Christmas In The Trenches

— John McCutcheon

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Nineteenth century robber barons Jay Gould and J.P. Morgan are among the 25 richest Americans ever. Both are said to have boasted "I can hire one-half the working class to kill the other half."

This song is our answer.

It is a stylized description of a real event, in the early months of World War I. On Christmas Eve, men on both sides laid down their arms and joined in a spontaneous celebration. Despite orders to continue shooting, the unofficial truce spread across the front lines. Even the participants found what they were doing incredible: Germans placed candlelit Christmas trees on trench parapets, warring soldiers sang carols, and men on opposing sides shared food parcels from home. They climbed from the trenches to meet in "No Man's Land" where they buried the dead, exchanged gifts, ate and drank together, and even played soccer.

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John McCutcheon. . .

Christmas In The Trenches

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.

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.

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Personnel: John McCutcheon, guitar, vocal; Freyda Epstein, violin; Howard Levy, harmonica; Lorraine Duisit, mandolin; Ralph Gordon, cello, bass; Bill McElroy, engineer; John McCutcheon, Paul Reisler, producers.

Purchase the CDs: Water From Another Time or Winter Solstice.

Stanley Weintraub: Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. Thanks to Weintraub for assisting with information for this page.

John McCutcheon is a founding member of AFM Local 1000.

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Songs not otherwise attributed were recorded at the annual Great Labor Arts Exchange in 2001, 2003, 2004, or 2005 at the National Labor College/George Meany Center, Silver Spring, Maryland. Engineers: Bob Barnes, Ellis Boal, Charlie Ray Fetty III, Joe Jencks, Ray Korona, George Mann, Dave Sless, Isaac Wilson.

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