Little Moses
The Carter Family Lyrics
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And Pharaoh's little daughter stepped down in the water
To bathe in the cool of the day
Before it was dark she opened the ark
And found the sweet infant was there
Before it was dark she opened the ark
And found the sweet infant was there
And away by the waters so blue, the infant was lonely and sad
She took him in pity and thought him so pretty
And it made little Moses so glad
She called him her own, her beautiful son
And sent for a nurse that was near
She called him her own, her beautiful son
And sent for a nurse that was near
And away by the river so clear, they carried the beautiful child
To his own tender mother, his sister and brother
Little Moses looked happy and smiled
His mother so good done all that she could
To rear him and teach him with care
His mother so good done all that she could
To rear him and teach him with care
And away by the sea that was red, little Moses, the servant of God
While in him confided the sea was divided
As upward he lifted his rod
The Jews they could cross while Pharaoh's host
Was drownded in the waters and lost
The Jews they could cross while Pharaoh's host
Was drownded in the waters and lost
And away on the mountain so high, the last one that ever might see
While in his victorious, his hope was most glorious
He'd soon o'er the Jordan be free
The Carter Family's song Little Moses tells the story of the biblical character Moses, who was found floating in a basket on the river Nile and was eventually adopted by the Pharaoh's daughter. The song talks about how Moses was saved by the princess and how he grew up to become a servant of God who led the Jews across the sea and towards freedom. The lyrics evoke feelings of sadness, pity, and joy as the story of Moses unfolds.
In the first verse, the setting is a river where the princess goes to bathe and finds Moses in the basket. The second verse talks about how the princess takes pity on the infant and brings him up as her own child. In the third verse, Moses grows up to become a servant of God who can part the sea and lead the Jews to freedom. The final verse talks about the hope and joy that Moses feels as he realizes that he is about to cross the Jordan and be free.
The song is not only about the story of Moses, but also about the themes of salvation, adoption, and the power of faith. Throughout the song, there is a sense of wonder and awe about the power of God and how it can save and transform lives. The song also emphasizes the importance of mothers and how they can shape the character of their children.
Line by Line Meaning
Away by the river so clear, the ladies were winding their way
As women were walking by the clear river.
And Pharaoh's little daughter stepped down in the water
To bathe in the cool of the day
Pharaoh's daughter went down to the river to bathe in the cool of the day.
Before it was dark she opened the ark
And found the sweet infant was there
Before dark, she found the infant in the ark.
And away by the waters so blue, the infant was lonely and sad
She took him in pity and thought him so pretty
And it made little Moses so glad
The infant was lonely and sad by the blue waters, but was taken in by someone who found him pretty and it made Moses feel glad.
She called him her own, her beautiful son
And sent for a nurse that was near
She adopted him as her son and called for a nearby nurse.
And away by the river so clear, they carried the beautiful child
To his own tender mother, his sister and brother
Little Moses looked happy and smiled
They carried the beautiful child by the clear river to his loving mother, sister, and brother, and he smiled happily.
His mother so good done all that she could
To rear him and teach him with care
His mother did everything she could to raise and teach him with care.
And away by the sea that was red, little Moses, the servant of God
While in him confided the sea was divided
As upward he lifted his rod
Moses, the servant of God, was by the Red Sea and, trusting in him, the sea was divided as he raised his rod.
The Jews they could cross while Pharaoh's host
Was drownded in the waters and lost
The Jews were able to cross the sea while Pharaoh's army drowned in the waters and was lost.
And away on the mountain so high, the last one that ever might see
While in his victorious, his hope was most glorious
He'd soon o'er the Jordan be free
On a high mountain, the last one who saw Moses was victorious and hopeful to soon be free over the Jordan.
Contributed by Aaron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Wyatt Kaski
With all this Coronavirus spreading, thus we must be in quarantine, this is an amazing thing to listen to just to let our fears run out of the way. I'm glad your posting new songs everyone in a while because I have few records of the Carter Family and I don't always like relistening to them because I want more songs than the ones on the record, so your postings of their songs make me happier through the tough time. Keep up your work, I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates it. :)
boo robertson
Shabbot Shalom!