Way up on the wild Moose River
By the side of the big jumbo dam
One morning while eating our breakfast
On the rocks we espied a great jam

As soon as we'd finished our breakfast
We were out on the head of the jam
Some of the boys took the pole trail
To break out the reservoir dam

We worked for an hour and a quarter
Our pick poles and pevies did pry
Not dreaming that one of our number
That day would so horribly die

"Ride her down, ride her down to the dead water"
So loudly our foreman did shout
Not a man in the gang who won't ride her
Not a man in the gang who'll back out

On the river there never was better
Than my friend and kind chum, Johnnie Doyle
As the logs came he always could roll them
And he never was reckless and wild

But this morning his luck was against him
His foot it got caught in the jam
And you know how these waters kept rolling
From the falls at the reservoir dam

We rode it down to dead water
The sweat down our bodies did pour
When we pulled his dead body from under
It looked like poor Johnny no more

His flesh it was torn into ribbons
Into pieces the size of your hand
On earth his dead body lies resting
May the lord take his soul in command