Chant II Lyrics – Hadestown

[HERMES, spoken]
Now everybody knows the walls have ears

[ORPHEUS]
Is it true?

[COMPANY]
Is it true?

[HERMES, spoken]
And the walls had heard what the boy was saying

[ORPHEUS]
Is it true?

[COMPANY]
Is it true?

[HERMES]
A million tons of stone and steel...

[ORPHEUS]
Is it true?

[COMPANY]
Is it true?

[HERMES]
Echoed his refrain.

[HADES]

(laughs)
When I was a young man like you
Son, I held a woman too
Held her in my naked hands
When I was a young man
Now you know how it feels
Women are as slick as eels
Woman, quicker than the asp
Always slipping from your grasp

Take it from a man no longer young
If you want to hold a woman, son
Hang a chain around her throat
Made of many carat gold
Shackle her from wrist to wrist
With sterling silver bracelets
Fill her pockets full of stones
Precious ones, diamonds,
Bind her with a golden band
Take it from an old man

[COMPANY]
Low, keep your head, keep your head low
Oh, you gotta keep your head low
If you wanna keep your head

[ORPHEUS and EURYDICE]
La la la la la la la...

[COMPANY]
Oh, he said he’d shelter us
He said he’d harbor me
He said we'd build them up
And then the walls would set us free
I’m gonna count to three
And then I’ll raise my head singing,
One, two, is it true?
Is it true, what he said?

[PERSEPHONE]
When I was a young girl like you
Sister, I was hungry too
Hungry for the underworld
When I was a young girl
Now you know how it tastes
The fruit of Mr. Hades’ ways
Sister, it’s a bitter wine--
Spit it out while you still have time

Take it from a woman of my age
Love is not a gilded cage
All the wealth within these walls
Will never buy the thing called love

Love was when he came to me
Begging on his bended knees
To please have pity on his heart
And let him lay me in the dirt...

I felt his arms around me then
We didn’t need a wedding bed
Dark seeds scattered on the ground
The wild birds were flying around

That’s when I became his wife
But that was in another life
That was in another world
When I was a young girl!

[ORPHEUS and EURYDICE]
La la la la la la la...

[COMPANY]
Low, keep your head, keep your head low
Oh, you gotta keep your head low
If you wanna keep your head

Oh, he said he’d shelter us
He said he’d harbor me
He said we’d soldier on
And then the war would bring us peace
We’re gonna count to three
And then we'll raise our heads, singing
One, two, is it true?
Is it true, what he said?

[HADES]
Young man, I was young once too
I once sang the young man’s blues
Women come and women go
Get you high and get you low
One day she’s hot, the next she’s cold
Women are so seasonal
Women leave again and again
Take it from an old man

Now I sing a different song
One I can depend upon
The simple tune, the steady beat
The music of machinery
Do you hear that heavy metal sound?
The symphony of Hadestown
And in this symphony of mine
Of power chords and power lines
Young man, you can strum your lyre,
I have strung the world in wire
Young man, you can sing your ditty
I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY!

I’ll tell you what, young man
Since my wife is such a fan,
And since I’m going to count to three,
And put you out of your misery
One!-- give me one more song
One more song before I send you
Two!-- to the great beyond
Where nobody can hear you singing
Three!-- sing a song for me
Make me laugh, make me weep
Make the king feel young again
Sing for an old man!
Last Update: February, 26th 2019