Belleau Wood
Garth Lyrics
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Over Belleau Wood that night
For a Christmas truce had been declared
By both sides of the fight
As we lay there in our trenches
The silence broke in two
By a German soldier singing
A song that we all knew
The song was "Silent Night"
Then I heard my buddy whisper
"All is calm and all is bright"
Then the fear and doubt surrounded me
'Cause I'd die if I was wrong
But I stood up on my trench
And I began to sing along
Then across the frozen battlefield
Another's voice joined in
Until one by one each man became
A singer of the hymn
Then I thought that I was dreaming
For right there in my sight
Stood the German soldier
'Neath the falling flakes of white
And he raised his hand and smiled at me
As if he seemed to say
Here's hoping we both live
To see us find a better way
Then the devil's clock struck midnight
And the skies lit up again
And the battlefield where heaven stood
Was blown to hell again
But for just one fleeting moment
The answer seemed so clear
Heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's just beyond the fear
No, heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's for us to find it here
Garth Brooks's song Belleau Wood is a poignant narration about soldiers on opposing sides during World War I who put aside their differences to celebrate Christmas; a theme that is not uncommon in other Christmas songs. However, Belleau Woods differs from other songs in its portrayal of unity and optimism, something that contradicts the harshness of war. The first stanza describes how snow fell peacefully over the trenches, but the tranquility was soon interrupted by a German soldier singing the beloved carol "Silent Night." Unable to resist the emotional pull of the tune, many other soldiers join in, including the singer, despite not knowing the language.
The second verse of the song introduces conflict and the fear that accompanies it. The singer stands up on his trench and sings "Silent Night" with the other soldiers. Even though he is worried he might be mistaken and get shot, the German troops recognize that the Allied side is celebrating the moment of peace and join in singing. The moment of unity, displayed through the words and melody of "Silent Night" convinces the singer that he is not dreaming because the German soldier, who previously was an enemy, raises his hand and smiles. Though this moment lasts only a few minutes, it reminds the soldier that bonding over music can transcend differences in language, race, and culture.
The song's final verse serves as a reflection of the conflicting emotions left in the two soldiers. The firing recommences with a bang as soon as the church bells ring midnight marking the end of Christmas Day. The answer to achieving a peaceful world seems all too elusive, but the song's interpretation strives to showcase that heaven isn't beyond the clouds as many want to believe, but it's just beyond the horror and terror of the 'now.' Heaven can be found by uniting together to find a better way through life, irrespective of differences in opinion, religion, and nationality.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the snowflakes fell in silence
The snowflakes fell quietly on Belleau Wood that night
Over Belleau Wood that night
The snowflakes fell quietly over Belleau Wood that night
For a Christmas truce had been declared
Both sides of the fight had declared a truce for Christmas
By both sides of the fight
Both sides of the war declared the Christmas truce
As we lay there in our trenches
We were lying in our trenches
The silence broke in two
The silence was interrupted
By a German soldier singing
A German soldier started singing
A song that we all knew
He sung the song that we all knew
Though I did not know the language
Though he didn't know German
The song was 'Silent Night'
The song was the well-known 'Silent Night'
Then I heard my buddy whisper
Then his buddy whispered in his ear
"All is calm and all is bright"
"Everything is peaceful and everything is going well"
Then the fear and doubt surrounded me
He felt afraid and doubtful
'Cause I'd die if I was wrong
He was worried he might die if he was wrong
But I stood up on my trench
He got up on his trench
And I began to sing along
He began to sing along
Then across the frozen battlefield
Then, across the frozen battlefield
Another's voice joined in
Someone else's voice joined in
Until one by one each man became
Until each man became part of the singing
A singer of the hymn
Each man sung the hymn
Then I thought that I was dreaming
He thought he was dreaming
For right there in my sight
Right there in front of him
Stood the German soldier
The German soldier was standing there
'Neath the falling flakes of white
Under the falling snow
And he raised his hand and smiled at me
The German soldier raised his hand and smiled at him
As if he seemed to say
As if he was trying to convey
Here's hoping we both live
He was hoping they both would survive
To see us find a better way
To see them find a better way to live
Then the devil's clock struck midnight
Then, at midnight, time ran out
And the skies lit up again
The battle resumed
And the battlefield where heaven stood
The battlefield where they had found temporary peace
Was blown to hell again
Was again bombed to pieces
But for just one fleeting moment
But for one brief moment
The answer seemed so clear
The answer seemed crystal clear
Heaven's not beyond the clouds
Heaven is not just in the clouds
It's just beyond the fear
It's just past the fear
No, heaven's not beyond the clouds
No, heaven is not in the clouds
It's for us to find it here
It is in our power to find it here
Lyrics Š BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GARTH BROOKS, JOE HENRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank Knoll
Oh, the snowflakes fell in silence
Over Belleau Wood that night
For a Christmas truce had been declared
By both sides of the fight
As we lay there in our trenches
The silence broke in two
By a German soldier singing
A song that we all knew
Though I did not know the language
The song was "Silent Night"
Then I heard my buddy whisper,
"All is calm and all is bright"
Then the fear and doubt surrounded me
'Cause I'd die if I was wrong
But I stood up in my trench
And I began to sing along
Then across the frozen battlefield
Another's voice joined in
Until one by one each man became
A singer of the hymn
Then I thought that I was dreaming
For right there in my sight
Stood the German soldier
'Neath the falling flakes of white
And he raised his hand and smiled at me
As if he seemed to say
Here's hoping we both live
To see us find a better way
Then the devil's clock struck midnight
And the skies lit up again
And the battlefield where heaven stood
Was blown to hell again
But for just one fleeting moment
The answer seemed so clear
Heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's just beyond the fear
No, heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's for us to find it here
Nutrition Nut
Hereâs the lyrics. Oh the snowflakes fell in silence
Over Belleau Wood that night
For a Christmas truce had been declared
By both sides of the fight
As we lay there in our trenches
The silence broke in two
By a German soldier singing
A song that we all knew
Though I did not know the language
The song was "Silent Night"
Then I heard my buddy whisper
"All is calm and all is bright"
Then the fear and doubt surrounded me
'Cause I'd die if I was wrong
But I stood up on my trench
And I began to sing along
Then across the frozen battlefield
Another's voice joined in
Until one by one each man became
A singer of the hymn
Then I thought that I was dreaming
For right there in my sight
Stood the German soldier
'Neath the falling flakes of white
And he raised his hand and smiled at me
As if he seemed to say
Here's hoping we both live
To see us find a better way
Then the devil's clock struck midnight
And the skies lit up again
And the battlefield where heaven stood
Was blown to hell again
But for just one fleeting moment
The answer seemed so clear
Heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's just beyond the fear
No, heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's for us to find it here
JonMaria Analicia Cristina
Have always loved this song as a teacher of history. But this year it took on a very personal meaning for my ex-wife and me.
This is the first Christmas without our 18 year old daughter who is serving in the United States Marine Corps and finishing her School of Infantry training. As I write only 77 days until she'll be home. To most, a drop in the bucket; to us a lifetime.
Premulis
I thank her for her service. God bless you and your family.
Stephanie Willhite
Is she back yet? I know some did not make it back...
tattoojack
May your Marine always come Home to you.
John Balicki
She is gonna be just fine! She is a marine!
Martha Zboril
Your daughter is one of my heroes! My dad was a WW2 veteran...I miss him every day.
Hailey Anderson
Every time I hear this song I never fail to feel the spirt radiate throughout the cords. In this song God spoke through Garth. "Heavens just beyond the fear". Take It to heart.
Richard Doucet
My Grandfather fought at Bellevue wood and Verdun
he was a Canadian who earned his citizenship I am 3rd Generation Veteran but 2nd Generation American...
God Bless, Thank You for Your Service You gave us what we have.!! LIBERTY!!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!
brendalester taylor
Thank you
Martha Zboril
He is a hero! My dad was at D-day...all soldiers are my heroes!