Hadestown

For Halloween we went to see the unbelievable musical Hadestown at the Paramount Theater.

Anaïs Mitchell’s “Why we build the wall” was especially moving, lyrics below, take a listen:

Why We Build The Wall

[HADES]

Why do we build the wall

My children, my children?

Why do we build the wall?

[COMPANY]

Why do we build the wall?

We build the wall to keep us free

That’s why we build the wall

We build the wall to keep us free

[HADES]

How does the wall keep us free

My children, my children?

How does the wall keep us free?

[COMPANY]

How does the wall keep us free?

The wall keeps out the enemy

And we build the wall to keep us free

That’s why we build the wall

We build the wall to keep us free

[HADES]

Who do we call the enemy

My children, my children?

Who do we call the enemy?

[COMPANY]

Who do we call the enemy?

The enemy is poverty

And the wall keeps out the enemy

And we build the wall to keep us free

That’s why we build the wall

We build the wall to keep us free

[HADES]

Because we have and they have not

My children, my children

Because they want what we have got

[COMPANY]

Because we have and they have not

Because they want what we have got

The enemy is poverty

And the wall keeps out the enemy

And we build the wall to keep us free

That’s why we build the wall

We build the wall to keep us free

[HADES]

What do we have that they should want

My children, my children?

What do we have that they should want?

[COMPANY and EURYDICE]

What do we have that they should want?

We have a wall to work upon

We have work and they have none

[HADES]

And our work is never done

My children, my children!

And the war is never won!

[HADES and COMPANY]

The enemy is poverty

And the wall keeps out the enemy

And we build the wall to keep us free

That’s why we build the wall

We build the wall to keep us free

We build the wall to keep us free