The fed us ham and Christmas pie
And as the sun was rising high
Shots rang out along the line
On a Christmas day
The sergeant said we must advance
Around us all the bullets danced
We prayed to God we’d have a chance
To live through Christmas day
Far from family and from home
Wet and cold and all alone
Someone sent us off to war
And I’m not sure what for
We gained a mile or more that day
And as the light faded away
I looked and saw to my dismay
That I was all alone
To my right I heard a sound
I raised my gun and fired upon
And enemy soldier fell to the ground
On a Christmas day
And as he lay there torn and hurt
He pulled a letter from his shirt
Says he if you will take my life
Please send this to my wife
I held my rifle to his chest
He closed his eyes and saw his death
But I thought of those words he said
And saw my own family
I stopped his wound and left him there
The smell of death hung in the air
And I heard a horn sound off somewhere
On a Christmas day
Now I just sit here in my chair
I'm old and wrinkled everywhere
But I see his face back over there
On a Christmas day
The war is over, the battle’s done
Who cares now why one side won
All I recall is lowering my gun
On a Christmas day