The five-member band grew out of the Calgary folk trio The North Country Si… Read Full Bio ↴The five-member band grew out of the Calgary folk trio The North Country Singers, formed in 1966 by songwriter and guitarist Bruce Innes (b Calgary 7 Jan 1943). They moved to Vancouver and added the singer Dixie Lee Stone (b Moose Jaw, Sask 14 May 1946), who married Innes. After playing western Canadian and US coffeehouses and resorts, in 1969 they signed with Bell Records, adopted a pop sound, and changed their name to The Original Caste. Their first release with Bell was the 1969 pop LP The Original Caste (Bell TA 5003), from which the moralistic tale "One Tin Soldier" (written by US producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter) became a No. 1 gold record in Canada and Japan, was No. 1 in several US cities, and reached No. 34 on the US Billboard charts in 1970. Also from this album, "Mr Monday" hit No. 3 on the CHUM charts in May 1970, was No. 1 in Japan, and sold over 2 million copies.

At their peak, the band was based in Los Angeles. They toured North America and Japan, performed with Glen Campbell and B.B. King, and made television appearances, including on Denny Doherty 's CBC TV show in 1978. Additional releases included several singles 1970-1, which fared less well, and two Live in Japan albums (Bell 1971). After the band's dissolution in 1972, Bruce and Dixie Lee Innes continued to perform as The Original Caste, releasing the country-influenced album Back Home (Century II/Capitol ST 17004, 1974), arranged by Tommy Banks and recorded in Alberta. Bruce Innes continued to perform under the band's name through the early 2000s.

"One Tin Soldier" was given a BMI award. A cover version performed by the US band Coven was featured in the 1971 film Billy Jack. In 2003 CHUM radio banned The Original Caste version and other anti-war songs, despite its having reached No. 1 on the CHUM chart in December 1969.

The Original Caste's trademark early sound was polished, uncomplicated pop, made remarkable by Dixie Lee Innes's rich, strong voice and heartfelt delivery. The band was among the earliest Canadian pop groups to be heard internationally.

One Tin Soldier
The Original Caste Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

The song 'One Tin Soldier' by The Original Caste is a powerful tale of greed, envy, and war. The story narrates the lives of two groups of people: those who lived on the mountain and those who lived in the valley below. The mountain people are guardians of a treasure buried deep beneath the stone. The valley people wish to possess it, and they send a message to the mountain people, asking for it. However, the mountain people refuse to part with it. The valley people, driven by their greed and envy, decide to attack the mountain people, and a war ensues. The valley people emerge victorious, and they finally get to the treasure. But it's not gold, just a message that said, "Peace on Earth."

The lyrics of the song expose the futility of war and the costs of greed and envy. The concept of "One Tin Soldier," who was unimpressed by wealth, material possessions, and military might, was a reflection of the "hippie" culture of the late 60s and early 70s. They were believers in peace, love, and harmony, and they rejected the mainstream culture that glorified war and materialism.

Line by Line Meaning

Listen, children, to a story
Pay attention and listen to this tale

That was written long ago
This is an old story

'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
This story takes place in a kingdom on a mountain

And the valley-folk below
There are people who live in the valley below the mountain kingdom

On the mountain was a treasure
There is a treasure hidden in the mountain

Buried deep beneath the stone
The treasure is hidden deep below the surface

And the valley-people swore
The valley people made a promise or oath

They'd have it for their very own
They want to take the treasure for themselves

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
It is okay to hate your neighbor

Go ahead and cheat a friend
You can hurt or deceive your friend

Do it in the name of heaven
Justify your actions using religion

You can justify it in the end
You can always find a way to justify your actions

There won't be any trumpets blowing
There won't be any warning or fanfare

Come the judgment day
When it's time for judgment or reckoning

On the bloody morning after
The next day, when there is bloodshed

One tin soldier rides away
Only one soldier survives to ride away from the battle

So the people of the valley
The valley people

Sent a message up the hill
They sent a message to the people on the mountain

Asking for the buried treasure
They asked for the treasure

Tons of gold for which they'd kill
They were willing to kill for the gold

It came an answer from the mountain
The mountain people responded

With our brothers we will share
We will share the secrets and riches with our brothers

All the secrets of our mountain
All the secrets that are hidden in the mountain

All the riches buried there
All the wealth that is hidden there

Now the valley cried with anger
The valley people were very angry

"Mount your horses! Draw your sword!"
They were ready to fight and called for their weapons

And they killed the mountain-people
The valley people killed the people of the mountain

So they won their just reward
They got what they thought they deserved

Now they stood beside the treasure
They were next to the treasure

On the mountain, dark and red
The mountain looked dark and red

Turned the stone and looked beneath it
They lifted the stone and looked underneath

"Peace on Earth" was all it said
The message underneath the stone was just "Peace on Earth"

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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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@williamlink3951

2y↑11

AWSOME. I am 74 & a Viet
Nam era veteran USMC.
I remember when the movie "Billy Jack" came out. Even today all of these
Years later when I here that
Song I ALWAYS think of
My brothers who did not
Come back home. Sad &
Yes, I still get misty eyed.
SEMPER Fi brothers....I
Will be along shortly.

@oldold7

5y↑34

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 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 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 judgment day,
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away.

All comments from YouTube:

@annaferguson93

4y↑1.1K

My little sister Lisa died yesterday. I would sing her songs to go to sleep. This was one she loved. RIP LISA DAWN GRIMM - SHREVE. I LOVE YOU FOREVER

@daratuttle6608

4y↑21

so sorry for your loss <3

@YelhsaMarie

4y↑24

God needs his some of us back. For now you won't know why but later you'll understand why. Just connecting the song with today's times tell us alot. What a beautiful soul. Her flesh may be gone but her spirit lives on and probably inside of you a little. Don't cry tears. As age is now one of your guides. Much love and positive frequency I send to you. Thank you for sharing some inspiration

@ptrollan

4y↑10

very sorry very sad

@sew1835

4y↑11

It has only been a month, but hope that you and your family are doing well.

@helencarey7817

4y↑8

I'm so sorry god bless

173 More Replies...

@stevelux9854

2y↑360

Songs like this are needed today as much as ever.

@ameliawarfield5637

1y↑8

Very true.

@fredmoore8661

1y↑7

More than ever.

@fantinewilde2856

1y↑10

Now, today, God🥺 fix now please.

@stevelux9854

1y↑4

@Richard SPARKS Casting pearls before swine?

@joelellis927

Yeah fu*kem.

13 More Replies...

@JenniferMannette

2y↑118

20 odd years later and "turned the stone and 'Peace on Earth' was all it said" still hits me...and makes me wish for this...the way the world is going. This is a terrific song but so underrated and should be listened to.

@janicema3959

2y↑3

So true. I just put it on Facebook. Maybe we'll get lucky.

@FuzoCam

1y↑1

Agreed!

@clairheld957

21w

Yeper very poignant .hits the nail on the head. Applies too many various ways from the soilders ,first responders etc...

@juliafeldman630

1y↑160

The first time I heard this song was at my summer camp. I was about 7 years old and my sister told me to never let the song die. I am much older now and for the first time last summer, I sang this in front of the camp and made people promise to never let it die. I used to not understand why it hit so hard, but as I was standing up there surrounded by people who I've known it seems almost all my life, it finally hit me. I started to cry because of how truly amazing this song is.

@bees3897

1y↑5

My summer camp would always sing this song too

@acgillespie

39w↑8

@@bees3897 .I learned it in 1972 ~ Billy Jack Movie. It's so powerful. I was 12 then and 63 today

@TheAlanX2

36w↑5

If Billy Jack was in 1972, then I was 24 yrs old. Saw Billy Jack many times. This song always brings tears to my eyes. WOW❤🐧✔️🤠🦋🪕🐢

@roseblite6449

36w↑4

I remember watching this in 1971 cartoon version on 'The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour', I was 3 at the time when this first came out. I probably saw it a couple of more times in the early 70's, reruns and all. Still prefer the 'The Original Caste' singing, not that Cher's cover was bad or anything, just the original singers did a fantastic job to begin with.

@johnfowler6600

18w

As one ages & loses friends and even people you care for this song brings more and more the fact you must engage alway with charity/understanding of other people

1 More Replies...

@DarkArtistKaiser

4y↑499

Considering the amount of factionalism and division going on between people, I feel like this song is sorely needed today.

@mattphillips2530

4y↑13

Same. And the Treasure is our civilization.

@danleda83

4y↑23

A fictitious song about two fictitious communities going to war over a fictitious treasure,
yet the message is TRUE and VALUABLE TODAY more than ever!
I was 11 years old when The Original Caste released this song - right in the middle of almost a decade long period of war (Vietnam) and civil unrest. After all these years, the message that could change the world, hasn't changed.

@leerobertson2901

4y↑12

It surely is needed now.and not just for organized religion but just for humans as a whole

@ballsnotrequired

4y↑8

You just made my blood run cold it's so true

@bobpiss3400

4y↑12

I wish hating people we view as outside of our "group" wasn't so ingrained in our biology.

25 More Replies...

@Maureanna

28w↑22

When I was a child they played this Saturday morning's. I wished they play it now for children.perfect song now it needs to be heard

@Thomaslprice3

18w↑1

True true

@LeeGoldin

3y↑272

My Dad and his best friend taught me to play this song when I was a boy. His friend was Catholic and we were Jewish and even though we didn't agree on everything, we played this song together and took its lessons to heart. I forgot about the song for many years but the other night I was rocking my son to sleep and the words came to my head. I started singing it as a lullaby and his eyes closed into a peaceful slumber. It's a nice melody and more importantly, a great lesson for kids to grow up hearing.

@rivabenzikri77

3y↑8

Omg,my tears are dripping, born-and-bred in New Jersey two Holocaust the lovers as my parents, perhaps my mother didn't get all the words correct but it was a calming song, I do have two grown-ass daughters, sick of hearing about what do you think of the past, cuz if you look at the past you won't know how to get to the present into the future

@rivabenzikri77

3y↑1

Let me just say, reality is there is that one nasty word in the entire song. I'm finished before I get cussed out by my kids but you know what perhaps oh so much video games.

@rivabenzikri77

Bombs explosions, not knowing exactly what it means,husha mutta, that's all I hear in the garage sorry stores I don't know if it's a name of a food

@williamlink3951

2y↑11

@danielmejia2075

2y↑1

Todah

15 More Replies...

@rainstein3680

2y↑118

This amazing song was the theme to the iconic film, "Billy Jack", from the 60s ,which had a powerful impact on me and still does!! Long live the 60s!!!!!!!

@mengels3156

2y↑9

Billy Jack was the 70s and Coven different artist, sang the Billy Jack rendition

@swiftusmaximus5651

2y↑4

@@mengels3156 Actually Jinx Dawson from Coven, the Lead Singer

@chipps1066

2y↑6

I will never forget this song or the film Billie Jack!

@warriorhudson2594

1y↑2

70’s

@TheoneGodfather

42w↑2

Yep, I was a little tyke and if I remember right Billy Jack was being driven away in the back of a police car as this song played. Maybe not but I do remember this song having a big effect.

9 More Replies...

@ChrisAndrew-su4up

4y↑570

I Freaking love this song. “Turn the stone and look beneath it peace on earth was all it said” hits like a ton of bricks

@nd612

4y↑11

Chris A:
I love that you remember that. I bet you're cool as hell

@morgansheridanNM

4y↑17

It's so relevant these dreadful days.

@ginadonnoe1092

4y↑12

I remember the first time I heard that line.
It broke my soul.

@danleda83

4y↑13

A fictitious song about two fictitious communities going to war over a fictitious treasure,
yet the message is RELEVANT and VALUABLE TODAY more than ever!
I was 11 years old when The Original Caste released this song in 1969 - right in the middle of almost a decade long period of war (Vietnam) and civil unrest. After all these years, the message that could change the world, hasn't changed.
Now I will tell you the spiritual roots of this song: There is a whole book that supposedly was written long long ago on pages of gold. Like this song, most people consider the book fiction, and yet the messages in the book are all true and relevant and valuable!
Reply back to me and I will tell you the name of the book.

@teo-kk7zk

4y↑2

So, if you know the name of the book, it isn't fiction? I'm a little bit confused. if you tell me the name of the book, please also tell me how you found out the name aswell.

16 More Replies...

@inezgenereux5920

2y↑58

this was my favorite song when i was in brownies and girl guides. we sang it every week for years. it always touched me deeply without really understanding why and now i’m looking it up almost 25 years later and i understand why ❤️

@annebartells777

This is one of my favorites. I was a teenager when it came out

@ameliawarfield5637

1y↑30

I've loved this song ever since I was a child. My Christian summer camp had this song.
Peace on Earth is a treasure more precious than gold.

@bees3897

1y↑3

Same. It brings me back to summer camp days

@ameliawarfield5637

1y↑1

@@bees3897 Glad to hear that.

@alcd6333

7y↑173

Still as haunting, moving, and memorable as it was nearly half a century ago.

@curtisfranzen986

2y↑2

I'm actually old enough to remember when this song was a hit on the radio. Memories. Mom and I in the 'Cuda doing 90 on the freeway, listening to good music. Good times. I miss My Mom.

@kamrynwing7082

2y↑2

@@curtisfranzen986 I miss my mother as well. It's now only 2years later I wish I had some long talks with her. About her growing up on a cattle station, as a teen-ager. I always thought I had time to talk to her about a baby she lost at birth, because things like that weren't spoken about. Oh mum I loved you.

@CynthiaPulver

2y↑2

Half a century? Damn I'm old!

@micheletravis9057

@@CynthiaPulver So am I

@Tree1968-

19w↑13

I learned every word of this at around 9 to 10 years old. Never really knew the true meaning until I got older, but when I would sing along to it as a child, it moved me deeply. Music creates who we are, morals, values. It tells stories & educates us. It completes us. I’ve been taken back to childhood hearing this today ❤️

@CalvinCaylor

33w↑15

Wow! I haven't seen this video/cartoon since back in the day, I guess around 1971. So cool to time travel. And such a poignant and well written song.

@stevenbjerke302

1y↑26

I remember hearing this a lifetime ago in elementary school in music class. Damn, the nostalgia hits hard.

@lauriewu-jf5nh

27w

Me too! We sang it all the time in music class in the 1970’s. Thank you Mrs. Robinson, Haysboro elementary school. My church choir is singing a version of it now for Remembrance Day, but I still like this original version the best.

@kimjongun2946

12w

@@lauriewu-jf5nhsame here but back in the 90s

@I_am_Diogenes

4y↑64

I first heard this one somewhere in the late 70's . Damn thing has been making me teary eyed since . How can people spend their lives not understanding what is so clearly explained in a three minute cartoon is beyond me .

@fredmoore8661

2y↑4

History always repeats itself.

@janicema3959

2y↑4

I just realized today how clearly this described what is happening between Russia & Ukraine.

@janicema3959

@@fredmoore8661 But they say to know history is to avoid repeating it. They are so wrong. It just makes the wrong doers think THEY can do better this time. All they do is kill more people.

@TheAlanX2

36w

So by analogy, Putin's Russia are the valley Muscovites: Ukrainians are the mountain Kiev people, with a big stone, And the Ruskys & the Wagner's want to see the treasure under the stone. Message from the free world: piece on earth, try a piece of our HiMars, c how u like it. & Try a piece out of a can of WoopArse. Lol❤😂😢😮

@lawriealush-jaggs1473

41w↑14

I heard this song about fifty years ago. I listen to it once in a while. I can't hear it without howling at just how stupid so many of us are, at how simple a message is Peace On Earth and how difficult it is to achieve it. Love each other, be kind to one another. Please.

@Linda-gv7yr

No it's not...

@Rioudh

48w↑26

We should never let this song die.

@EarthAngel4444

48w↑1

Agreed! 💕✌️

@johnhicks6503

7y↑15

Believe it or not my wife sang this song as a lullaby to her children, and it a tradition in our family as well. Amazing Buzz! May God bless you all.

@grantgormann678

13w

Seems like a lot of people used this as a lullaby surprisingly. My family does too!

@MegaMeanDean

5y↑12

Ageless and timeless treasure. Thank you The Original Caste and all who made this song possible; it never would have been in Billy Jack without you, and those of us in the USA who love this song never would have heard it. Love to my brothers and sisters up north.

@justlookin11

2y↑12

Yesterday, the day following the tragedy in Uvalde, I watched and listened to this multiple times. I've known it since at least the original "Billy Jack". Sadness can't begin to describe my feelings.

@blueeyes5730

2y↑1

That's what I know of from its such a good movie should be playing now the world needs it. Not a remake the original

@phillipandrews7286

6y↑25

It's amazing that several songs from that era still resonate today with their messages!

@Sabbymarie75

4y↑151

I’m beyond tears.. who’s sharing them with me

@panic1228

4y↑4

Here I am. Here I feel

@rtrepsas

4y↑3

sabrina marie, I’ve never really listened to the lyrics. I got tears in my eyes. Today Friday, August 28 in San Diego California, listening to MIT college radio station wmbr.org playing one hit wonders: this one’s from 1970. Wow!
I used Shazam to discover lyrics One Tin Soldier by The Original Caste. https://www.shazam.com/track/54136065/one-tin-soldier

@Sabbymarie75

4y↑2

Richard Trepsas You made me cry, one tin soldier gets me every time.. I need to take a break😭😭😭😭🌹💋

@ginastarke2

4y↑2

Me too. I feel like I'm watching my country tear itself apart.

@danleda83

I am! ... But first I must recover from my cancer and go out and take a picture...
My dear young lady, there is more to this song, it's not just make believe, it's based on a real place and the history of an ancient people who lived on this, the American continent. Just reply: "tell me more" and I will send a picture of the mountain side where part of the treasure lies - not too far from where I live.

7 More Replies...

@lisasharples5654

35w↑5

I first heard this song which was played at the end on Walking Tall movie...I cried. It's a powerful message of how greed can lead to violence ...even when the people were willing to share their treasure...It still gets me. I love this version.

@mydexter28

8y↑365

My social studies teacher played this to start the class in 1970 ish. A few students who were more aware of the war going on, started to cry. They asked that it be played again. Our teacher ended up playing this song for the entire 90 min. of class. I always think back to then, & this song with all the wars in the world.....

@andreasbaag7516

6y↑4

You need to apply to university to reach for the talent? How pathetic life you must live.

@BarbarosaAlexander

5y↑14

My social studies teacher did the same thing in the mid 1980s. It's never left me.

@dawngambone8992

5y↑6

Has always made me cry, too

@mysticwolf2842

5y↑8

Another song that is good is (EVE OF DESTRUCTION) it was written about the same time, both talk about war; what we need is an end to war nothing good ever comes it, all you get are a lot dead people and good men all killed. This is a good song goes well with the movie LEGEND OF BILLY JACK.

@MrHyde-zy6ry

5y↑10

Those fellas who fought over there had a real rough go of it, my dad was a psychiatrist & treated a lot of guys his age just broken from that war.

14 More Replies...

@docmoses1449

2y↑50

A song that still holds much needed rational even in today's society. We learn from history and must not erase it or hide it.
Learning is loving & living 🕊️

@2027850

7y↑70

"Hate your neighbor but don't forget to say grace."
Barry McGuire, EVE OF DESTRUCTION

@markpoirier4653

4y↑3

Even the Jordan river had bodies floating...

@SirArthurTheGreat

A fellow TITS fan I see

@lisamarquez5059

Love thy neighbor and Be Grace.

@john65999

3y↑1

all religion (organized) is evil and hypocritical worship woman woman is god women create...men destroy....goddess worship is the way to go

@normmacdonald4802

2y↑1

Recall Edwin Starr's hit "War" - War, what is it good for, absolutely nothing.

@deannesylvester6133

30w↑4

I remember singing this when I was a child! It still resonates with me.

@damaraankrum2540

9y↑34

As a child my mom would sing this to me every night before bed and it's stuck with me every day since. Love finding it and hearing it again!!!!

@josephkurt2080

3y↑3

😊😄I'm very pls to know I'm not the only one that loves😍 the song but when last did you play it

@janicema3959

2y↑2

@@josephkurt2080 I have it on my iTunes play list, so I play it often & I just shared it on facebook; so maybe we'll get lucky & people will listen to it there. It's such a lovely meaningful song.

@andrewjosephdotson1359

29w

Sweet tidings to you and your sister's memory. She has a great legacy.

@perrywisdom3090

9y↑23

What a beatiful and necessary early childhood song. Has always stuck with me throughout the years. Thanks!

@dustygrant3043

4y↑39

I'll always and TO this day remember how this song ends and watching that last dejected soldier ride away with his broken spearhead still puts tears in my eyes in 2020!!! WOW still has a message to this day"PEACE ON EARTH" to everyone in these troubled times!!!

@veronicathrockmorton3655

37w↑2

My mom used to sing this song to me. I believe she was the best singer in the world. She passed in 2009 when I was 15 .

@musicalofethics

10y↑503

this song always makes me cry a little bit and chills just run throughout my body

@timjackson1000

5y↑1

There can be only one true believer.

@MegaMeanDean

5y↑2

me too. <3

@MegaMeanDean

5y↑5

@@timjackson1000 What does that mean Tim? No, I disagree, might seem that way but more and more of us are catching on.

@madelynkuehl1353

me too

@donnaprice9879

5y↑1

Every time

32 More Replies...

@enderfire1st_404

7y↑21

You know, after my dad died, I got a cd from my grandparents of his favorite songs which included this song, north to Alaska, and some others, this was my favorite, the chorus makes it sound like a gospel almost, plus the lyrics of the chorus stuck with me, showing how we try to justify war with it being god's will, or for greed, or for glory, while in the end after the battles will remain those who left those battles alive but broken. I don't really care which is best, though I might say this might be it since I heard it first but it doesn't matter, both still sing it's message of peace.

@johndykes3635

34w↑1

Billy Jack is the first time I hered this song.I was 8 years old. I still remember it today I am 57 and it still makes me feel the same way I did as a kid.

@TedMeyer-us6uk

Me to. When Billy Jack took off his shoes...............

@PatchElelion

38w↑4

This song hits hard today as it did back then

@BadassBeazly

10y↑73

I had a fitful sleep last night ...I had part of a song from my youth that just kept going around in my head. I did not know what it was. When I got up this morning, I decided to look up this mystery song. It was One Tin Soldier... and it made me cry.

@tedkier3264

a lively..i cry watching pet food commercials. any response?

@alexkx8599

Yes! Don't forget to take your anti-overly emotional medication tonight!

@tedkier3264

i can't feel it anymore. need something stronger!

@georgewashington6225

4y↑1

Exactly what I'm going through right now...i woke up with this song in my head that we used to sing in music class back in the 90s and it hit me hard. Because as a child you think this shit is corny then years later your buddy gets killed by an IED in Iraq and you realize how powerful this song is🙁

@dennismckeown5863

3y↑1

@@tedkier3264 ..See a shrink.

2 More Replies...

@kateAkaGunner

6y↑16

This song has stayed with me word for word for 26 years...it was 1992 I was graduating from Elementary school to Middle school...we sang this in a graduation ceremony...that 1 years learning the song and singing it at the ceremony has stuck with me for 26 years...and sadly it rings even more true today than it did when it was written...it's just gotten worse but now and then this song gets stuck in my head and it helps me put life in perspective again...I was only 13 when I learned this song and only for 1 year I am now 39 and I remember it like it was yesterday

@josephkurt2080

😃😄I'm very pls to know I'm not the only one that loves😍 the song but when last did you play it

@janicema3959

This sure doesn't look like the future Star Trek the Next Generation promised us, does it? Could anyone watch ANY of the Star Treks and still be a republican? I really wonder about that.

@Sobeit2024

40w↑6

This had such an affect on me and still does. School house rock and weekly readers ❤

@karinlarsen2608

3y↑44

This song is timeless. Perfect depiction of the history of the world

@jimdacop

Yeah but not really. Hitler didn’t invade Poland and try to take over Europe for treasure buried under a rock. Lincoln also didn’t declare was on his own countrymen because they may have had treasure.

@janicema3959

@@jimdacop My, but you're thick. It's the gist of the song, the moral, not any specific story. Good grief! It was meant to teach a lesson in general, not to teach a specific history lesson about a specific country...... But maybe you're just trying to show off how much you know about history. It doesn't make you look good. It just makes you look like a snob.

@dennisr.levesque2320

7y↑142

I like depiction of the Tin Soldier riding away in disappointment instead of victory. It was a sad day. A broken/limp spear. I wonder if he was on any particular side. Does it really matter?

@richardconaway1687

6y↑23

i doubt it matters, but given most evidence he was probably one of the valley people since it doesn't look like the mountain people were particularly eager to fight back. what i found particularly amusing, and what really cements the mindset of those in the valley settlement, is that one of them picked the pocket of another secretly. it really shows that the greed wasn't a one time thing, up to that point the valley people had been inherently greedy.

@nd612

4y↑5

@@richardconaway1687
You got it. I wonder if it's a sickness or....? You tell me

@nd612

4y↑7

Dennis:
Don't think that you are alone
because I'm sure other people have your thoughts. And the 'Does it really matter', well this is a site we're we are able to express ourselves. And I'm glad to hear what you had to say. You are a part of what makes the world go around, do you hear me. You are one of us and everybody.

@nd612

@@richardconaway1687
And the Mountain ones didn't do that? Well, they might have done it to eachother and in a different place they may watch and see what they can do and not do. And then do the greedy

@nd612

4y↑2

Dennis:
Don't worry about it. You aren't going to sleep for a long time in your mind because I can tell this whole thing got to your psych.
Hey it can happen to any of us. Things will get under our skin more than we want it. That's the way life is. I saw things that haunted me for a long time. Join the club. That's how some things affect others and others not so.
You are human. Again. I say join the club man.

10 More Replies...

@annettesjoy

4y↑10

My dad taught me this song as a young kid, I always understood the message and hopefully I have and will continue to try to bring people together. Our life is short and I have lost most of my family. Appreciate your family and never take them for granted, we don't know how long our journey on earth is.

@darrellwhittington4645

8w↑1

I'M 74,,,and I remember this song and movie like it was just yesterday 😢😢😢, now 2024,,but,hey,,, I'm still here !@

@Episcopalianacolyte

38w↑3

Just once, I would love to sing this at church.

@mickchatty6352

9y↑5

I'm a part of the next generation just discovering this song and finding that it's just as relevant to us today as it was back then. I still get choked up every time I try to sing the 3rd verse. We have learned so much, and still have so much left to learn...

@janicema3959

One of my all time favorites. I have this in my play list.

@willsmith7998

7y↑24

This song will always be special to me. When I was younger she would sing It to me every night before i went to sleep. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and a few months later she passed away. The night she passed she called me (I was asleep) and it was the last message she ever sent me was her singing this at 3 in the morning.

@babaramelivlle7658

So sorry for your loss 😔 god bless you

@babaramelivlle7658

😔

@theresadowns3457

Will Smith I’m sorry. Who was she? Mother?

@leannaknapp7467

5y↑15

Im so glad i found this! My mom used to sing this to me, i am now a mom of a beautiful 1 month old and i want to sing it to her too

@josephkurt2080

3y↑1

😊😄I'm very pls to know I'm not the only one that loves😍 the song but when last did you play it

@carollawrie2414

3y↑9

This brings memories back of my school days and being on the dance committee. One of our first groups signed on to play...truly a wonderful memory

@dreamyblue44

8y↑32

A message of peace, truly a treasure!

@markmanser5560

10y↑31

I did this song with my school choir for the remembrance day assembly and I think it was my favourite song we sang all year

@elsiryn

9y↑1

we sand this today (remembrance day liturgy) because we don't have school Tuesday (remembrance day)

@GMell123

I guess this song is internationally popular; I happened to have sung a variation of this song in high school, 10th grade.

@AlleyooperGames

same

@raesour2806

1y↑4

Learned this song in school… powerful and worth remembering! It’s one of those songs that’s stuck with me

@lauriedavisthatmermaidgirl5903

4y↑8

I was four years old when this song was popular on the radio. My mother related that as soon as I heard this song playing on the radio, I would break down and cry in our kitchen. Apparently, I would wring my hands in despair and just sit and cry. Now, I listen to this song and this particular version and I do have vague memories of that time as a 4-year-old. As a Starseed, I really feel and understand the true meaning of this beautiful song. I'm here to give light and love to the world and I will continue to do so! This song reminds me to take a step back and look at the human experience and try to understand what we are all here to do, all while denouncing any wars or evil here on earth and any experiences which are not of the Light. The ultimate message is that we are all one and we are all spiritual beings living a human existence at this exact moment in time.

@josephkurt2080

😊😄I'm very pls to know I'm not the only one that loves😍 the song but when last did you play it

@Rareed63

9y↑16

When Tom Laughlin died at 82 in 2013 I thought WOW man i'm getting old he was a childhood hero. To this day that movie holds up what was so cool about Billy Jack that is lacking in movies today was his humility he didn't go around acting like he was all that and a bag of chips until someone messed with him. The Hollywood tough guys of the modern era go around like their poop don't stink that doesn't make for a good hero.

@hollyann9610

8y↑4

I've always loved this song; I used to sing it at summer camp and I haven't heard it in years. Thank you so much for posting it; finding it made my day!

@joythompson610

40w↑4

Awesome song!🤗❤️
Thanks so much...so needed!

@valeenacaballero6744

2y↑3

What a beautiful job you did. ♥♥♥ I remember watching this animation first run on the Sonny and Cher Show. I had to wait until I was old enough to watch the Billy Jack movies, my folks thought they were too violent for a young child. That was OK, too.

@emilylee7813

8y↑20

truly one of my favorites

@demskittlesdoe198

8y↑3

true

@isabelsummers8017

8y↑1

+lixanny Cabrera me too

@sameoldthing6433

8y↑1

me too

@MrEffecks

6y↑3

I recall singing this song with a choir when I was in the 1st grade. It was part of a performance for the 8th grade graduation. It meant spring on the brink of summer for me then. It still stirs joyful feelings for me. Mainly hope and goodwill.

@maxinetexasgal5114

3y↑2

I was a teen when this song was on the radio. I could not make out all the words and didn't have a full understanding of what was being said. Today I read the lyrics without the music. What a Powerful song. I wish everyone on the planet could hear it until we ALL understand!

@roxannelomas8918

36w↑1

Me and my sister would ride our horses on the Santa Ana riverbed in CA in the 1970s. We would sing this song. I know the words. ITS all about PEACE ON EARTH 🌎.

@jameseyre6799

8y↑271

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but I know World War VI will be fought with sticks and stones." Albert Einstein

@martinmalin3099

6y↑15

How true, but he said WW IV.

@joshu518

6y↑21

No, that's the thing about World War 6. It's so intense that it skips over the other two!

@malcolmtech

5y↑8

@@andreasbaag7516 I thought Einstein was pretty clean.

@gamer708886

5y↑7

Do you even understand what he said? He was referring to the atomic bomb, in that it would destroy civilization.

@peacefuljeffrey

5y↑2

John O That’s World War Sex

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@victorlee57

4y↑8

A song from the past which is still relevant today and even the future.

@Episcopalianacolyte

38w↑2

The video is absolutely perfect.

@WonderRose995

18w↑1

My dad introduced me to this song when I was 8yrs old. Till this day I still love the song ❤.

@koribaij1842

5y↑3

This is my mother's go-to lullaby. I didn't remember the words until she sang it to my nieces. Gave me chills.

@grace1414

9y↑18

i love this song, my dad taught me how to play it on my flute....great story!

@GremlinFaliur

7y↑2

My 6th grade music played this song yesterday and she played it on her guitar and sang it beautifully and I had to look up this song for myself and here I am listening to the original version of this. When she sang and played this song, it was so beautiful and it made me cry.

@thesoultouchers

6y↑2

This is one of my old time favourite songs. A classic that never fades. 💕

@missmagpii3416

3y↑4

Here in 2021 needing this nostalgia to remind me to be content with what I have, and that I'm blessed more than I realize.

@edlisinski9666

Amen!!

@ryanklamot

8y↑28

Best version of the song... made me cry as a kid

@kelblueskies3937

Same here Ryan, I remember listening to it, maybe I was like 4 years old at the time in the 70's.

@navyvet8798

Jinx Dawson did the billy jack version... I liked it much better

@julie.1081

1y↑1

I still remember watching this when it was first shown. My Aunt had the 45 & I listened to it endlessly!

@fredversch6954

2y↑4

sadly, when this song was spun from the air to reality, no one understood its meaning. (November 1967) Even MUCH MORE Sadly, it is still not understood now in the 2022s.

@tharper1961

9y↑72

Remember when this video was shown on the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour...Many many many years ago.

@MeowsTheTime

9y↑4

Tim Harper That's how I remember it.

@tharper1961

9y↑8

Sonny and Cher show also did a animated short for Bad Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croche.

@monk6262

9y↑1

Tim Harper I DO...

@monk6262

8y↑2

Yes I do, and is still one of my fav's.

@MimiJoys

I Remember that too! I remember singing along with this!

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@williamboyles1266

4y↑1

My grandfather used to sing this to me when I was very young. He passed away in March. Hearing it again, I can’t help but cry.

@MrJamezk

4y↑2

Heard this as a child on the radio, and loved it ever since.

@JoshFingerhut

7y↑75

"Peace on earth." What a twist ending. M. Night Shyamalan would be proud.

@donqlfzahnke8158

Josh Fingerhut I am interested in signing this song

@andrewguerra9343

Josh Fingerhut you sir win the Internet!

@alistair4909

4y↑1

John O he’s ok. He wears his influences a bit too garishly on his sleeves and he over uses certain types of shots but he’s at least a competent director. More than anything it’s usually the writing that’s the main problem imo

granted I haven’t watched his films since the Last Airbender movie so if they got worse I wouldn’t know

@nd612

Who ??

@nd612

Josh:
I agree! Yes man!

@theophany78

3y↑3

My auntie would sing this to me on her acoustic guitar and put me to sleep as a child. I have this tune engraved in my soul. 💙💛💗 She had the most beautiful voice, way better than this version but it still reminds me where I came from. Thank you my auntie 💚

@GOLDENGIRL_02

6y↑1

My mama got me into listening to these old songs and I'm glad she did! She passed away in 2013 and my big brother in 2016 and I listen to these quite often to help me remember them..I miss them so very much..😢

@julietwilliams12

25w↑1

My music teacher in High school taught me this song 43 years ago. I love it.

@peggydwyer1932

4y↑18

June 22, 2020. And nothing's changed. It's coming to a head though.

@josephkurt2080

😃😄I'm very pls to know I'm not the only one that loves😍 the song but when last did you play it

@lastpirateslife

4y↑3

i listen to this every 10 years or so and it never changes how it affects me. here's to hoping..

@SharonGoddard-ce7fz

23w

I forgot to mention I am 62 yrs old so I have loved this song for 52 yrs & I am a veteran so I would love to see peace. If more people listened to this song maybe the world wouldn’t be so hateful!

@jcribbs5819

6y↑1

I love this song... I am in my 60's, as is my sister, and so this song goes back to our childhood. Never quit. Never give up.. And I also have a story to tell .. My sweet sister has been single many many years now and just recently met someone. The first time he showered at her house, he stood in the shower singing this song. "Never quit and never give up".. They are both widowers. She stood in another room harmonizing with him. It's just a perfect song with many memories.

@oldold7

5y↑34

@janicema3959

2y↑4

Thanks. I've always wanted the words to that. I have the song, but it's hard listening to a song and writing the words down.

@rachelhawkins7254

1y↑3

My husband and I love ❤️ this song for him. He asked me if he passes for me he wants this song played. For me it reminds me of my faith and love for all things.

@urgdaddy

33w↑2

Greed and envey never wins. LOVE THY NEIGHBOR. 💘

@juliecrook7336

3y↑2

Loved this song when it first came out and still do...play it for the younger generations...memories of our green little farm with creek running through full of trout...I liked your story of parcel delivery - 10 cents meant something back then!

@TheGrouchski

10y↑7

One Tin Soldier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"One Tin Soldier" is a 1960s era anti-war song written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. Canadian pop group The Original Caste first recorded the song in 1969 for both the TA label and its parent Bell label. The track went to number 6 on the RPM Magazine charts and hit the number 1 position on CHUM-AM, in Toronto and reached number 34 on the American pop charts in early 1970.
In 1971, the song was a hit in the U.S. for Coven, whose recording was featured in the film Billy Jack. The single went to number 17 on the Billboard pop chart before it was pulled from radio by the film's producer. A re-recorded version by Coven made the Billboard chart in 1973, peaking at number 79.

@sanfranciscobay

10y

Is the band "The Original Caste" the same as "Coven"?

@sanfranciscobay

10y

Why did the Film Producer have the song removed from playing on the radio? Issues like this generally revolve around money, potential lawsuits or power control.

@yamtx73

10y

SanFranciscoBay
No, Coven did a cover of it for the Billy Jack movie.

@girlfromdabay93

9y↑37

I learned this song at a summer camp about 16 years ago and I will never forget it

@girlfromdabay93

nope

@ehusiak

Fairview lake?

@edwardklein1095

9y↑5

+girlfromdabay93
I learned this song when i was 12 , Thirty somenthing years ago. great meaning

@kurtnotorleva7215

love the tune.i heard it on the radio when I was a kid in California. .truer today then back then,for sure.

@griffinhealy5048

Camp No Be Bo Sco?

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@TheBlindDM

Thnx fir sharing
I was born in 68
This is 1st song Iearned on my own!

@MerkinMuffly

4y↑51

Oooh, what a lucky man he was

@KarmasAB123

4y↑1

The tin soldier?

@Paulo-qp2uv

4y↑3

Emerson, Lake & Palmer, what a band, my friends!

@eddygsmusicworld1708

3y↑1

@@Paulo-qp2uv seen them live 3 times.

@curtisfranzen986

3y↑1

Moody Blue's, nice reference.

@paulguie9127

3y↑1

But was he though?

@luvlylady55

7y↑20

Love this song..its ays alot about the world today

@survivorkitty3487

7y↑10

Yes, sadly we never learn. Pray for America Linda. Peace on Earth was all it said.

@bighornbill1

God, PLEASE bless America. It needs your attention and correction badly.

@dooleykid3

8y↑8

I've love this song since I was a kid-- I knew it meant something 40 plus years ago. Here we are today, 07/17/16, people murdering & being murdered locally, nationally and globally so often now it's almost impossible to keep up with it. I spend my days being totally pissed & completely heartbroken anymore. THIS message is really all there is. Peace, people.

@babaramelivlle7658

Peace on earth lobe your neighbor

@babaramelivlle7658

Love correction

@turtlethug225

1y↑2

In the last two weeks of my dad's life, he would sing the song and his own words to where it was a somehow associated with farting since that was a strong point. Sometime after his death in 1997, the song came on the radio and it struck back memories. RIP dad.

@robertmurray0302

37w↑1

One of my favorite song.

@Dovid2000

7y↑40

A song with a moral lesson.

@matttom5827

5y↑2

They killed people on an entire mountain they are dumb the treasurenwas the opposite of what they did to the mountain people

@slfox28

4y↑3

My 2nd. grade teacher wrote this song. He taught 2nd grade at Emerson Elementary School in Duluth, Minnesota. We called him Mr. Lambert. He had a piano in our class room and he would have us all sit around the piano and he would start playing on the piano vigorously and make up songs from what we would tell him. He was a very good musician. That was a long time ago. Im in my 50's now. Good memories!!!

@mintyproductions7811

5y↑1

I have a summer camp where I live. It was the first place I heard this song. We had overnights where, unsurprisingly, we stayed overnight in tents and, for the older kids, tipis. During the late night, the councilors would bring out a guitar and play songs like cats and the cradle and one tin solider. It was at a slower pace and it was so beautiful. I will always love this song!

@natisnotabug

13w

We used to sing this in the 4th grade (late 90s). I've never heard it since but it popped into my head for no apparent reason and I found this version. It's just as tragic and lovely as I remember.

@jaelie8398

9y↑173

Possibly the most powerful song ever made.

@dwighta8655

Not!

@donqlfzahnke8158

bond james bond I agree

@dickfint1311

Jay bond You need to expound on that! Close than I've been able to figure out...

@user-uw8dn7db1l

I’m aiming it in my choir and I hate it because it’s so sad...

@veng3r663

5y↑1

Joan Baez also had some pretty good ones too around that same time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_eK9ERNChI

4 More Replies...

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