We once made men out of Oak and Iron
Then found cardboard will do just as well
If you make it life sized and paint it just right
There’s hardly a soul who can tell.

The Oak and Iron men were too hard to make
And harder still to replace
Now we don’t need the muscle and sinew and nerve
Just a pleasant and smiling face.

If the cardboard gets soggy and falls down in the rain
We’ve a million more I think
If you stand them up all around you
It gives the illusion of strength.

But I hear there’s a place, in a far away land
Where they’re making men out of Stone
And they don’t know the meaning of mercy or peace
And they are stripping the flesh from the bones.

So we’d better go back to the Oak and the Iron
I hope someone remembers how
‘Cause I don’t think cardboard will stand up to Stone
And a sweet smile won’t help us now.