One Tin Soldier (1971) - Joni Mitchell

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



CHORUS: 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.



CHORUS: 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