Lyrics: "Let My People Go"

Mossa'ei Shabbath HaGadol 5766

I don't know how many of you sang this as a kid growing up in Galuth (I never did.), or even heard of it. But, every year a friend of mine, a Rav In Me'ah She'arim of all people, asks me or another friend to look up the lyrics for him. Even though he and his wife have lived in Israel for almost forty years, and their Seder Leil HaPesah is conducted in Yiddish and Hebrew, they don't feel "yoetzei min hahovah" without the singing of this song.

To each his own....


(Negro Spiritual/X-ian stanza removed - Author Unknown)

When Israel was in Egypt's Land,
Let my people go,
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go.

CHORUS:
Go down Moses
Way down in egypt land
Tell ol' Pharoh
Let my people go!

Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said,
Let my people go,
If not, I'll smite your first-born dead,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

No more shall they in bondage toil,
Let my people go,
Let them come out with Egypt's spoil,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

The Lord told Moses what to do,
Let my people go,
To lead the Hebrew children through,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

O come along Moses, you'll not get lost,
Let my people go,
Stretch out your rod and come across,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

As Israel stood by the waterside,
Let my people go,
At God's command it did divide,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

When they reached the other shore,
Let my people go,
They sang a song of triumph o'er,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

Pharaoh said he'd go across,
Let my people go,
But Pharaoh and his host were lost,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

Jordan shall stand up like a wall,
Let my people go,
And the walls of Jericho shall fall,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

Your foes shall not before you stand,
Let my people go,
And you'll possess fair Canaan's land,
Let my people go.

CHORUS

We need not always weep and mourn,
Let my people go,
And wear these slavery chains forlorn,
Let my people go.

CHORUS