TRYIN' TO CROSS THE RED SEA

Cho.
Didn't old pharoah get lost, get lost,
Didn't old pharoah get lost, yes,
*Tryin' to cross the Red Sea.
Creep along, Moses, Moses creep along,
Creep along Moses, I thank God.

I went down in the valley an' I didn't go to stay,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea,
My soul got happy an' I stayed all day,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea.

I went down in the valley to offer up prayer,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea,
When I got there, ol' Satan was there,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea.

Ol' Satan's mad an' I am glad,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea,
He missed that soul he thought he had,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea.

I wonder what ol' Satan's grumblin' about,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea,
He's down in Hell and can't get out,
Tryin' to cross the Red Sea.

*Tryin' pronounced as one syllable.
The 1st and 3rd verses appear in several religious songs. See "It's Cool Down Here At The River Jordan." for one recent use.
John W. Work, 1940, American Negro Songs and Spirituals, p. 208. The song is not listed under this title in the Cleveland Index. I Went Down In The Valley, in Work, Folk Songs of the American Negro, not seen.
@religion @spiritual