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Summary: The
true story of Christmas Day 1915, when the British and German
troops met in no mans land, sang together, shared food and
drink and played a game of football - before both sides
were ordered to resume hostilities.
Moral: Those who
give the orders will never be on the front line, and those
who are - whichever side they're on, are the same.
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My name is Francis Tolliver,
I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany 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 France were still, no Christmas song
was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.
I was lying with my messmate 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 harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds 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
The next they sang was "Stille Nacht." "Tis
'Silent Night'," says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky
"There's someone coming toward us!" the front
line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their
side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain
so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night
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Soon one by one on either side
walked into No Man's 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 soccer game we gave 'em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from
home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeezebox 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 prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous
night
"Whose family have I fixed within my sights?"
'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter
hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as 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 forevermore
My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its
lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead
and lame
And on each end of the rifle we're the same
Additional Information:
This song featured in Dave's Angle
on episode 49 (The Christmas Special) of the Garden Sessions
FREE fortnightly internet radio show (or Podcast).
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