Billy Don't Be a Hero Billy Don't Be a Hero "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
Anyone Who Had a Heart (song) "Billboard" reported that the sales tally for Black's "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was nearing one million units. Internationally, Black's version also reached No.1 in Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa. In The Netherlands the song reached the No.6 position and in Australia it peaked at No.34. In May 2010, research published by BBC Radio 2 revealed that "Anyone Who Had a Heart" by Cilla Black was the biggest female UK chart hit of the 1960s. Despite the international success and recognition of Warwick's original version, the besting in Great Britain by Black's version has long been a sore point