One Tin Soldier

One Tin Soldier

(The Legend of Billy Jack)
by Lambert-Potter, sung by Coven

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 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 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,

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.

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 judgement day,

On the bloody morning after....One tin soldier rides away.

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I heard this song over the weekend &, as it did "back in the day", I was moved to wondering "Why??"

Blessed be...

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Guess I should clarify the "Why?" Why can't we just get along? Why can't everyone be accepting of each other? Why can't we share? Share our treasures, share our resources, share everything. Why did the Europeans have to conquer rather than learning to co-exist with the Tribes? Fear, it is always out of fear. Fear of that which is not understood, that which is different.

So much has been done in the name of "right" , the name of religion. As my brother told a minister who visited him when he was dying, after asking if Dave knew Jesus (he sure as hell DID!!) & saying Dave needed to be in church on Sunday, "Why would I want to seat on a pew next to someone who claims to be so righteous on Sunday then f...s his neighbor's wife & cheats his customers during the week??" So, as far as I am concerned there is no way to justify that behavior. No way at all. You have to live honorably. Sunday religion is no religion at all.

Anyway, I love this song. It speaks to my Spirit & to what I believe.

One tin soldier rides away...