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
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