Other arrangements of Billy, Don't Be A Hero
Pick a learning view.
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 — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
10 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of F, 100 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Try other practice modes:
About “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 F 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 there a karaoke version of "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in F, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.