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One Tin Soldier

written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter

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 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 an answer from the kingdom,
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the riches 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 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.