One Tin Soldier

by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter (1969)
[nb: theme of Billy Jack movie]

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, 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, 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, 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.