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
Billy T. James which occurred. Both Peter Rowley and James' daughter criticised the inaccuracies of the production in the press. A documentary entitled "Billy T: Te Movie" was released theatrically in August 2011. Directed by Ian Mune, it proved popular with both theatre-goers and reviewers, becoming the week's top box office performer on the week of release with $263,000 in sales. "Te Movie" is now available on DVD. In 2011, Peter Rowley wrote and starred in "Billy T & Me", a one-man show which combined Rowley's memories of working alongside Billy with archival video footage. The show toured New Zealand and was made