Billy—Don't Be a Hero
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"Billy—Don't Be a Hero" is a 1974 pop song that was first a UK hit for Paper Lace and then, some months later (with its title punctuated as "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"), a US hit for Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods. The song was written and composed by two British songwriters, Mitch Murray and Peter Callander.
Because the song was released in 1974, it was associated by some listeners with the Vietnam War, though the war to which it actually refers is never identified in the lyrics. It has been suggested that the drum pattern, references to a marching band leading soldiers in blue, and "riding out" (cavalry) refer to the American Civil War. For one of the band's performances on Top of the Pops they wore Union-style uniforms, as can be seen on YouTube and on 45 single record cover.
A young woman is distraught that her fiancé chooses to enlist with Army recruiters passing through the town, causing her to implore him:
Billy, don't be a hero, Don't be a fool with your life Billy, don't be a hero, Come back and make me your wife And as he started to go, she said, 'Billy, keep your head low' Billy, don't be a hero, Come back to me.
The song goes on to describe how Billy is killed in action in a pitched battle after volunteering to ride out and seek reinforcements. In the end, the heartbroken woman throws away the official letter notifying her of Billy's "heroic" death.
Chart performances
Paper Lace's version of "Billy—Don't Be a Hero" reached No. 1 in the UK on 16 March 1974, and did likewise in Australia, where it spent eight weeks at the top spot. The Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods version reached No. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 on 15 June 1974, and was dubbed into French for Canada[citation needed]. The US version sold over three and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in June 1974. The Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods version was a massive hit in Latin America[citation needed] and Japan[citation needed] as well, but it remained largely unknown elsewhere. Billboard ranked it as the No. 21 song for 1974.
Despite the song's popularity, it was poorly received, and it was voted No. 8 on Rolling Stone magazine's readers' poll of "10 Worst Songs of the 1970s".
Paper Lace version
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Weekly charts Chart (1974) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 1 Canada (RPM) 51 Ireland (IRMA) 1 New Zealand (Listener) 3 UK (OCC) 1 US Billboard Hot 100 96 US Cash Box Top 100 68 | Year-end charts Chart (1974) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report) 2 UK 3 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 1 |
| Canada (RPM) | 51 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 1 |
| New Zealand (Listener) | 3 |
| UK (OCC) | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 96 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 68 |
| Chart (1974) | Rank |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 2 |
| UK | 3 |
Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods version
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Weekly charts Chart (1974) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles 1 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 29 US Billboard Hot 100 1 US Billboard Easy Listening 20 US Cash Box Top 100 1 | Year-end charts Chart (1974) Rank Canada 13 US Billboard Hot 100 21 US Cash Box 30 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary | 29 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 20 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 1 |
| Chart (1974) | Rank |
| Canada | 13 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
| US Cash Box | 30 |