Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods　/　Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods (ABC Records, ABCD-824)

Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods　/　Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods (ABC Records, ABCD-824)

(SIDE A) ABCD-824-A①
(SIDE B) ABCD-824-B②

大ヒット曲"Billy Don't Be a Hero"を収録したアルバム。
この曲、ベトナム戦争をテーマにした反戦歌と思っていましたが、ちゃんと歌詞を読むと全くそんなことを書いていませんね。1974年の曲らしいから、まあ、ベトナム戦争の歌なんでしょうけど。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqfIKqW2ZPo

The marching band came down along Main Street
The soldier blues fell in behind
I looked across and there I saw Billy
Waiting to go and join the line

And with her head upon his shoulder
His young and lovely fiancée
From where I stood I saw she was cryin'
And through her tears I heard her say:

"Billy, don't be a hero
Don't be a fool with your life
Billy, don't be a hero
Come back and make me your wife"

And as Billy started to go, she said
"Keep your pretty head low
Billy, don't be a hero
Come back to me"

The soldier blues were trapped on a hillside
The battle ragin' all around
The sergeant cried "We've gotta hang on, boys
We gotta hold this piece of ground

I need a volunteer to ride out
And bring us back some extra men"
And Billy's hand was up in a moment
Forgetting all the words she said

She said: "Billy, don't be a hero
Don't be a fool with your life"
Billy don't be a hero
Come back and make me your wife"

And as Billy started to go, she said
"Keep your pretty head low
Billy, don't be a hero
Come back to me"

I heard his fiancée got a letter
That told how Billy died that day
The letter said that he was a hero
She should be proud he died that way
I heard she threw the letter away

上司が「あの曲のタイトル、なんだったっけなー」と言いながらこの曲を口ずさんだとき、さっとタイトルを答えると、彼はぼくを神扱いしてくれました。その半年ほど後、彼とは喧嘩別れして、ぼくは転職しました。転職して5年ほどしてから彼が鬱だという話を聞き、元職場から戻ってきてくれと言われ、戻る準備をしている途中で彼は職場で首をつって自殺しました。たまたま、ぼくが人生初の富士山に挑んでいる日でした。人間の屑のような上司でしたが、はたして誰が自分を「屑」でないと言えるのでしょうか？憎めない人で、ぼくは彼が好きでした。この曲を聴くと、彼のことを、救えたかもしれないなと、思い出します。あと3年で、ぼくは彼の年を越えます。