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
I Don't Want to Be a Hero reluctant to release the single in the U.S. because of its anti-war stance. The song makes references to conscription and propaganda. The international music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan. In 1988, Japanese singer Yōko Nagayama covered the song, "反逆のヒーロー". I Don't Want to Be a Hero "I Don't Want to be a Hero" is a 1987 song by the British band Johnny Hates Jazz. It reached #11 in the UK top 40 in August 1987 spending 10 weeks on the chart. It is taken from their #1 album "Turn Back the Clock". The song was written