"Billy Don't Be a Hero" | ||||
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Single by Paper Lace | ||||
from the album Paper Lace (US version) | ||||
B-side | "Celia" | |||
Released | April 1974 | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length |
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Label | Mercury | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mitch Murray, Peter Callander | |||
Producer(s) | Mitch Murray, Peter Callander | |||
Paper Lace singles chronology | ||||
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"Billy, Don't Be a Hero" | ||||
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Single by Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods | ||||
from the album Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods | ||||
B-side | "Don't Ever Look Back" | |||
Released | April 1974 | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Studio | ABC, Los Angeles, California | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:25 | |||
Label | ABC | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mitch Murray, Peter Callander | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Barri | |||
Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods singles chronology | ||||
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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, 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, 'Keep your pretty 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.
Paper Lace's version of "Billy Don't Be a Hero" reached No. 1 in the UK on 16 March 1974, [1] 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. 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 and Japan 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". [2]
Massive Attack's 1991 track Blue Lines (from the album of the same name) features the lyrics "Take a walk, Billy, don't be a hero". [19]
John C. Reilly performs a cover of the song in Walk Hard .
Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants, named the hero of The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Billy solely to make possible a passing homage to "Billy Don't Be a Hero". [20]
Paper Lace are an English pop rock band formed in Nottingham in 1967. They achieved fame and success in 1974, when they had three UK Top 40 hit singles. In the United States they are considered a one-hit wonder, having had a single US number one hit in 1974 with their signature, "The Night Chicago Died".
"If" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates in 1971. Originally popularized by his group Bread, "If" charted at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 when released as a single in 1971 and No. 6 in Canada. It also spent three weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Easy Listening chart, and one week at the top of the Canadian AC chart.
"You're Sixteen" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers. It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960 and number 3 in the UK in 1961. The song was covered by Ringo Starr in 1973 and this version reached number one in the US.
"The Night Chicago Died" is a song by the British group Paper Lace, written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in 1974, reached number 3 in the UK charts, and number 2 in Canada. It is about a fictional shoot-out between the Chicago Police and members of the Al Capone Syndicate. The narrator retells his mother's anguish while awaiting news of the fate of her husband, a Chicago policeman. This song begins with an electronic synthesizer sound impersonating a police siren. The first four lines in the Intro are spoken by the group. It also features the sound of a ticking clock, heard in the third verse.
"How Long" is the debut single by the English band Ace, from their 1974 debut album, Five-A-Side. It reached No. 3 on both the US and Canadian charts, and No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart.
"(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" is an R&B song written by Paul Gayten and Bobby Charles, and performed by Clarence "Frogman" Henry.
"Hair" is the title song to the 1967 musical Hair and the 1979 film adaptation of the musical.
"Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966. The best known version was a number one hit for the 5th Dimension in 1969.
Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods are an American pop music group, known mainly for their 1970s hit singles, "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "Who Do You Think You Are".
"Song Sung Blue" is a 1972 hit song written and recorded by Neil Diamond, inspired by the second movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto #21. It was released on Diamond's album Moods, and later appeared on many of Diamond's live and compilation albums. The song was a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States for one week, the week of July 1, and it spent twelve weeks in the Top 40. It also reached #14 on the UK Singles Chart.
"You Make Me Feel Brand New" is a 1974 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. An R&B ballad, the song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.
"When Will I Be Loved" is a popular song written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, who had a US top-ten hit with it in 1960. Linda Ronstadt covered the song in 1975, and her version was an even bigger hit in the US, peaking at No. 2. Vince Gill also covered it in 1994 on the soundtrack of the film 8 Seconds.
"Morning Side of the Mountain" is a song written by Larry Stock and Dick Manning and first recorded in 1951 by Tommy Edwards. It settled at #24 on the pop chart. Edwards re-recorded it in 1959, reaching #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The re-release was featured as the B-side of Edwards' other hit, a cover of Johnnie Ray's 1952 success, "Please Mr. Sun."
"Moonlight Feels Right" is the debut single recorded by the American band Starbuck. Written and produced by Bruce Blackman, the song was released in December 1975 but did not chart until April 1976.
"Romeo's Tune" is a song recorded by Steve Forbert, released in 1979 as the lead single from his album Jackrabbit Slim.
"The Things We Do for Love" is a song by British band 10cc, released as a single in 1976. It later featured on the album Deceptive Bends released in 1977 and was the group's first release after the departure of band members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.
"Who Do You Think You Are" is a song written by British songwriting-team Des Dyer and Clive Scott. It was first recorded by English pop group Candlewick Green and released in late December 1973. The song peaked at #21 in the United Kingdom in February 1974.
"Breakdown Dead Ahead" is a 1980 song recorded by Boz Scaggs, and composed by Scaggs and David Foster. It was the lead single of two released from Scaggs's album Middle Man.
"The Other Guy" is a song by Australian soft rock band Little River Band. It was released in February 1983 as the third and final single from the band's 1982 Greatest Hits album. The song also introduced the band's new lead vocalist, John Farnham, who replaced Glenn Shorrock.
"Rock and Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)" is a 1973 song written and originally performed by Australian singer Kevin Johnson, most famously covered by American singer Mac Davis.