214:
31:
484:
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
1160:
1261:
1186:
428:, 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
927:
465:
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.
383:
477:
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
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A young woman is distraught that her fiancé chooses to enlist with Army recruiters passing through the town, causing her to implore him:
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864:
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911:
928:"Readers' Poll: The 10 Worst Songs of the 1970s : #8 - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods - 'Billy Don't Be A Hero'"
1510:
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902:
1110:"Australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)"
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8:
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30:
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58:
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Because the song was released in 1974, it was associated by some listeners with the
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Despite the song's popularity, it was poorly received, and it was voted No. 8 on
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38:
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961:(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 228.
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of the same name) features the lyrics "Take a walk, Billy, don't be a hero".
498:
256:
868:
Billy solely to make possible a passing homage to "Billy Don't Be a Hero".
414:
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312:
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123:
442:-style uniforms, as can be seen on YouTube and on 45 single record cover.
425:
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284:
85:
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165:
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906:(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 298.
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Paper Lace's version of "Billy Don't Be a Hero" reached No. 1 in the
402:
289:
90:
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895:
893:
413:. The song was written and composed by two British songwriters,
890:
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454:
And as he started to go, she said, 'Keep your pretty head low'
1095:
1000:
The Irish Charts – Search
Results – Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
502:
magazine's readers' poll of "10 Worst Songs of the 1970s".
672:
1411:
Bo
Donaldson & the Heywoods - Billy Don't Be a Hero
452:
Billy, don't be a hero, Come back and make me your wife
450:
Billy, don't be a hero, Don't be a fool with your life
1102:
1187:"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada"
1161:"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada"
1422:
1260:Canada, Library and Archives (16 January 2018).
846:John C. Reilly performs a cover of the song in
1282:"Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974"
992:
461:The song goes on to describe how Billy is
409:and then, some months later, a US hit for
212:
29:
1030:Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990
456:Billy, don't be a hero, Come back to me.
1211:
432:. For one of the band's performances on
1025:
1023:
1021:
899:
673:Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods version
1471:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
1423:
1259:
1362:"Behind the Pages: Super Diaper Baby"
505:
468:
1446:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
1072:
1018:
983:"RPM Top 100 Singles - June 1, 1974"
953:
775:
677:
510:
1466:UK singles chart number-one singles
1441:Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods songs
1080:"National Top 100 Singles for 1974"
1015:Flavour of New Zealand, 8 June 1974
865:The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby
839:'s 1991 track Blue Lines (from the
13:
1456:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
1400:Paper Lace - Billy Don't Be a Hero
1337:"Massive Attack Blue Lines Lyrics"
947:
682:
631:
14:
1527:
1392:
1217:Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993
405:song that was first a UK hit for
1501:Songs written by Peter Callander
1307:"Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1974"
1136:"Top 100 1974 - UK Music Charts"
903:British Hit Singles & Albums
515:
1461:Number-one singles in Australia
1354:
1329:
1299:
1274:
1253:
1223:
1205:
1179:
1153:
1128:
959:Australian Chart Book 1970–1992
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1219:. Record Research. p. 75.
1042:
1009:
975:
920:
647:Australia (Kent Music Report)
234:Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
1:
1496:Songs written by Mitch Murray
883:
411:Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
357:Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
226:Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
160:Mitch Murray, Peter Callander
766:
752:
622:
7:
1267:Library and Archives Canada
871:
10:
1532:
1451:Cashbox number-one singles
1231:"Cash Box Top 100 7/06/74"
1050:"Cash Box Top 100 5/25/74"
1006:. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
1262:"Image : RPM Weekly"
1140:Uk-charts.top-source.info
363:
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279:, Los Angeles, California
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134:
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96:
84:
76:
68:
56:
48:
37:
28:
23:
16:1974 single by Paper Lace
1486:Songs about the military
384:Who Do You Think You Are
207:"Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
51:Paper Lace (US version)
1511:Mercury Records singles
1191:Collectionscanada.gc.ca
1165:Collectionscanada.gc.ca
900:Roberts, David (2006).
399:"Billy Don't Be a Hero"
24:"Billy Don't Be a Hero"
878:List of anti-war songs
459:
375:Billy, Don't Be a Hero
247:"Don't Ever Look Back"
190:The Night Chicago Died
447:
181:Billy Don't Be a Hero
1491:Songs about soldiers
862:, named the hero of
491:No. 21 song for 1974
368:"Deeper and Deeper"
1516:ABC Records singles
1286:Musicoutfitters.com
1004:Irish Singles Chart
720:Adult Contemporary
1431:1974 debut singles
1086:. 30 December 1974
1060:on 7 February 2017
860:Captain Underpants
506:Paper Lace version
469:Chart performances
430:American Civil War
359:singles chronology
168:singles chronology
1481:Songs about death
1317:on 9 October 2016
1241:on 9 January 2018
1116:on 6 October 2014
1084:Kent Music Report
828:
827:
821:
820:
771:
770:
669:
668:
662:
661:
627:
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535:Kent Music Report
489:ranked it as the
396:
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202:
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198:
197:
115:3:45 (radio edit)
1523:
1436:Paper Lace songs
1412:
1401:
1386:
1385:
1383:
1381:
1372:. Archived from
1358:
1352:
1351:
1349:
1347:
1333:
1327:
1326:
1324:
1322:
1313:. Archived from
1311:Tropicalglen.com
1303:
1297:
1296:
1294:
1292:
1278:
1272:
1271:
1257:
1251:
1250:
1248:
1246:
1237:. Archived from
1235:Tropicalglen.com
1227:
1221:
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1202:
1200:
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1176:
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1172:
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1125:
1123:
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1112:. Archived from
1106:
1100:
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1093:
1091:
1076:
1070:
1069:
1067:
1065:
1056:. Archived from
1054:Tropicalglen.com
1046:
1040:
1027:
1016:
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996:
990:
989:
987:
979:
973:
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951:
945:
944:
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918:
917:
897:
780:
779:
687:
686:
678:
636:
635:
520:
519:
511:
463:killed in action
365:
364:
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328:
307:
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244:
216:
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174:
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157:
139:
111:
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33:
21:
20:
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1376:on 15 June 2012
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936:
926:
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921:
914:
898:
891:
886:
874:
834:
829:
778:
776:Year-end charts
694:
685:
675:
670:
634:
632:Year-end charts
527:
518:
508:
471:
458:
455:
453:
451:
435:Top of the Pops
419:Peter Callander
387:
378:
369:
342:
336:Peter Callander
324:
304:
300:
299:
240:
232:from the album
193:
184:
153:
147:Peter Callander
135:
118:
112:(album version)
108:
104:
103:
57:
49:from the album
17:
12:
11:
5:
1529:
1519:
1518:
1513:
1508:
1503:
1498:
1493:
1488:
1483:
1478:
1476:Anti-war songs
1473:
1468:
1463:
1458:
1453:
1448:
1443:
1438:
1433:
1419:
1418:
1407:
1394:
1393:External links
1391:
1388:
1387:
1353:
1328:
1298:
1273:
1252:
1222:
1213:Whitburn, Joel
1204:
1193:. 15 June 1974
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919:
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837:Massive Attack
833:
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819:
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815:
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796:
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792:
788:
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749:Easy Listening
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1188:
1182:
1167:. 6 July 1974
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1115:
1111:
1105:
1097:
1085:
1081:
1075:
1059:
1055:
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1045:
1039:
1038:0-89820-089-X
1035:
1031:
1026:
1024:
1022:
1012:
1005:
1001:
995:
984:
978:
970:
968:0-646-11917-6
964:
960:
956:
950:
935:
934:
933:Rolling Stone
929:
923:
915:
913:1-904994-10-5
909:
905:
904:
896:
894:
889:
879:
876:
875:
869:
867:
866:
861:
858:, creator of
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838:
824:
816:
814:
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802:
798:
797:
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789:
785:
783:Chart (1974)
782:
781:
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762:
757:
756:
750:
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733:
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719:
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699:
698:
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690:Chart (1974)
689:
688:
683:Weekly charts
680:
679:
665:
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653:
649:
646:
645:
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639:Chart (1974)
638:
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569:New Zealand (
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531:
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523:Chart (1974)
522:
521:
516:Weekly charts
513:
512:
503:
501:
500:
499:Rolling Stone
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367:
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326:Songwriter(s)
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137:Songwriter(s)
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32:
27:
22:
19:
1378:. Retrieved
1374:the original
1365:
1356:
1344:. Retrieved
1340:
1331:
1319:. Retrieved
1315:the original
1310:
1301:
1289:. Retrieved
1285:
1276:
1265:
1255:
1243:. Retrieved
1239:the original
1234:
1225:
1216:
1207:
1195:. Retrieved
1190:
1181:
1169:. Retrieved
1164:
1155:
1143:. Retrieved
1139:
1130:
1118:. Retrieved
1114:the original
1104:
1094:– via
1088:. Retrieved
1074:
1062:. Retrieved
1058:the original
1053:
1044:
1029:
1011:
994:
977:
958:
949:
937:. Retrieved
931:
922:
901:
863:
854:
847:
845:
835:
832:Use in media
822:
812:
800:
760:
745:
729:
715:
706:Top Singles
701:
663:
616:
599:
570:
497:
495:
486:
479:
472:
460:
449:
444:
433:
423:
415:Mitch Murray
398:
397:
374:
332:Mitch Murray
233:
180:
143:Mitch Murray
50:
18:
955:Kent, David
533:Australia (
485:elsewhere.
426:Vietnam War
350:Steve Barri
344:Producer(s)
155:Producer(s)
1506:1974 songs
1425:Categories
1370:Dav Pilkey
1366:Pilkey.com
1346:1 December
1341:Google.com
1120:16 October
1090:11 January
939:19 October
884:References
856:Dav Pilkey
438:they wore
407:Paper Lace
401:is a 1974
166:Paper Lace
72:April 1974
43:Paper Lace
1380:22 August
1321:8 January
1291:8 January
1245:8 January
1145:8 January
1064:8 January
849:Walk Hard
801:Billboard
746:Billboard
731:Billboard
695:position
601:Billboard
557:Ireland (
528:position
487:Billboard
480:Billboard
1215:(1993).
957:(1993).
872:See also
813:Cash Box
803:Hot 100
764:Top 100
761:Cash Box
620:Top 100
617:Cash Box
572:Listener
545:Canada (
263:Recorded
252:Released
77:Recorded
69:Released
1416:YouTube
1405:YouTube
1197:26 July
1171:26 July
791:Canada
735:Hot 100
714:Canada
700:Canada
605:Hot 100
482:Hot 100
388:(1974)
379:(1974)
370:(1974)
194:(1974)
185:(1974)
129:Mercury
64:"Celia"
1036:
965:
910:
823:
664:
296:Length
272:Studio
255:April
242:B-side
222:Single
97:Length
59:B-side
39:Single
1096:Imgur
986:(PDF)
841:album
786:Rank
642:Rank
440:Union
313:Label
285:Genre
124:Label
86:Genre
1382:2016
1348:2022
1323:2018
1293:2018
1247:2018
1199:2019
1173:2019
1147:2018
1122:2016
1092:2022
1066:2018
1034:ISBN
963:ISBN
941:2011
908:ISBN
693:Peak
559:IRMA
526:Peak
417:and
266:1974
257:1974
80:1974
1414:on
1403:on
817:30
811:US
806:21
799:US
794:13
758:US
753:20
744:US
728:US
723:29
717:RPM
703:RPM
655:UK
623:68
614:US
609:96
598:US
588:OCC
552:51
547:RPM
403:pop
318:ABC
290:Pop
277:ABC
224:by
91:Pop
41:by
1427::
1368:.
1364:.
1339:.
1309:.
1284:.
1264:.
1233:.
1189:.
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