Story Behind The Song

This is not your typical Christmas song. I was moved by the story of the events that happened back in 1914 at the beginning of the First World War. This was the last time anything like this happened, war kind of grew up after this. A sad but, fairly authentic account of a strange event in human history.

Song Description

This song tells the tale of one of the many 1914 Christmas Truces that spontaneously took place on the battlefields of Belgium and France.

Lyrics

Christmas 1914
©J. D. Carroll
Creative Ventures Music, Inc. ASCAP


Young Tommy Flynn lifted his rifle
and aimed it towards No-Man's Land.
He found it ironic the night before Christmas
he might kill another man.

Now No-Man's Land was only fifty yards wide
not much more than a football goal line.
When the cannons were still and the wind was just right
he'd hear Fritz call for his lost Fräuleins

CHORUS
Just six months ago he was in a London pub
wooing his own sweet Kathleen
Now he's stuck in a trench between Belgium and France.
No place for a boy of nineteen.
That's no place for a boy of nineteen.

The weather was cruel throughout that winter
but the day had dawned with a mist.
Tommy peered out over his trench
and was hit by the spirit of Christmas
Fritz had crawled out over top his rampart
but instead of holding his gun
He carried a small evergreen tree
with candles and sweet sugarplums.

Tommy looked around and thought to himself,
"Perhaps I should mow them all down."
He buried that thought as he looked down his line,
saw his fellows all singing along
Tommy stood up and climbed over the top
made his way to the small Christmas tree
Together that morning, they stopped the war
by all singing a song about peace.

CHORUS

By the end of the carol both sides were there
they shook hands and started to talk.
Small gifts were exchanged mostly chocolate and beer
then came a well worn football.
Some wanted a game but most were content
to just share in a kick-around.
At the end of the day both sides retired,
left the tree on the battleground.

When the generals found out what had occurred
They were looking for someone to blame.
"We can't run a war if the men are all singing
and playing some football game!"
"Never again! Never again!"
they screamed from behind their lines.
from their château headquarters they passed the orders
"No one will fraternize!"

Chorus

Young Tommy Flynn lifted his rifle
and aimed it towards No-Man's Land.