Penelope Lyrics – EPIC: Cut Songs

Song Overview

Personal Review

In “Penelope [Cut Song]” the lyrics draw you into a slow-burning tale of devotion and waiting, every line a stitch in the shroud Penelope weaves for her absent hero. My first listen felt like stepping into a living painting: muted strings, a single spotlight on Penelope’s voice. Key takeaways: fidelity over decades, the weight of hope, and the quiet strength behind each breath. One sentence snapshot: a faithful wife turns time into tapestry, holding fast to love in the shadow of war.

Song Meaning and Annotations

“Penelope [Cut Song]” unfolds like a stage play in miniature. It begins with youth’s bright promise—“I was young when we met”—and tracks the years that follow as war calls Odysseus away. The world’s demand on his mind, the price of genius in battle, threads back to the motif in “Warrior of the Mind,” hinting at why this piece was ultimately replaced by “The Challenge.”

By the time Penelope counts “one hundred four,” the music has shifted to a hushed lament; the number itself feels like an echo, a softer cousin to the “one hundred and eight old faces” mentioned elsewhere in the show. She’s pared down history to a single name—his—underscoring how the myriad suitors around her pale in comparison.

That repetition—“I keep on waiting, I keep on waiting”—marks the song’s heartbeat. It’s the earliest echo of Penelope’s longing, a motif later reworked into the musical’s deeper themes of patience and resolve.

At its core the song rides a gentle ballad rhythm, sashaying between simple piano chords and swells of strings. It feels intimate—almost confessional—and yet it reaches for something timeless, touching on the archetype of the faithful wife. In that way it fuses contemporary musical theatre with the classical gravity of Homer’s tale.

There’s an emotional arc here: from sweet remembrance through the ache of absence, to a defiant clinging to hope. Early verses hum with nostalgia; the chorus tightens, as though Penelope braces against the wind, determined that time will not undo her love.

Culturally, this taps into one of storytelling’s oldest motifs—the woman waiting at home—yet here it’s reframed not as passive longing but as active creation: weaving by day, holding vigil by night. Instrumentation mirrors that craft: pizzicato strings mimic the loom, while a single cello line underscores the weight of years.

“But the world had plans
And the war needed hands
And with a mind like yours, there is a price to pay
But you’re more than a warrior”

Here Penelope reminds us that Odysseus was prized not just for muscle, but for mind. It reclaims his identity from the battlefield—he’s husband, father, thinker—laying groundwork for his return as a hero of the heart, not just the spear.

Verse Highlights

Verse 1

I was young when we met
So long ago, but I won’t forget
My love, my friend
Said you’d stay by my side ’til the end

The opening lines place us in innocence. Youth and promise fill every corner. That simple vow—“’til the end”—lingers, a thread Penelope clutches when everything else unravels.

Chorus

’Cause hope is all that I’ve got
So I hold you close to my heart
And I, I keep on waiting, I keep on waiting

The chorus distills the song’s conflict: absence versus affection. No grand gesture here—just hope. The doubled line mirrors her steady resolve, like two breaths taken between glanced-away tears.

Song Credits

• Artist: Jorge Rivera-Herrans
• Composer & Lyricist: Jorge Rivera-Herrans
• Written: 2019
• Genre: Musical theatre ballad
• Language: English
• Album: EPIC: The Musical Cut Songs
• Instruments: vocal solo, orchestral ensemble (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion)
• Mood: longing, hopeful
• Label: Independent
• Poetic Meter: loose iambic
• Copyright: © 2019 Jorge Rivera-Herrans

Songs Exploring Themes of Loyalty and Waiting

While Penelope’s vigil unfolds in mythic time, “I’ll Be Seeing You”—a 1944 wartime standard—captures similar faithfulness amid uncertainty. Its simple promise of memory and reunion resonates like a radio transmission from the past. Vocally it leans on delicate phrasing to sustain that fragile hope, and its melodies curl around the lyrics like a reassuring hand. Both songs rely on minimal orchestration—piano, gentle strings—to keep the listener close to the storyteller’s heart.

Meanwhile, “Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram stretches across a separation not of battlefields but of distance and circumstance. Here two voices intertwine, suggesting one half could not sing if the other fell silent. That duet quality contrasts with Penelope’s solo lament, yet each song shares a core: love that bridges absence, and the belief that sound itself can tether souls.

In contrast, Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” channels longing through sparse, open landscapes—electric guitar weaving like the telephone lines he sings of. Campbell’s weary baritone portrays an everyman holding on, voice cracking only at the edges. Though our Penelope and the lineman occupy different worlds, both tracks show how instrumentation and vocal tone can paint solitude without a single spoken word about loneliness.

Questions and Answers

Why was “Penelope [Cut Song]” replaced in EPIC: The Musical?

It was swapped for “The Challenge” to better streamline the narrative pacing and introduce Odysseus’s conflict more directly.

How does the song connect to classical mythology?

Penelope’s loyalty and weaving motif draw directly from Homer’s Odyssey, reimagined here in modern musical form.

What is the significance of the repeated “waiting” motif?

It underscores Penelope’s steadfast hope, later echoed musically throughout the show to tie her story to its broader themes.

Are there nods to other songs in the EPIC score?

Yes—the melodic contour in “But the world had plans” mirrors “Warrior of the Mind,” linking character themes.

How might this cut song enrich an EPIC revival?

Its intimate perspective deepens Penelope’s voice, offering audiences a quieter counterpoint to the hero’s exploits.

How to Sing?

This piece sits comfortably in a mezzo-soprano range, from A3 up to E5 at its peak. The sustained phrases demand breath support—practice inhaling on the off-beats so the long lines don’t break. Aim for a slow tempo around sixty beats per minute, letting each word bloom. Stand with grounded posture, letting the lower ribs expand, and focus on legato delivery to mirror the song’s weaving imagery. Beware of letting the voice dip too dark in the chorus; keep a touch of brightness at the top to convey hope alongside sorrow.