DESCRIPTION:
"Eli,Eli" is the heart-rending cry of the prophet Elijah, and of course also of Jesus on the Cross, who was most likely quoting scripture. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" is therefore an exclamation important to both Christians and Jews. The Yiddish song ends with the affirmation of unshakable faith in the power and purpose of the Lord.
"A Cantor for a Sabbath" is a much more lighthearted song, describing the audition an aspiring cantor must make before a committee of three in his home town: a tailor, a blacksmith and a teamster. Each is very impressed with the young cantor, and describes his singing in the vocabulary of their own trade.