One Tin Soldier

One Tin Soldier


by The Bear Paw
Tuesday, April 15, 2003


ONE TIN SOLDIER
(The Legend of Billy Jack)
words and music by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter
Copyright © 1969 by ABC / Dunhill Music, Inc.

Listen children to a story
that was written long ago
'bout a kingdom on a mountain
and the valley folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure
buried deep beneath a stone,
and the valley people swore
they'd have it for their very own.


Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
you can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin' come the judgment day
on the bloody morning after
one tin soldier rides away.


So the people of the valley
sent a message up the hill
asking for the buried treasure,
tons of gold for which they'd kill.
Came an answer from the kingdom:
"With our brothers we will share
all the secrets of our mountain,
all the riches buried there."


Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
you can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin' come the judgment day
on the bloody morning after
one tin soldier rides away.


Now the valley cried with anger;
mount your horses, draw your sword,
and they killed the mountain people, so they won
their just reward.
Now they stood beside the treasure
on the mountain, dark and red,
turned the stone and looked beneath it.
"Peace on earth" was all it said.


Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
upi can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin' come the judgment day
on the bloody morning after
one tin soldier rides away.



The Bear Paw