Who killed Davey Moore?

Why an' what's the reason for?

"Not I", said the referee

"Don't point your finger at me

I could've stopped it in the eighth

An' maybe kept him from his fate

But the crowd would've booed, I'm sure

At not gettin' their money's worth

It's too bad that he had to go

But there was a pressure on me too, you know

It wasn't me that made him fall

No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore?

Why an' what's the reason for?

"Not us", said the angry crowd

Whose screams filled the arena loud

"It's too bad he died that night

But we just like to see a fight

We didn't mean for him to meet his death

We just meant to see some sweat

There ain't nothing wrong in that

It wasn't us that made him fall

No, you can't blame us at all"

Who killed Davey Moore?

Why an' what's the reason for?

"Not me", said his manager

Puffing on a big cigar

"It's hard to say, it's hard to tell

I always thought that he was well

It's too bad for his wife an' kids he's dead

But if he was sick he should've said

It wasn't me that made him fall

No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore

Why an' what's the reason for?

"Not me", says the gambling man

With his ticket stub still in his hand

"My wasn't me that knocked him down

My hands never touched him none

I didn't commit no ugly sin

Anyway, I put money on him to win

It wasn't me that made him fall

No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore

Why an' what's the reason for?

"Not me", says the boxing writer

Pounding print on his old typewriter

Sayin', "Boxing ain't to blame

There's just as much danger in a football game"

Sayin', "Fist fighting is here to stay

It's just the old American way

It wasn't me that made him fall

No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore?

Why an' what's the reason for?

"Not me", says the man whose fists

Laid him low in a cloud of mist

Who came here from Cuba's door

Where boxing ain't allowed no more

"I hit him, I hit him, yes, it's true

But that's what I am paid to do

Don't say 'murder,' don't say 'kill'

It was destiny, it was God's will"

Who killed Davey Moore

Why an' what's the reason for?


Lyrics submitted by HagbardCeline

Who Killed Davey Moore? Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Who Killed Davey Moore? song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    It was March of 1963 in a triple title night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Davey Moore had succesfully defended his Featherweight title 5 times and put it on the line against the Cuban Sugar Ramos. Ramos knocked the 5'2" Moore down into the ropes in the tenth round but Moore who was nicknamed The Little Giant popped up and finished the fight. He lost in the scorecards however and the title was transferred to Ramos. Moore walked back to the locker room and in a post-fight interview stated he couldn't wait to fight Ramos again to get his title back. Shortly after the reporters left Moore complained of headaches and fell unconscious. He died of inoperable brain damage in a local hospital where his wife had been flown to meet him. Geraldine Moore, on being informed of her husband's death said "It was God's will" and fainted.

    Dylan wrote this in '63 back when he was doing a lot of social protest songs. This one however is different. I'll warn you, don't read too much into it as far as Dylan's perspective is concerned. I don't think Dylan believes boxing is all that bad. Dylan's rival Phil Ochs had written a song called Davey Moore and it seems as though Dylan wrote his version to show his superiority as a songwriter. It does man's and society's hypocrisy - and in that aspect very Dylanesque, yet if you think Dylan wrote this song to lead a flowers and bandanas revolution against boxing you might as well puke up the mushrooms.

    An additional irony was added to Dylan's song when doctors concluded the autopsy of Davey Moore. Apparently when Moore had fallen in the tenth round his head had hit the ropes in what doctors called a "thousand to one" accident. The bottom rope had caused the brain to swell in the back which eventually proved fatal. So who killed Davey Moore? The inanimate and unfeeling ropes of the ring. The ropes that seperate the fighter from the crowd. Created by folks in some warehouse of a sports manufacturing company either to help hold men up or be pinned against.

    nigelmustaphaon December 16, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    For sure, it is about the death of Davey Moore, but also the same mentality that Dylan is criticizing is behind many of our social ills. The tendency to place blame and point fingers instead of taking ownership for our role in all of these things. Environmental issues are an easy fit. We all criticize the policy makers and the corporations, that are the direct cause, but really we all contribute to these ills in our own individual lifestyles. We do not insist that the corporations we work for operate in an environmentally friendly manner. We take the paycheck and go home and throw our bottles in the recycler like that's all we can do. We do not employ the age-old peaceful protest tactics of walk outs, or boycotts nearly frequently enough. We make signs and hold them up at protest rallies, but then do nothing when our jobs are on the line. Not everyone, but many. Not always, but often. Take ownership and affect change from the ground up.

    dustybasicson March 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Dylan paints a picture of our violent society and how all of the people who say its not their fault davy moores dead are actually guilty in a way. it was our society who killed davy moore.

    Inpeaceon December 26, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    its about he died him. omg

    howmanydrumstickson December 26, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    why worry about blame? people get killed for less than that. boxers should know their limits better than anyone else.

    freeter mcbeanon December 26, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?! ONLY 3 POSTS!?! Although the first post hit the nail (donkey*) on the head

    • donkey was a randomly chosen animal, i dont hate donkeys
    :)4thecameraon May 07, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Does anyone know who it was really based off of? If anyone?

    jimmyjamesjack87on July 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    OH wait I guess Davey Moore was his real name, I figured he might've changed it because on the live 1964 album he says "this was taken out of the newspaper... nothing has been changed... except the words."

    jimmyjamesjack87on July 16, 2007   Link

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