The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: Songs That Changed the World--"One Tin Soldier" by the Original Caste

This is a classic tale of one civilized group of people who loved life and loved the world and another primitive group of people who loved war and were resentful of others and never wanted anyone to have anything that they couldn't have.  The first group was very Christ-like, loving their neighbors, while the other was not.  Sure, they may have won the battle, but they lost the war for they had forgotten what life was about.

"One Tin Soldier"

by the Original Caste

Written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter


Listen people to a story
that was written long ago,
'bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley folks below.

On the mountain was a treasure
Hidden 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 blowing,
come the judgement 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 the answer from the kingdom,
With our brothers we will share,
All the riches of the mountain,
All the treasure buried there.

Now the valley cried with anger,
Mount your horses, draw your swords
And they killed the mountain people,
So they won their just rewards.

Now they stood before 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 and friend,
Do it in the name of heaven,
You can justify it in the end.

There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after..................
One Tin Soldier rides away.