Comments on: ID this song? Heard this other song recently?

Question: ID this song? Heard this other song recently?

kimota — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 20:38:33 -0800

Two simple music questions....

1). Know of a (country/novelty) song based on this urban legend? A friend swears he remembers something, circa early-to-mid-70s.

2). When was the last time you heard "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" on the radio in the US? I'd always dismissed it as schmaltzy 70s bubblegum but realized it's decidedly anti-war, and I'm curious to know if in ClearChannel/Support the Troops America it's getting any play at all.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 03:36:30 -0800

1. No

2. I have not heard that song for at least twenty years, thank God. Whatever its political statement, it was scmaltzy bubblegum, and stole bandwidth from better music.

By: JanetLand

JanetLand — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 05:19:37 -0800

1. No. Never even heard of the urban legend. And I'm old enough to remember plenty of novelty songs from the 70s.

2. I *think* I have heard this on the 70s oldies stations I am fond of (and my local one is ClearChannel), but I could be thinking of those 70s music channels you get with digital cable or online. At any rate, I know I've heard it more than once at least within the last year, because I remember going "Ahgh!" and changing the station because I too dislike it (although unlike Kirth Gerson I adore schmaltzy bubblegum as a genre).

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 07:00:11 -0800

1 no
2 i know i've heard this in the past 5 years ... but i don't listen to the radio that much ... especially stations that play junk like this

By: JanetLand

JanetLand — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 07:27:31 -0800

[sniffs pitifully and goes off to chew her bubblegum in a corner]

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 07:45:13 -0800

Janetland, perhaps we have different definitions of what's bubblegum. If you include, say, Daydream believer, then I don't think yours is the same as mine, which is limited to stuff like Billy here, and Patches.

By: kindall

kindall — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 08:52:16 -0800

When was the last time you heard "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" on the radio in the US?

Just this week. But it was on an oldies station that they had playing in the barber shop.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 10:19:00 -0800

patches? ... patches by clarence carter bubblegum? ... no, i don't think so ...

By: JanetLand

JanetLand — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:13:50 -0800

I think Kirth means Patches by Dickey Lee; different song.

By: JanetLand

JanetLand — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:16:20 -0800

Both Patches. (scroll down)

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:24:36 -0800

The one by Dickey Lee, of course. Clarence Carter can't do bubblegum.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:30:23 -0800

oh, ick ... i'd forgotten about that one ... no thanks for reminding me ...

By: JanetLand

JanetLand — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:33:23 -0800

Getting back to the question, I have googled like crazy and can't find nothin'. This article is about old country novelty songs -- any of these names ring a bell with your friend?