Lyrics: copyright 2001 Fred Wersan
Tune: Those Were the Days
Long ago our people lived in Egypt,
Pharaoh forced us all to work as slaves.
He did not recall the deeds of Joseph,
He hadn’t even seen Lloyd Webber’s play.
Chorus:
Those were the days my friends, the Jews were slaves back then.
We couldn’t dance, we couldn’t sing or play.
We had no right to choose, because we were Hebrews,
Those were the days, oy vay, those were the days.
Pharaoh told the Jews to kill boy babies,
But one couple hid their son away,
They put him in a basket by the river
Then Pharaoh’s daughter found him where he lay.
Chorus.
Moses grew up like the other princes.
He didn’t realize he was a Jew.
When at last he learned about the secret
He wasn’t sure exactly what to do.
Chorus.
One day while he traveled through the city,
He saw a foreman beat a Jewish slave,
Enraged at what he saw, he killed the foreman
Then to save his life he had to run away.
Chorus.
Moses herded sheep out in the desert.
‘Til one day he heard God’s voice in a bush.
He was so startled that he lost his balance,
And Moses fell right down upon his tush.
Chorus.
God told Moses “Go on back to Egypt.”
He told him that his people he must free.
Moses said, “What if Pharaoh will not listen?”
God said, “Don’t worry, just leave that to me.”
Chorus.
Moses he went back to see the Pharaoh.
He told him God says let my people go.
But Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to a shepherd.
So God sent down the plagues that we all know.
Chorus.
God sent down the plagues upon Egyptians.
Blood and frogs and lice and then wild beasts.
The cows got sick, then boils and hail and locusts,
But still the Pharaoh would not let us leave.
Special Chorus:
Those were the plagues my friends, we thought they’d never end.
We asked if Pharaoh’d ever let us go.
We hoped that better news. would come to all the Jews
Those were the plagues, oh yes, those were the plagues.
God sent darkness o’er the land of Egypt,
But still the Pharaoh would not let us be.
But when the angel killed all Egypt’s firstborn,
The Pharaoh finally had to set us free.
Special Chorus.
So our people hit the road to Sinai
With Pharaoh’s soldiers hard up on our heels
Moses led us through the parted waters
And left the soldiers swimming with the seals.
Those were the days my friends, we thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance for ever and a day
We’d lead the life we choose, because we were free Jews
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days.