Hermes:
On the road to Hell there was a railroad track
Persephone:
Oh, come on!
Hermes:
There was a train coming up from way down below
Persephone:
That was not six months!
Hermes:
Better go get your suitcase packed
Guess it's time to go
Follow that dollar for a long way down
Far away from the poor house door
You 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 come a rollin', clickety clack
Nobody knows where that old train goes
Those who go, they don't come back
They goin'
All:
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Persephone:
Winter's nigh and summer's o'er
Hear that high and lonesome sound
Of my husband coming for
To bring me home to Hadestown
All:
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Persephone:
Down there it's a bunch of stiffs
Brother I'll be bored to death
Gonna have to import some stuff
Just to entertain myself
Give me morphine in a tin
Give me a crate of the fruit of the vine
Takes a lot of medicine
To make it through the Wintertime
All:
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Lachesis:
Everybody dresses in clothes so fine
Clotho:
Everybody's pockets are weighted down
Fates:
Everybody sipping ambrosia wine
Atropos:
In a gold mine in Hadestown
All:
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
All:
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Chorus:
Every little penny in the wishing well
Every little nickel on the drum
Persephone:
On the drum!
Chorus:
All them shiny little heads and tails
Where do you think they come from?
They come from
All:
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Orpheus:
Mister Hades is a mean old boss
Hermes:
With a silver whistle and a golden scale
All:
An eye for an eye
Hermes:
And he weighs the cost
All:
A lie for a lie
Hermes:
And your soul for sale
All:
Sold
Orpheus:
To the king on the chromium throne
All:
Thrown
Orpheus:
To the bottom of a Sing-Sing cell
Hermes:
Where the little wheel squeals and the big wheel rolls
Orpheus:
And you better forget about your wishing well
All:
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Hermes:
On the road to hell there was a railroad car
And the car door opened and a man stepped out
Everybody looked and everybody saw
It was the same man they'd been singing about
Persephone:
You're early
Hades:
I missed you.
Clotho:
Mister Hades is a mighty king
Clotho and Atropos:
Must be making some mighty big deals
Fates:
Seems like he owns everything
Eurydice:
Kind of makes you wonder how it feels
Hermes:
All aboard!
A one! A two! A one two three four!
All:
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Way down under the ground