Synopsis

Set during World War I, the video dramatizes the Christmas Truce of 1914. Paul McCartney plays both a British soldier and a German soldier stationed in opposing trenches. As fighting gives way to an unofficial holiday ceasefire, troops emerge into no man's land, exchange gifts, share drinks and play football. The two central soldiers trade photographs of their loved ones before an explosion sends everyone back to the trenches. Only then do they realize they have accidentally kept each other's pictures, leaving a quiet reminder of their shared humanity.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed at Chobham Common in Surrey and recreates the famous Christmas Truce between British and German troops in 1914.

• McCartney plays both central soldiers. The production used more than 100 extras to populate the trenches and the football scene.

• McCartney had his hair cut short specifically for the shoot, helping him fit the period setting.

• The video was released in 1983, when the "Pipes of Peace" single became a UK No. 1 for two weeks. It also topped the Irish Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1984.

• The video became part of the song's anti-war identity, contrasting the military setting with gestures of friendship, family and ordinary play.

• A 2014 Sainsbury's Christmas commercial, made with the Royal British Legion, was widely noted for its close resemblance to the video's Christmas Truce story and its exchanged gifts.