from The Guardian -

ONLY ONE OF THE TOYS, described on its sheet music as a ‘pathetic soldier song’, was written by Mark Erickson and P. Clay-Bealer only a few months after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Despite its gloomy subject, this 1914 song was surprisingly popular in its day.

lyrics & audio

A soldier was saying “Goodbye” to his wife
He was marching that day to the war
His little son played with a gallant toy brigade
Of brightly painted soldiers on the floor
The boy looked up from his scene of mimic strife
And he said, “Daddy when to war you go,
Will you have a reg’ment too, will you drill it like I do?”
But his father answered “No”

I’m only one of the toys, my boy,
I do what I’m told to do
Perhaps I’ll fall, be forgotten by all
All but your mammy and you
I do my best along with the rest
When I march with the Brave Old Boys
No command is mine, just a number in the line
For I’m only one of the toys

The battle was over and there on the ground
Lay a soldier in pain waiting death
His comrade bent his head just to hear the words he said
That came so slowly with his dying breath
“My dear old pal, you will soon be homeward bound
Tell my wife all that you have heard me say
And remind my little Jim of the words I said to him
On the day I marched away”

I’m only one of the toys, my boy,
I do what I’m told to do 
Perhaps I’ll fall, be forgotten by all 
All but your mammy and you 
I do my best along with the rest 
When I march with the Brave Old Boys 
No command is mine, just a number in the line
For I’m only one of the toys