Mishy Lesser adapted the traditional Black Spiritual, Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn, and added contemporary verses for Passover that speak to the many faces of our current crisis. I am hoping people will create their own verses, send them to MishyLesser@gmail.com
OH PEOPLE – to the tune of the Black Spiritual “Oh Mary,” with universal adaptations and new verses by Mishy Lesser c 2010 for Passover 5770: Make up new verses and send to mishylesser@gmail.com
CHORUS:
Oh, people, don’t you weep, don’t you mourn,
Oh, people, don’t you weep, don’t you mourn,
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people, don’t you weep.
Verses:
If I could I surely would
Stand on the rock that Moses stood
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Barack Obama rules the land
But he’s in need of a steadier hand
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
One of these nights about twelve o’clock
This old world’s gonna reel and rock
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Now climate change is everywhere
But big oil companies wanna keep their share
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
God told Moses what he had to do
To lead the Hebrew children across and through
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Moses stood on the Red Sea shore
Smacking the water with a two-by-four
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
God gave Noah the rainbow sign
No more water, but fire next time
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Our economy today is on the wrong track
Big greed and no jobs - we’re so out of whack
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Youth today don’t know which way to turn
They graduate with huge debt and no chance to earn
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
One thousand dead soldiers in Afghanistan
The blood of more civilians drenches the land
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Our towns and cities they’re falling apart
While the Defense budget soars off the charts
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Too big too fail is too big for me
So I moved all my money and now feel free
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
The very moment when I thought I was lost
The dungeon shook and my chains fell off
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
Now every land has some pharaohs of its own
Those driven to power that we need to disown
Sing this song at your Seder
So we can all take a stand.
Oh people don’t you weep, don’t you mourn,
Oh people don’t you weep, don’t you mourn,
Pharaoh’s army got drowned,
Oh, people don’t you weep.
