Explication - One Tin Soldier

Verse 1

Listen children to story that was written long ago.

Story Teller is presenting self as sage.

Who could the Story Teller be?

Story presented as old - either in time or in revealing human relations.

Is the story still true today?

About a kingdom on a mountain and the valley folk below

Are people on a mountain closer to God?

Where did Moses receive Ten Commandments?

Where did Noah's ark land?

Does anybody feel closer to God in the mountains?

How are valleys in general?

The valley of the shadow of evil

The valley of despair

The valley of Ghenna - the source of the word Hell

On the mountain was a treasure buried deep beneath a stone

Why did the mountain people bury their treasure?

Was the treasure really buried or just seem to be?

And the valley people swore they'd have it for their very own

Why did the valley people want the treasure?

Did the valley people understand the nature of the treasure?

If not, why? Was this anybody's fault?

Verse 2

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."

Verse 3

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.