"You, the one I left behind
If you ever walk this way
Come and find me lying in the bed I made"
If you ever walk this way
Come and find me lying in the bed I made"
"Either get to hell or to Hadestown
Ain't no difference anymore!"
Ain't no difference anymore!"
— Hermes, "Way Down Hadestown"
Hadestown is a 2010 Concept Album and "folk opera" by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell (her fourth album overall) that retells the Orpheus myth in a time of economic depression. Starving Artist Orpheus offers the world to his cynical bride Eurydice, who is unsure he can provide for the two of them. Seeking prosperity, Eurydice is tempted by the riches of wealthy businessman Hades' underground walled city, Hadestown, and makes her way there. Orpheus vows to get his bride back, while Persephone laments her life with Hades even as she subverts his power by running a hidden speakeasy. Ultimately, Hades' authority is challenged by Orpheus's appearance.
The 2010 recording features the following cast:
- Anaïs Mitchell herself as Eurydice
- Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) as Orpheus
- Ani DiFranco as Persephone
- Greg Brown as Hades
- Ben Knox Miller (of The Low Anthem) as Hermes
- The Haden Triplets as the Fates
Hadestown was always intended to be a musical, and was originally performed as a small-scale production in Mitchell's native Vermont before being reworked into an album. A revised theatrical version ran in 2016, and eventually debuted on Broadway in 2019. For tropes exclusive to the theatrical version, see Hadestown.
Concept Album Tracklist
- "Wedding Song" featuring Justin Vernon (3:18)
- "Epic (Part I)" featuring Justin Vernon (2:22)
- "Way Down Hadestown" featuring Justin Vernon, Ani DiFranco and Ben Knox Miller (3:33)
- "Songbird Intro" (0:24)
- "Hey, Little Songbird" featuring Greg Brown (3:09)
- "Gone, I'm Gone" featuring The Haden Triplets (1:09)
- "When the Chips are Down" featuring The Haden Triplets (2:14)
- "Wait for Me" featuring Ben Knox Miller and Justin Vernon (3:06)
- "Why We Build the Wall" featuring Greg Brown (4:18)
- "Our Lady of the Underground" featuring Ani DiFranco (4:40)
- "Flowers (Eurydice's Song)" (3:33)
- "Nothing Changes" featuring The Haden Triplets (0:52)
- "If It's True" featuring Justin Vernon (3:03)
- "Papers (Hades Finds Out)" (1:24)
- "How Long?" featuring Ani DiFranco and Greg Brown (3:36)
- "Epic (Part II)" featuring Justin Vernon (2:55)
- "Lover's Desire" (2:05)
- "His Kiss, The Riot" featuring Greg Brown (4:03)
- "Doubt Comes In" featuring Justin Vernon (5:32)
- "I Raise My Cup to Him" featuring Ani DiFranco (2:10)
Tropes present in the album:
- Adaptational Villainy: Hades, though he is given a sympathetic motivation and shown getting at least slightly better by the end, is more openly malicious than he was originally in Greek mythology. Here, he baits workers into coming to Hadestown and makes them do back-breaking labor almost constantly while paying them next to nothing, and his plan is to let Orpheus and Eurydice think they've won while the test's failure keeps his workers in line.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Persephone doesn't beg for herself, but for Orpheus. She asks for Hades to let Eurydice go, out of the memory for the love they used to have. Hades refuses, but admits that he wishes their relationship was the way it used to be.
- All There in the Manual: To fully understand the setting and plot of the concept album when it came out, you needed to read the booklet that came with the CD, which included a plot synopsis.
- Big Bad: Hades is the ruler of Hadestown, the one who tempts Eurydice to stay with him, and the one Orpheus must bargain with to get his wife back. Also not a very nice guy.
- Circular Reasoning: The ultimate point of "Why We Build The Wall" is that the people of Hadestown are stuck in this. Because they are building a wall, they have work. Because they have work, they believe their neighbors to be jealous of them. And because they think their neighbors are jealous of them, they need to build a wall.
- Drone of Dread: The latter half of "His Kiss, The Riot" has a sustained drone as Hades works out his plan to let Orpheus and Eurydice think they've won.
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- In contrast to his later depictions as a wide-eyed, somewhat naive idealist, Orpheus here is considerably more savvy and street-smart, knowing legends without Hermes teaching them to him. Justin Vernon's layered vocals also give him a more detached, almost mythical air compared to later performers who were more overtly emotional.
- Hermes is an amoral trickster god directly working for Hades instead of a wise mentor to Orpheus who conducts people to Hadestown, and has a much smaller role compared to later versions, only appearing in 2 songs.
- Similarly to Hermes, Persephone's role is smaller than later versions, and her personality and disdain for Hades' projects isn't as fleshed out as it later would be.
- Several songs are out of order compared to later versions, most notably "Nothing Changes" and "If It's True" being set before "Papers". There's also only 2 Epics, and the "la la la la" love motif is much rarer than in later versions.
- Last Note Nightmare: "Doubt Comes In" ends on sustained minor-key screeching as Orpheus turns around and dooms Eurydice.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The album is more directly set in reality compared to later versions, as overt displays of the gods' power aren't on display.
- Melismatic Vocals: Anais Mitchell as Eurydice, particularly in "Flowers (Eurydice's Song)". Her vocals have a lot of artistic wavering.
- The Place: The title, "Hadestown", refers to the titular town Eurydice becomes trapped in.
- Playing Card Motifs: Orpheus refers to Hades as the "king of diamonds, king of spades", referring to his being the god of wealth and the Underworld. In turn, Hades refers to Orpheus as a "jack of hearts".
- Radio Voice:
- The Fates' vocals in "Gone, I'm Gone" have this effect applied to them to imply that they're only voices in the back of Eurydice's mind.
- Hermes' spoken verses in "Wait For Me" have this as well, implying they're a recording or they're a memory echoing in Orpheus' head that he keeps consulting for advice during his journey.
- Rescued from the Underworld: The story is based on the myth of Orpheus, though in this case, Eurydice isn't literally dead but instead trapped in an underground city as a worker. Orpheus tries to get her back but looks back at the last minute, dooming her.
- Self-Backing Vocalist: Justin Vernon as Orpheus has his vocals layered to represent Orpheus's supreme skill at music — he's the Voice of the Legion.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Orpheus and Eurydice end as this. Orpheus cannot return to Hadestown to see her and Eurydice cannot go to him on the surface because Orpheus broke the condition that Hades gave when he let the two of them go.
- Starving Artist: Orpheus is a musician living through an economic depression. As early as "Wedding Song", the very first track, Eurydice expresses concern that he can properly provide for them. Hades lampshades this in "Hey Little Songbird".Hades: He's some kind of poet and he's penniless
Give him your hand, he'll give you his hand-to-mouth
He'll write you a poem when the power's out - Villain Love Song: "Hey Little Songbird", in which Hades seduces Eurydice.
- You Will Be Spared: It's implied that Persephone will keep an eye out for Eurydice and do what she can to help her out of respect for Orpheus. They close out the album at Persephone's speakeasy, mourning Orpheus and his failure.
