The Romance Reviews

Monday 25 May 2009

Flash From the Past

Remember this song from the 70's? It's always been one of my favorites and I thought this the appropriate time to post it.


I read a different group, Paper Lace, made it popular in the UK.







Billy Don't Be A Hero

( Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods )



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 low

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've got to hold this piece of 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 low

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 ...



_______________________

Bekki

www.bekkilynn.com

8 comments:

Bekki Lynn said...

I'd like to think when the initial shot of grief passed, she went back and pulled the letter from the trash and locked it in her jewelry box.

Savanna Kougar said...

Bekki, maybe she did.

Lindsay Townsend said...

I hope so, too, Bekki.
I do remember this song!

Kathleen O said...

I remember this song very well, it came out when I was 'Gulp" a teenager and it made us all cry when we realized what was happening.
I would think that this song if it came out today would have meaning to a lot of people...

Chelle Cordero said...

I used to play this record over and over and over again.

Unknown said...

I remember this--and shoot, it gave me chills and made me tear up. I'm a real softy for the military. I've stopped men in uniform in airports to say, "thank you for your service," but I usually get choked up and they look at me like they would some strange, deranged woman!!! thanks for this, in this particular day. Celia

Bekki Lynn said...

I get teary, too, Celia. It's a timeless piece. I'm betting later, those guys told someone else what you did and maybe made a 'crazy lady' comment as guys do, but I'm sure they realized just how much it really meant to them over time.

I was a young teen, myself, when it came out, Kathleen. I had a very real sense of it's meaning even then. All of my uncles and my dad were in the Army, one uncle was a POW of the Korean war.

Chelle - I'm one of those, too, who drove the family nuts playing songs over and over. I still do.

I'm glad you all commented. Thank you.

LK Hunsaker said...

I remember the song, too, and take exception that they made it sound like joining the military made him a fool, but that's typical sentiment in the Hollywood/music world. Sad.

Did you know Bo Donaldson is still (or again) doing shows? A friend played with him not long ago.