#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation #
# of the song. The owner of this website has not reviewed the contents of #
# this file. If you feel that the content of this file may be violating #
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#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
this tab is modified for 1 guitar (there are 2 in the song).
[INTRO]
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------
G|-----------------------------------------------------------5-----
D|-9-9-9-10-12-12-7--5-5-5-7-9-9---------------------5---5---5---5-
A|-------------------------------9--9-9-7-7-7-9-10-5-----5---3---5-
E|-------------------------------------------------------3-------3-
[VERSE] [RIFF]
e|------------------------------- |----
B|------------------------------- |----
G|-------------7---5-------5----- X2 |----
D|-5-------2---7---5---5---5---5- |-5x-
A|-5---5---2---5---3---5---3---5- |-5x-
E|-3---2---0-----------3-------3- |-3x-
[CHORUS]
e|------------------------------- |---------------------------
B|------------------------------- |---------------------------
G|---------5--------------------- X2 |-----2---5-----------5-----
D|-5---2---5---5--12-12-12-13-15- |-5---2---5---5---5---5---5-
A|-5---2---3---5----------------- |-5---0---3---5---5---3---5-
E|-3---0-------3----------------- |-3-----------3---3-------3-
[RIFF] [VERSE] [RIFF]
e|---- e|------------------------------- e|-------
B|---- B|------------------------------- B|-------
G|---- G|-------------7---5-------5----- X2 G|-------
D|-5x- D|-5-------2---7---5---5---5---5- D|-5---6-
A|-5x- A|-5---5---2---5---3---5---3---5- A|-5---6-
E|-3x- E|-3---2---0-----------3-------3- E|-3---4-
[VERSE2]
e|------------------------------- e|---------------------------
B|------------------------------- B|---------------------------
G|-------------8---6-----------8- G|-------------8---6---------
D|-6-------3---8---6---6---8---8- D|-6-------3---8---6---6---6-
A|-6---6---3---6---4---6---8---6- A|-6---6---3---6---4---6---6-
E|-4---3---1-----------4---6---6- E|-4---3---1-----------4---4-
[RIFF] [CHORUS2]
e|--- e|--------------- |---------------------------
B|--- B|--------------- |---------------------------
G|--- G|-----5---6----- |-----3---6-----------6-----
D|-6- D|-6---5---6---6- x2 |-6---3---6---6---6---6---6-
A|-6- A|-6---3---4---6- |-6---1---4---6---6---4---6-
E|-4- E|-4-----------4- |-4-----------4---4-------4-
i didn't get the last part of the song but the rest of it sounds ok.
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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No Picture
keith Lead Player |
#1 by keith at Mar 23, 1970 at 9:20 AM EST |
| Heh, i sang this song in music class in.... third grade. | |
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No Picture
D-backs, 2006 w Rhythm Player |
#2 by D-backs, 2006 world series champions! !! at Dec 11, 1971 at 4:58 AM EST |
| yeah...excellent lyrics | |
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Aaron Average |
#3 by Aaron Doyle at Dec 1, 1976 at 12:12 AM EST |
| Original One Tin Soldier song was by Dennis Potter and Brian Lambert. This is the best song of all time. I learned it in fifth grade in school to sing at the memorial service we gave (being the oldest children at our elementary school). I soaked up the moment our voices chorused and presented this meaningful, deep song. I have faith that I have a strong interpretation of the song, but, as for all songs, everyone might have a different idea of what it means. Listen children to a story that was written long ago Bout a kingdom on a mountain and the valley far below On the mountain was a treasure, buried deep beneath the stone And the valley people swore they'd have it for their own. (This verse pretty much speaks for itself-- the valley people were greedy. A more subtle touch in this verse is that the first line suggests human greed has gone back far, far in time.) So the people from 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 the mountain, all the riches buried there." (The valley people are determined and took a seemingly friendly approach at getting the treasure. The mountain people were warm and generous, and offered a portion of the treasure to the valley people, treating them like family.) 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 beside the treasure, on the mountain, dark and red Turned the stone and looked beneath it, "Peace on earth" was all it said. (The most powerful song verse ever. The valley was so greedy they murdered a whole kingdom of relatively good people. And, more subtly, they did not only get nothing from murder, but the song shows that the ultimate treasure is respect, peace, and love on earth.) So 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 But on the bloody morning after, one tin soldier rides away. (Hate the people around you, cheat 'friends.' Do it in heaven's face and give an excuse. In the long run, you might get away with it at first, but you might not get a ticket to heaven. And, for the tin soldier part, I must give credit to Orph for provided the best explaination I have ever read.) Every person in the world should hear this song and apprehend its lyrics. | |
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No Picture
Niko Average |
#4 by Niko Booth at Mar 4, 1978 at 8:49 AM EST |
| the person above me got it just right, imo. this is a really powerful song. love it | |
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No Picture
Perfect Pervers Rhythm Player |
#5 by Perfect Perversion™ at May 2, 1978 at 4:00 AM EST |
| Ah, right, also a major part of this song is that it's an attack on using religion as an excuse to justify a war or bloody mindedness. "Do it in the name of heaven you can justify it in the end" is sarcastic. | |
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No Picture
Jer Average |
#6 by Jer at Jul 24, 1978 at 5:30 PM EST |
| I'm not sure what the siginificance of a tin soldier is, but I think that one of him is because the true treasure is brotherly love. we will never truly destroy ourselves because someone will always win, leaving one last person. however, because no one else is left for him to share the true treasure with, he is alone and loses in the end. | |
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No Picture
tom Average |
#7 by tom jenkins at Jun 10, 1982 at 3:41 PM EST |
| I love this song, so powerful and yet so sad. This song is a good protesting tool against corporate greed, violence, war, etc. Show it to Bush cuz he's a stupid fucker who's trying to take all of Iraq oil and telling lies when they are of no threat. | |
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No Picture
justin Average |
#8 by justin tompkins at Aug 27, 1985 at 1:48 PM EST |
| Actually, cassius, Marnie's right. Check wiki, my favorite. ;-) | |
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albert Rhythm Player |
#9 by albert casualtie at Apr 29, 1986 at 7:38 PM EST |
| man this is just one of those songs... the face value here is pretty clear yet its pretty deep. Is it just a/b the world and that there is no hope left here and that fighting is stupid and all some people want is peace? or is it just a awesome song. | |
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sharon Wanna Be |
#10 by sharon howell at Oct 3, 1986 at 7:36 PM EST |
| this song touches me in a place i never knew i could be touched. whoo! *shivers* | |
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No Picture
TAMARA Musical Genius |
#11 by TAMARA at May 2, 1987 at 2:15 AM EST |
| this song just kinda gives you chills about how fucked up we are as a race humans suck theres no humanity in the human race | |
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No Picture
Average |
#12 by nirvana at Jul 30, 1987 at 2:21 PM EST |
| I just love this song!! I sang it in 4th and 5th grade | |
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No Picture
Jimmy Average |
#13 by Jimmy Dresbach at Aug 30, 1987 at 6:24 AM EST |
| Could there be some comparison made to a 'tin man', much like the one from the Wizard of Oz? If we recall, the Tin Man of the Oz story lacked a 'heart'. Could this be the significance? After the slaughter of the mountain people, the symbolic ONE tin soldier rides away could mean that the valley people were without a heart - and that nothing was learned from this experience. Why? Because of the wars and fighting that continue in the world - the 'Tin Soldier' who rode away from that battle on the mountain is the same Tin Soldier who fights in wars today. The singer seems to infer that those who fight in wars are without a heart. As this was a Joni Mitchell song from the 60's it is not coincidental that this could be a war protest song (Mitchell's antiwar stance was typical of the 'folk rockers' of the day). | |
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Guitar Man Lead Player |
#14 by Guitar Man at Dec 13, 1990 at 3:51 AM EST |
| Sang it in 7th grade...I love this song! | |
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† james † Average |
#15 by † james † at Jul 22, 1994 at 4:11 PM EST |
| f3120 has it all wrong while it still has some things to do with greedy ppl its mostly that there was never gold for the treasure the treasure all along was peace for everyone on earth, the mountain ppl said they would share it and f3120 got it right here where the valley people were too greedy to share so they got their treasure but it was too late | |
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nick Average |
#16 by nick caldwell at Oct 17, 1996 at 6:05 PM EST |
| what does the one tin soldier signify? | |
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Eric Average |
#17 by Eric Boozer at Apr 30, 2001 at 8:06 PM EST |
| This is a great song. Its about people being too greedy and other people just wanting peace for everyone. | |
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No Picture
Zack Wanna Be |
#18 by Zack Volm at May 6, 2003 at 9:15 AM EST |
| I'm not sure what the siginificance of a tin soldier is, but I think that one of him is because the true treasure is brotherly love. we will never truly destroy ourselves because someone will always win, leaving one last person. however, because no one else is left for him to share the true treasure with, he is alone and loses in the end. | |
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No Picture
julian Average |
#19 by julian at Feb 12, 2005 at 4:42 PM EST |
| Well, the soldiers who fight in wars definitely aren't "tin soldiers." They're brave or hateful of full of bloodlust but they aren't cold or heartless. I think what the One Tin Soldier, signifies, Orph, is that there is no winning. He's on the victorious side, but he's hollow and he's gained nothing. So he just rides away and it comes off as being sad and broken. | |
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Kyle Average |
#20 by Kyle Landers at Feb 12, 2006 at 9:40 PM EST |
| Actually, Marnie, the original was done by Coven | |
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No Picture
tia n00b! |
#21 by tia veney at Apr 14, 2006 at 9:32 PM EST |
| what are the lyrics to this song, do you know? | |
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The REAL Godfat Average |
#22 by The REAL Godfather at Jul 5, 2007 at 9:50 PM EST |
| Well tin soldier usually would signify a toy soldier. So sorta how an army would be disposable. So I don't know how to tie this into the song. Maybe after a meaningless battle just one side is left all alone perhaps? | |
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