Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?The 100 most repeated chord transitions extracted from thousands of songs. Even the first 10 will transform your guitar practice routine.

Paper Lace - Billy Don’t Be a Hero Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, Em, Dm, G, G7, C7, F, Fm, Ab, Db, Ebm, Db7, F#, F#m, Ab7
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Fm chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-1-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar Fm chord diagram
  • Guitar G# | A♭ chord diagram Fingering: 4-3-1-1-1-x Barre at fret 1.Guitar G# | A♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar C# | D♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-4-3-1-2-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar C# | D♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar D#m | E♭m chord diagram Fingering: x-x-4-3-4-2Guitar D#m | E♭m chord diagram
  • Guitar C#7 | D♭7 chord diagram Fingering: x-4-3-4-2-xGuitar C#7 | D♭7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F# | G♭ chord diagram Fingering: 2-4-4-3-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar F# | G♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram Fingering: 2-4-4-2-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram
  • Guitar G#7 | A♭7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-1-1-1-2 Barre at fret 1.Guitar G#7 | A♭7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[C] [Em] [Dm] [G] [G7] [C]
[Dm]The marching band came [G]down along main street,
[C]The soldier blues fell in behind.
[Dm]I looked across and [G]there I saw Billy,
[C]Waiting to go and join the line,

[verse 2]
[Dm]And with her head u[G]pon his shoulder
[Dm]his young and lovely [G]fiancée.
[Dm]From where I stood I [G]saw she was crying,
[Dm]And through her tears I [G]heard her say :

[chorus]
[C]Billy, don’t be a [Em]hero, don’t be a [Dm]fool with your life
[G]Billy, don’t be a [G7]hero, come back and [C]make me your wife
And as [C]Billy started to [C7]go, she said, [F]keep your pretty head [Fm]low,
[C]Billy, don’t be [G]hero, come back to [C]me !

[verse 3]
[Dm]The soldier blues were [G]trapped on a hillside,
[C]The battle raging all around,
[Dm]The sergeant cried, “We’ve [G]got to hang on boys!
[C]We’ve got to hold this piece of ground !

[Closing]
[Dm]I need a volunteer to [G]ride up,
[Dm]And bring us back some [G]extra men.”
[Dm]And Billy’s hand was [G]up in a moment,
[Dm]Forgetting all the [G]words she said

[chorus]
She [G]said :
[C]Billy, don’t be a [Em]hero, don’t be a [Dm]fool with your life !
[G]Billy, don’t be a [G7]hero, come back and [C]make me your wife !
And as [C]Billy started to [C7]go, she said, [F]keep your pretty head [Fm]low,
[C]Billy, don’t be [G]hero, come back to [C]me!

[chorus]
[Dm]I heard his fian[G]cée got a letter [C]that told how Billy died that day.
[Dm]The letter said that [G]he was a hero, [C]she should be proud he died that way.
[Dm]I heard she threw the [G]letter a[C]way.

[chorus]
[C] [Em] [Dm] [G] [G7] [C]
She [Ab]said :
[Db]Billy, don’t be a hero, don’t be a [Ebm]fool with your life
[Ab]Billy, don’t be a hero, come back and [Db]make me your wife
And as [Db]Billy started to [Db7]go, she said, [F#]keep your pretty head [F#m]low,
[Db]Billy, don’t be [Ab]hero, come back to [Db]me!

[chorus]
[Ebm]I heard his fian[Ab]cée got a letter [Db]that told how Billy died that day.
[Ebm]The letter said that [Ab]he was a hero, [Db]she should be proud he died that way.
[Ebm]I heard she threw the [Ab]letter a[Db]way.
[Db] [Fm] [Ebm] [Ab] [Ab7] [Db]

Report Error
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistPaper Lace
AlbumPaper Lace
GenresPop
Year1974
KeyC

How to play Billy Don't Be a Hero on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Paper Lace - Billy Don't Be a Hero on guitar requires 15 chords and 23 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Billy Don't Be a Hero uses these transitions most often: Dm → G (19), G → C (11), and C → Dm (9). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - Em chord transition.

1. C → Em chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from C to Em;

  1. While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
C to Em

2. Em → Dm chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

To move from Em to Dm;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
Em to Dm

3. Dm → G chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from Dm to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
Dm to G

4. G → G7 chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

To move from G to G7;

  1. Keep index finger on A string fret 2.
  2. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 1.
G to G7

5. G7 → C chord transition

To move from G7 to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 3.

6. C → Dm chord transition

To move from C to Dm;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

7. G → C chord transition

To move from G to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

8. C → C7 chord transition

To move from C to C7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

9. C7 → F chord transition

To move from C7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.

10. F → Fm chord transition

To move from F to Fm;

  1. While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 3.

11. Fm → C chord transition

To move from Fm to C;

  1. While playing Fm, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place middle finger on D string fret 2.

12. C → Ab chord transition

To move from C to Ab;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 4.

13. Ab → Db chord transition

To move from Ab to Db;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 3 to B string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on A string fret 4.

14. Db → Ebm chord transition

To move from Db to Ebm;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to G string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 3 to fret 4.
  4. Slide your pinky from A string fret 4 to B string fret 4.

15. Ebm → Ab chord transition

To move from Ebm to Ab;

  1. While playing Ebm, lift your pinky from B string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on E string fret 4.

16. Db → Db7 chord transition

To move from Db to Db7;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 4.
  4. Slide your pinky from A string fret 4 to G string fret 4.

17. Db7 → F# chord transition

To move from Db7 to F#;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 3 to G string fret 3.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 4.
  4. Lift your pinky from G string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 4.

18. F# → F#m chord transition

To move from F# to F#m;

  1. While playing F#, lift your middle finger from G string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 4.
  4. Keep pinky on D string fret 4.

19. F#m → Db chord transition

To move from F#m to Db;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 4 to D string fret 3.
  3. Lift your pinky from D string fret 4 and place it on A string fret 4.
  4. Place middle finger on B string fret 2.

20. Db → Fm chord transition

To move from Db to Fm;

  1. While playing Db, lift your middle finger from B string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your pinky from A string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 3.

21. Fm → Ebm chord transition

To move from Fm to Ebm;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 4.
  3. Lift your pinky from D string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 4.
  4. Place middle finger on G string fret 3.

22. Ab → Ab7 chord transition

To move from Ab to Ab7;

  1. While playing Ab, lift your ring finger from E string fret 4.
  2. Keep index finger on D string fret 1.
  3. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.

23. Ab7 → Db chord transition

To move from Ab7 to Db;

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on D string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on A string fret 4.

Billy Don't Be a Hero chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Billy Don't Be a Hero.

  • Billy Don't Be a Hero includes 96 chord transitions, 23 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Billy Don't Be a Hero contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Billy Don't Be a Hero connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Dm: 2%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → Em: 8%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.