Sabaton wrote a song about war history? Ya don’t say!
The band’s latest, “Christmas Truce,” tells the story of a most unlikely temporary alliance between bitter enemies forged on the warfield in the name of Christmas. Press copy explains:
“December 24, 1914: Late on Christmas Eve, British Expeditionary Force heard German troops in the trenches opposite them singing Christmas carols and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches. Messages began to be shouted between the trenches. The following day, British and German soldiers met in no man’s land and exchanged gifts, took pictures and some even played football. It was a rare but magic moment of peace and harmony in the midst of one of the most atrocious events of the 20th century.”
Bassist and band leader Par Sundström explains:
“‘Christmas Truce’ was our highest priority when we decided to write songs about World War One. Not only was it the most requested topic from our fans, but it was, for us, the most emotional story from the war. This song took us years to create since we wanted the music to reflect the mood honesty, and it was a big challenge; but we feel we managed to write a song that captures the spirit of that day, over a century ago.”
“Christmas Truce” will appear on Sabaton’s World War I-themed tenth studio album, The War To End All Wars, coming out on March 4, 2022.