Billy, Don't Be A Hero, don't be a fool with your life.

[NightTrain]

Oh, come on. You knew this one was coming! ;)


The marchin' band came down along Main Street
The soldier-blues fell in behind
I looked across and there I saw Billy
Waiting to go and join the line
And with her head upon his shoulder
His young and lovely fiancee
From where I stood, I saw she was cryin'
And through her tears I heard her say

"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 lo-o-ow"
"Billy, don't be a hero, come back to me"

The soldier-blues were trapped on a hillside
The battle raging all around
The sergeant cried "We've got to hang on, boys"
"We got to hold this piece a'ground"
"I need a volunteer to ride up"
"And bring us back some extra men"
And Billy's hand was up in a moment
Forgettin' all the words she said

She said
"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 lo-o-ow"
"Billy, don't be a hero, come back to me"

I heard his fiancee got a letter
That told how Billy died that day
The letter said that he was a hero
She should be proud he died that way
I heard she threw that letter away

[XanaDUer]

1. Lol.

I remember what that song was popular.

[tomreedtoon]

2. It backfired on you.

I knew you did this thing out of a sense of Musical Dementia...not the GOOD kind on www.dementiaradio.org, but the kind of wackiness people get out of singing campy show tunes.

It didn't work.

That song is so damn appropriate for this time, this place, this nation, this President, that it brought a tear to my eye.

Someone should cover this song - a solo Morrisette type singer, accompanied only by acoustic guitar, leaving that last line without any guitar behind it.

[Skip Intro]

3. MY GOD MAN

Have you no decency?

on edit: how many of these do you have floating around? I need to know what precautions to take.

[NightTrain]

5. You may wish to procure armor plating for your ears.

:evilgrin:

[alittlelark]

4. My cousin Chris's favorite song

I got SO SICK OF IT !!!!!

Haven't heard it for years....

[Solly Mack]

6. lalalalalalalalalala I can't hear you. This song will not repeat

over and over in mind. lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

no no no no no no

damn

starts humming...

[johnnie]

7. I was going to post this the other day

The Heywoods..right?

[XanaDUer]

8. Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods

and I think there was another British version.

[last_texas_dem]

10. Paper Lace, too

British band Paper Lace, famous (or infamous, depending on your preference) for their #1 hit "The Night Chicago Died" here in America recorded the first version of "Billy, Don't be a Hero". I believe it was a big hit in Britain, but stalled at #96 over here because Cincinnati's Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods rushed their version out and made it to #1 in June of '74. "The Night Chicago Died" hit the top a couple months later.

Why I know all this unnecessary information about two of the most hated songs of all time I'm not sure, but I guess it's just because they're a couple of guilty pleasure songs I like. I don't feel particularly guilty for liking them, though... :-)

[Elidor]

9. Rikki don't lose that number

It's the only one you own
You might use it if you feel better
When you get home…