[Chorus]
Who killed Davey Moore?
Why, and what's the reason for?

[Verse 1]
"Not I," said the referee
"Don't point your finger at me
I could've stopped it in the eighth
And maybe kept him from his fate
But the crowd would've booed, I'm sure
At not getting 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"

[Chorus]
Who killed Davey Moore?
Why, and what's the reason for?

[Verse 2]
"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 is nothing wrong in that
It wasn't us that made him fall
No, you can't blame us at all"
[Chorus]
Who killed Davey Moore?
Why, and what's the reason for?

[Verse 3]
"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"

[Chorus]
Who killed Davey Moore?
Why, and what's the reason for?

[Verse 4]
"Not me," says the gamblin' man
With his ticket stub still in his hand
"My, it 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"
[Chorus]
Who killed Davey Moore?
Why, and what's the reason for?

[Verse 5]
"Not me," says the boxing writer
Pounding print on his old typewriter
Saying, "Boxing ain't to blame
There's just as much danger in a football game"
Saying, "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"

[Chorus]
Who killed Davey Moore?
Why, and what's the reason for?

[Verse 6]
"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, 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"
[Chorus]
Who killed Davey Moore?
Why, and what's the reason for?