Billy Don't Be a Hero by Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
Artist: Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods Weeks at #1: 2 weeks Chart dates: June 15, 1974 – June 22, 1974
About
"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:
