Lines 1-2:

The opening lines tell Moses, leader of the Jews who were held as slaves by the Egyptians, to go deep intoEgypt, the land of the oppressors. In the Old Testament book of Exodus, God chooses Moses to lead his people out of slavery. In this song,Egypt may stand for the "slave states" in the American South. This assumption is reinforced by use of the word "down" since slave-holding states were referred to as being "down south." In this interpretation, Moses would be thought of as an abolitionist, one who helps slaves escape from the South, or as a political leader who fights for the abolition of slavery altogether.

Lines 3-4:

The lyrics instruct Moses to speak to the Egyptian Pharaoh, demanding freedom for the Jews. In Exodus God commanded Moses to say "Let my people go" to the Pharaoh. God also told Moses to warn...