This Christmas Time

Christmas trees lined all along the tops of trenches. Paper lanterns and illuminations and all sorts. We were only 50 yards away and a German soldier shouted "tomorrow you no shoot, we no shoot". But can we trust them? We came out and shook hands, exchanged cigars and exchanged stories of our families and lives. A lively game of football ensued and then we took in our dead friends from No Mans Land to bury them on this beautiful Christmas day...a day they'd never see.

What I believed was total madness just hours ago was happening before my eyes...English, Bavarians, Scots and French...No Mans Land had become every mans land. Men who had been killing each other for months all laughed together.

A single star stood out in the sky above all these men as they mixed and gathered ...like a special sign. These Germans weren't all bad but I fear there will be war here for many years and Christmas will come and go...but I will still be this soldier. I handed the Germans wooden crosses to bury their nine dead friends, then had to look back again and again to believe this was even happening as this was not the time of war...it was Christmas time.

I watched the beauty of dawn as it rose...a hot coffee, a plum pudding with the lads...but I wish I was home with you and the children. I miss their sweet little faces, full of excitement as I'm sure Santa Claus will come for them...but not for me, not in this place. Our silent night has passed. Today is now Christmas Day and I met the best shot in the whole German army who'd killed a lot of our men...many of my friends...we shared pipes, corned beef and jam but I now know where he hides and I will down him tomorrow! Merry Christmas he yelled and smiled and was gone...then we turned our backs...war was still upon us.

In the silence of this dark blue night
Shone a star so strangely bright
Frozen men huddled for the fight
Is this war worth dying for?

Christmas trees lined up all in a row
Paper lanterns flicker and glow
Below cold trenches and the glistening pale snow
Lay a thousand ghosts of war

We wish you peace
Shoot the stars down from the sky
We wish you peace
This Christmas time

They said go fight for your country
Don't they know it's Christmas time
It's snowing now and no mans land lays empty
Our war's gone think God's called time

It don't seem right to still be killing
No no not at Christmas time
Brought me here with the old kings shilling
And I'll stay for Auld Lang Syne

Cigars and corned-beef now a merry night
No bayonets, bullets no stranger sight
Our dead we buried on this silent night
Even war has a Christmas Day

O ye who read this truthful rime
From Flanders fields for all mankind
Kneel and say God speed the time
It shall be our Christmas time

We wish you peace
Shoot the stars down from the sky
We wish you peace
This Christmas time

They said go fight for your country
Don't they know it's Christmas time
It's snowing now and no mans land lays empty
Our war's gone think God's called time

We'll remember this Christmas time
We'll remember this Christmas time
Merry Christmas my darling
Merry Christmas