A] When across the [G] lines of battle came [D] a most peculiar sound.
_ Says, I [G] now listen up me boys, each [D] soldier [Em] strained to hear, [A] as one young [G] German voice
[D] sang out so clear.
_ [A] _ Singing [G] bloody well, you know, my [D] partner says to me,
[Bm] soon one by one [A] each German voice
[G] joined [D] in in [G] harmony. _
[D] The cannons [G] rested silent and the gas [Em] clouds rolled no more.
[A] As Christmas brought [G] us respite from [D] the war.
_ _ Well, as soon as they [G] were finished and a [D] reverent pause [Em] was spent, [A] God rest ye [G] merry gentlemen,
struck up some [D] lads from Kent.
Oh, the next they [G] sang was Stiele Nacht,
Tis silent [Em] night, says I, [A] and in two [G] tongues one song [D] filled up that sky. _
_ [A] As someone [G] coming towards us, the front [D] line sentry cried.
[Bm] All sights were [D] fixed on one lone figure trudging from [A] their side.
_ [D] His truce flag like a Christmas star shone on that [Em] plain so bright as he bravely
[D] strode on armed into the night. _
_ _ _ One [G] by one on either side walked into [Em] no man's land.
_ [A] With [G] neither gun nor bayonet, we met [D] there hand to hand.
We shared some [G] secret brandy and we wished each [Em] other well.
[A] And in a flare [G]-lit soccer game, we [D] gave hell.
_ _ _ [A] We traded [G] chocolates, cigarettes, and [D] photographs from home.
[Bm]
These sons and fathers far away from [D] families of [A] their own.
[D] Young Sanders [G] played his squeeze box and [D] they had a violin.
[A] This curious [G] and unlikely band [D] of men. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ _ Soon daylight [G] stole upon us.
_ France [Em] was France once more.
[A] With sad [G] farewells, we each began to settle [D] back to war. _
But the question haunted [G] every heart that beat that [Em] wondrous night.
[A] Whose family [G] have I fixed within [D] my sights?
_ _ _ [A]
It was Christmas [G] in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] _ Frozen [D] fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung.
[D] The walls [G] they'd kept between us to [Bm] exact the work [Em] of war [A] had been crumbled [G] and were gone _ [D] forevermore. _
_ _ Oh, my name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
_ In Liverpool [Em] I dwell.
_ [A]
Each Christmas [G] comes as World War I.
[D] I've learned his lessons well.
_ _ That the ones who [G] call the shots won't be among the [Em] dead and lame.
_ [A] And on each end [G] of the [C#] rifle, _ we're [D] the same. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
They come through you and they and that was definitely the case for this song so I can speak with it with a certain amount of
_ distance.
This came to me totally as a gift.
Five minutes, bam, it was there and some of the most remarkable things that have happened to me in my life
have happened to me because of this song.
Probably the most remarkable thing though that's happened to me is happened a couple years ago when I was a little festival in Denmark.
A little town called Turnder and every time I played there was this little bevy of very old, and we're talking old,
_ German men
_ who had come across the border and
showed up at my shows and they usually came in late.
_ _ Came trotting up the aisle and there usually wasn't a seat left.
So they just stood there at the edge of the stage and watched me and without expression
turned around, left when I was done.
_ The last set and I'm watching these guys turn around to leave as I finished my last song and I'm thinking,
who are these guys?
So I sat down my auto harp or whatever I was playing,
jumped off the edge of the stage and ran up the aisle and caught the last guy.
And I said, you guys have been really sweet showing up all these places, but
_ _ _ what's the deal?
_ _ The guy said, well we're here because because of that song.
I said, what song?
He said, well, you know that song, the one that's on the radio.
That's how we heard about you and about this festival.
He said, because all our lives, our families, our friends
_ have told us we were crazy.
Couldn't possibly have happened to us. _ _
But then we heard your song on the radio and we said, see?
See?
_ _ _ Because we were there _ and they were there 75 years ago this last Christmas Eve when
_ _ the events of this song commemorates happened.
_ _ Oh, my [D] name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
_ I come [Em] from Liverpool. _
[G] _ [A] Two years ago, the war [G] was waiting for me after school.
[D] _ _ From Belgium [G] and the Flanders,
[F#m] to Germany, [Em] to here, [G] I [A] fought for king and country [D] I loved dear. _ _ _ _
[A] It was [G] Christmas in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] The frozen [D] fields of France were still, no [D] Christmas songs [G] were sung.
[D] Our families [G] back in England were [D] toasting us [Em] that day.
[E] Their brave [G] and glorious lads so [D] far away. _ _
Well, I was lying [G] with my mess mates on [Bm] the cold and rocky [Em] ground.
[A] When across the [G] lines of battle came [D] a most peculiar sound.
_ Says, I [G] now listen up me boys, each [D] soldier [Em] strained to hear, [A] as one young [G] German voice
[D] sang out so clear.
_ [A] _ Singing [G] bloody well, you know, my [D] partner says to me,
[Bm] soon one by one [A] each German voice
[G] joined [D] in in [G] harmony. _
[D] The cannons [G] rested silent and the gas [Em] clouds rolled no more.
[A] As Christmas brought [G] us respite from [D] the war.
_ _ Well, as soon as they [G] were finished and a [D] reverent pause [Em] was spent, [A] God rest ye [G] merry gentlemen,
struck up some [D] lads from Kent.
Oh, the next they [G] sang was Stiele Nacht,
Tis silent [Em] night, says I, [A] and in two [G] tongues one song [D] filled up that sky. _
_ [A] As someone [G] coming towards us, the front [D] line sentry cried.
[Bm] All sights were [D] fixed on one lone figure trudging from [A] their side.
_ [D] His truce flag like a Christmas star shone on that [Em] plain so bright as he bravely
[D] strode on armed into the night. _
_ _ _ One [G] by one on either side walked into [Em] no man's land.
_ [A] With [G] neither gun nor bayonet, we met [D] there hand to hand.
We shared some [G] secret brandy and we wished each [Em] other well.
[A] And in a flare [G]-lit soccer game, we [D] gave hell.
_ _ _ [A] We traded [G] chocolates, cigarettes, and [D] photographs from home.
[Bm]
These sons and fathers far away from [D] families of [A] their own.
[D] Young Sanders [G] played his squeeze box and [D] they had a violin.
[A] This curious [G] and unlikely band [D] of men. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ _ Soon daylight [G] stole upon us.
_ France [Em] was France once more.
[A] With sad [G] farewells, we each began to settle [D] back to war. _
But the question haunted [G] every heart that beat that [Em] wondrous night.
[A] Whose family [G] have I fixed within [D] my sights?
_ _ _ [A]
It was Christmas [G] in the trenches where the [D] frost so bitter hung.
[Bm] _ Frozen [D] fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung.
[D] The walls [G] they'd kept between us to [Bm] exact the work [Em] of war [A] had been crumbled [G] and were gone _ [D] forevermore. _
_ _ Oh, my name is [G] Francis Tolliver.
_ In Liverpool [Em] I dwell.
_ [A]
Each Christmas [G] comes as World War I.
[D] I've learned his lessons well.
_ _ That the ones who [G] call the shots won't be among the [Em] dead and lame.
_ [A] And on each end [G] of the [C#] rifle, _ we're [D] the same. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _