Little Moses

In the Amidons’ ‘Fifty-five Anthems for the Small Church Choir‘, performed here by Friends of the Amidons Singers, Peter Amidon soloist. A.P. Carter collected songs from local singers around the southeast United States and performed them with the Carter Family on radio shows that played throughout the country from the 1920’s through the 1950’s. Here is the Carter family’s original performance of “Little Moses“.

LYRICS

Little Moses
by A.P. Carter
(5th verse by Peter Amidon)

Away by the river so clear
The ladies were winding their way
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.

Away by the waters so blue,
The infant was lonely and sad
She took him in pity and thought him so pretty
Which made Little Moses so glad.
She called him her own, her beautiful son
And sent for a nurse that was near.

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 did all that she could
To rear him and teach him with care.

Away by the sea that was red,
Little Moses the servant of God,
While in him confided, the sea was divided,
As upwards he lifted his rod.
The Jews safely crossed while Pharaoh’s host
Was drownded in the waters and lost.

Away in the land that was dry
Little Moses was leading his band
The people were crying: “From thirst we are dying,
Your God gives us nothing but sand.”
God said, “Strike the rock!”, and they marveled in shock
As water flowed out from the stone.

Away on a mountain so high,
The last one that ever might see,
While in him victorious, his hope was most glorious,
He would soon o’er the Jordan be free.
When his labors did cease, he departed in peace
And rested in Heaven above.