Billy, Don't Be A Hero

by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods
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Lyrics

The march ing band came (C7)down a long Main street, the sol dier blues fell in be hind.

I looked a cross and (C7)there I saw Bil ly, wait ing to go and join the line.

And with her head up (C7)on his shoul der,

his young and love ly (C7)fi an cée,

from where I stood I (C7)saw she was cry ing, and through her tears I (C)heard her say; She said, (F)Bil ly, don’t be a (Fmaj7)he ro, don’t be a (Gm)fool with your life.

(C7)Bil ly, don’t be a he ro, come back and (F)make me your wife.”

And as they start ed to go

she said, (Bb)“Bil ly, keep your head (Bbm)low.

(F)Bil ly, don’t be a (Bb)he ro, (C7)come back to (F)me.”

The sol dier blues were (C7)trapped on a hill side, the bat tle rag ing all a round.

The ser geant cried, “We’ve (C7)got to hang on, boys, we’ve got to hold this piece of ground.

I need a vol un (C7)teer to ride up

and bring us back some (C7)ex tra men.”

And Bil ly’s hand was (C7)up in a mo ment, for get ting all the (C)words she said.

She said, (F)Bil ly, don’t be a (Fmaj7)he ro, don’t be a (Gm)fool with your life.

(C7)Bil ly, don’t be a he ro, come back and (F)make me your wife.”

And as they start ed to go

she said, (Bb)“Bil ly, keep your head (Bbm)low.

(F)Bil ly, don’t be a (Bb)he ro, (C7)come back to (F)me.”

I heard she threw that (Gm7)let ter

a (F)way.

Billy, Don't Be A Hero — Visual Piano Sheet Music

1 person has learned this song

"Billy, Don't Be A Hero" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of Bb, 100 BPM.

Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.

About “Billy, Don't Be A Hero

Why does "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" show as colored bars instead of notation?
Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff — each bar's vertical position is the pitch and its length is the duration. Much easier to read than classic sheet music while still showing the full arrangement of "Billy, Don't Be A Hero".
What key is "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods played in?
Billy, Don't Be A Hero is arranged in the key of Bb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"?
The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" easy to play on piano?
This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
Can I download sheet music for "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"?
"Billy, Don't Be A Hero" was originally performed by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"?
This arrangement uses 11 chords: Bb, Bbm, Bbmaj7, C, C7, Dm7, F, F7, +3 more.
Is this real sheet music for "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"?
It's a simplified visual notation using colored bars instead of traditional notes. Each bar's vertical position shows the pitch and its length shows duration — much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "Billy, Don't Be A Hero".
Can I see all the notes in "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"?
Yes! The Bar Sheet shows every note in the arrangement as a colored bar. The sheet scrolls automatically during playback, or you can scroll manually to study any section. The song is in the key of Bb at 100 BPM.

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