Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
Anaïs Mitchell
“Hades & Persephone,” on Anaïs Mitchell’s The Brightness, is the earliest recorded version of the song otherwise known as “How Long?,” from Mitchell’s folk-opera, Hadestown.
Sung as a solo by Mitchell in 2007, it later became the duet between the characters Hades and Persephone, sung by Amber...
[Verse 1]
Hades, my husband, Hades, my light
Hades, my darkness
If you had heard how he sang tonight
You'd pity poor Orpheus
[Chorus]
All of his sorrow won't fit in his chest
It just burns like a fire in the pit of his chest
And his heart is a bird on a spit in his chest
How long? How long? How long?
[Verse 2]
How long? Just as long as Hades is king
Nothing comes of wishing on stars
Nothing comes of the songs people sing
However sorry they are
[Chorus]
Give them a piece and they'll take it all
Show them the crack and they'll tear down the wall
Lend them an ear and the kingdom will fall
The kingdom will fall for a song
[Verse 3]
What does he care for the logic of kings?
The laws of your underworld?
It is only for love that he sings
He sings for the love of a girl
[Chorus]
You and your pity don't fit in my bed
You just burn like a fire in the pit of my bed
And I turn like a bird on a spit in my bed
How long? How long? How long?
[Verse 4]
How long? Just as long as I am your wife
It's true the earth must die
But then the earth comes back to life
And the sun just goes on rising
[Chorus]
And how does the sun even fit in the sky?
It just burns like a fire in the pit of the sky
And the earth is a bird on a spit in the sky
How long? How long? How long?
Hades & Persephone was written by Anaïs Mitchell.
Hades & Persephone was produced by Michael Chorney.
Anaïs Mitchell released Hades & Persephone on Tue Feb 13 2007.