The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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?
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
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.