(original song by stiff little fingers)

He turned up to get a jo
To show he wasn't scared
All wrapped up in that army crap
He thought he'd be prepared
Well at the age of seventeen,
He was forced to choose
Now at the age of twenty-one
He's in catch-22
He turned up for just three years
It seemed a small amount
But what they didn't tell him was
The first two didn't count
At the age of seventeen how was he to know?
That at the age of twenty-one
He'd still have more to go?
Tin soldier! he signed away his name!
Tin soldier! no chance of casual fame!
Tin soldier! well now he knows the truth!
Tin soldier! he signed away his youth!
He turned up, to start out right
To do right by his son
Well now he waits
And he counts the days
That mark time since day one
At the age of seventeen
He did what he was told
Now at the age of twenty-one
There's still one-third to go!
Tin soldier! he signed away his name!
Tin soldier! no chance of casual fame!
Tin soldier! well now he knows the truth!
Tin soldier! he signed away his youth!
(left! right! left right left! left! right! left right left!)
At the age of seventeen
He fall in line to
Now at the age of twenty-one
He still marches to
(one! two! three! four!)
Tin soldier! he signed away his name!
Tin soldier! no chance of casual fame!
Tin soldier! well now he knows the truth!
Tin soldier! he signed away his youth!
Tin soldier! what is he fighting for?
Tin soldier! to win a fucking war?
Tin soldier! (completely indecipherable lyric)
Tin soldier! arrgh yeah!!!!
Signed away his name
Signed away his name