Billy Don't Be a Hero blue, and "riding out" (cavalry) refer to the American Civil War. However the drum beat and cavalry "riding out" is not specific to the American Civil War, and blue uniforms were common in the 19th century. That being said, Paper Lace themselves performed the song on "Top of the Pops" wearing Union-style uniforms, as can be seen on YouTube. A young woman is distraught that her fiancé chooses to enlist with Army recruiters passing through the town, causing her to implore him: The song goes on to describe how Billy is killed in action in a pitched battle after volunteering
One Voice (Billy Gilman song) bridge, is a similar take on the line of the song. US CD single UK CD single "One Voice" debuted at number 71 on "Billboard"s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the chart week of May 27, 2000. When the song became a top 40 hit, Gilman became the youngest artist to chart a top 40 country hit, edging out Brenda Lee to become the youngest person to ever have a song on the country singles chart. The song also became a top 40 hit on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, reaching number 38. One Voice (Billy Gilman song)