Monday, May 24, 2004

Billy Jack

Well coolness! I didn't expect a response so fast. LOL! Billy who?.... 

1971- I loved this movie.  So Golden Child might not remember, does anyone else?

 

Billy Jack  (1971)

Genre(s): Anti-Heroes, Native America, Rebel With a Cause, Top Grossing Films of 1971, Veterans

Cast: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat, Bert Freed, Julie Webb, Victor Izay, Teresa Kelly, Lynn Baker, Stan Rice, Howard Hesseman; DIRECTED BY: Tom Laughlin; WRITTEN BY: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor; CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: Fred W. Koenekamp, John Stephens; MUSIC BY: Mundell Lowe. PRODUCER: Warner Bros., National Student Film Corporation.

Review: On an Arizona Indian reservation, a half-breed ex-Green Beret with pugnacious martial arts skills (Laughlin) stands between a rural town and a school for runaways. Laughlin stars with his real-life wife Taylor. Features the then-hit song "One Tin Soldier," sung by Coven. The movie and its marketing by Laughlin inspired a "Billy Jack" cult phenomenon. A Spanish-dubbed version of this film is also available. Followed by a sequel in 1974, "Trail of Billy Jack," which bombed.

Or this song…

 

One Tin Soldier


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 blowin', come the judgement day. On the bloody mornin' 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.

(Repeat last verse)



Thanks to Thomas Clifford (rihananon@hotmail.com)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never seen the movie, never heard the song............We'll i wasn't even born then, but it sounds interesting!!!!  Thanks for sharing it !!!  Thanks for visiting my journal.  ~Holly

Anonymous said...

I remember this movie.  There was a lead up movie to this, can not think of the name.  But, it was so awful that it was torture to watch.  Billy Jack...saw it with a guy I eventually fell in love with....

Anonymous said...

Wow! I remember this movie. Brought back a lot of memories. The song is a great song, As soon as I saw it I remembered the tune and all the words.
Celeste

Anonymous said...

I do remember this movie, I haven't heard the song in years! Take care, Carly :)

Anonymous said...

I remember seeing this movie with my then beau, now husband.  Don't remember a whole lot about it but do remember enjoying it a great deal.  Back in the days when one could afford to go out to the movies a lot more!  

Anonymous said...

I sure do know this movie!  I loved it!
And One Tin Soldier is one of my
favorite old songs.  Gosh, I remember
when it was one of my favorite NEW
songs!
I feel old...
-Connie

Anonymous said...

Oh, memories!  I loved this movie and especially Billy, himself!   And....thanks for the words to the song.  I haven't even thought of that song for years!  Lisa @ Wearin' My Heart