Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods - Billy, Don't Be A Hero (1974)

"Billy Don't Be A Hero" is a 1974 pop song that was first a hit in the UK for Paper Lace and then some months later it was a hit in the US for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. The song was written by two British song writers Mitch Murray and Peter Callander.

Because the song was released in 1974, it was associated by some listeners with the Vietnam War, though it actually refers to an unidentified war. But the drum pattern, references to a marching band leading soldiers in blue, and "riding out" (cavalry) would seem to be referencing the American Civil War.

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The song goes on to describe how Billy is killed in action in a pitched battle after volunteering to ride out and seek reinforcements (which suggests mounted infantry and a lack of modern two-way radio communications). In the end, the woman throws away the official letter notifying her of Billy's "heroic" death.