One Tin Soldier
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes* Lyrics

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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 the 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 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

It came an answer from the mountain
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 blowing
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
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

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 judgment day

On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

Overall Meaning

“One Tin Soldier” is a folk song originally written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter for the film Billy Jack in 1971. Me First And The Gimme Gimmes covered the song in 1999. The song describes a mythical kingdom situated on a mountain and the inhabitants of the valley below. The mountain contains a treasure that the valley people want for themselves. Despite attempts to negotiate for the treasure, the valley people end up killing the mountain people to get it. When they finally find the treasure, they discover a message saying “Peace on Earth was all it said.” The song ends with the line “One tin soldier rides away,” implying that violence ultimately solves nothing.

The song has been interpreted in various ways, but at its core, it is a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of greed and violence. The lyrics encourage listeners to think about the consequences of their actions and to consider the value of human life and peaceful coexistence. The line “Do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end” is a critique of the tendency for people to use religion as a justification for violence and aggression.

Line by Line Meaning

Listen, children, to a story
Pay attention, young ones, to a tale

That was written long ago
Crafted many ages before

'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
About a realm atop a peak

And the valley-folk below
And the dwellers of the lowland

On the mountain was a treasure
A prize hid within the mountain

Buried deep beneath the stone
Sealed away by sturdy rock

And the valley-people swore
The lowland folk vowed and declared

They'd have it for their very own
They'd make it theirs alone

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Feel free to despise your fellow humans

Go ahead and cheat a friend
Go ahead and deceive a companion

Do it in the name of heaven
Justify it in the name of the divine

You can justify it in the end
In the end, you can explain it away

There won't be any trumpets blowing
There will be no fanfare

Come the judgment day
When the day of judgment arrives

On the bloody morning after
On the aftermath of a violent morning

One tin soldier rides away
A lone soldier departs

So the people of the valley
Thus, the lowland people

Sent a message up the hill
Conveyed a message up the slope

Asking for the buried treasure
Requesting the hidden riches

Tons of gold for which they'd kill
A vast amount of fortune worth killing for

It came an answer from the mountain
There came a reply from the peak

With our brothers we will share
We will share with our siblings

All the secrets of our mountain
All the mysteries of our summit

All the riches buried there
All the wealth hidden within

Now the valley cried with anger
Now, the lowland resounded with fury

"Mount your horses! Draw your sword!"
"Prepare your horses and unsheathe your blades!"

And they killed the mountain-people
They slaughtered the dwellers of the peak

So they won their just reward
So they acquired what they deserved

Now they stood beside the treasure
Now they stood next to the riches

On the mountain, dark and red
On the mountain, shadowed and crimson

Turned the stone and looked beneath it
Moved the rock and looked beneath it

"Peace on Earth" was all it said
"May there be peace on Earth" was inscribed

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and despise your fellow humans

Go ahead and cheat a friend
Go ahead and deceive a companion

Do it in the name of heaven
Justify it in the name of the divine

You can justify it in the end
In the end, you can explain it away

There won't be any trumpets blowing
There will be no fanfare

Come the judgment day
When the day of judgment arrives

On the bloody morning after
On the aftermath of a violent morning

One tin soldier rides away
A lone soldier departs

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and despise your fellow humans

Go ahead and cheat a friend
Go ahead and deceive a companion

Do it in the name of heaven
Justify it in the name of the divine

You can justify it in the end
In the end, you can explain it away

There won't be any trumpets blowing
There will be no fanfare

Come the judgment day
When the day of judgment arrives

On the bloody morning after
On the aftermath of a violent morning

One tin soldier rides away
A lone soldier departs

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dennis Earle Lambert, Brian Potter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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