They plant flags in the ashes, build towers from bone
Sing hymns to the empire, all chrome and cologne
They dress up the numbers, let the bankers decide
While the fields go to seed and the rivers run dry
There’s a screen in your pocket, a leash on your head
They sell you the story, then bill you for dread
And every new war gets a brand and a spin
The truth’s just a costume they toss in the bin
[Chorus]
Little tin soldiers, hollow inside
Grinning through fire with nothing to hide
Bending like shadows, too tired to stand
Trading conviction for sleight of hand
We don’t feel the weight, we don’t hear the call—
We just learn to nod so we don’t have to fall
[Verse 2]
Now the air tastes like metal, the soil’s gone sour
They auction the moon off by quarter-hour
The shepherds are sleeping, the fences are cracked
But the wolves wear badges, and no one fights back
They poison the well with a smile and a tax
Call it freedom of choice while they tighten the tracks
And the children all learn how to kneel, not to ask
’Cause dissent is a sin in a world built on masks
[Chorus]
Little tin soldiers, hollow inside
Grinning through fire with nothing to hide
Bending like shadows, too tired to stand
Trading conviction for sleight of hand
We don’t feel the weight, we don’t hear the call—
We just learn to nod so we don’t have to fall
[Bridge]
And the smoke stacks preach louder than prophets these days
Their gospel is profit, their temple’s ablaze
But we bow just the same to the altar of screens
Trading blood for convenience, and dreams for routines
[Outro]
So light up the fuse, let the circus begin
Build a wall ’round your heart, call it discipline
The fire is coming, but no one looks up
We’re too busy pouring more gold in our cup
Little tin soldiers, so eager to burn—
When will we learn?
When will we learn
Joshua_Burns
