Lyrics Way Down Hadestown - Anaïs Mitchell, Justin Vernon, Ani DiFranco

Way Down Hadestown

HERMES
Follow that dollar for a long way down
Far away from the poorhouse door
Either get to hell or to Hadestown
Ain’t no difference anymore
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Hound dog howl and the whistle blow
Train comes a-rollin' clickety-clack
Nobody knows where that old train goes
Those who go they don’t come back
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
PERSEPHONE
Winter’s nigh and summer’s o’er
I hear that high and lonesome sound
Of my husband coming for
To bring me home to Hadestown
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
EURYDICE
Everybody dresses in clothes so fine
Everybody’s pockets are weighted down
Everybody sipping ambrosia wine
In a goldmine in Hadestown
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
ORPHEUS
Everybody hungry, everybody tired
Everybody slaves by the sweat of his brow
The wage is nothing and the work is hard
It’s a graveyard in Hadestown
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
FATES
Every little penny in the wishing well
Every little nickel on the drum
All them shiny little heads and tails
Where do you think they come from?
They come from way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
ORPHEUS & HERMES
Mister Hades is a mean old boss
With a silver whistle and a golden scale
An eye for an eye!
And he weighs the cost
A lie for a lie!
And your soul for sale
Sold!
To the king on the chromium throne
Thrown!
To the bottom of a sing-sing cell
Where the little wheel squeal and the big wheel groan
And you better forget about your wishing well
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
EURYDICE
Mr. Hades is a mighty king
Must be making some mighty big deals
Seems like he owns everything
Kind of makes you wonder how it feels
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Way down under the ground
Way down under the ground