In 2002, she released The Song They Sang... When Rome Fell. In 2003, she was a winner of the New Folk Competition, at the Kerrville Folk Festival. In 2004, her second album, Hymns for the Exiled, was released (Waterbug Records).
On 8 Dec 2006, Anaïs' 'folk opera' "Hadestown" débuted (written / produced in collaboration with composer Michael Chorney & director Ben T. Matchstick). On 13 Feb 2007, her third album, The Brightness was released (Righteous Babe).
Hadestown, a concept album based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, was released on March 9, 2010. It features contributions from Justin Vernon as Orpheus, Ani DiFranco as Persephone, Greg Brown as Hades, and Ben Knox Miller as Hermes; Anais herself sings the part of Eurydice.
Her album, 'Young Man in America' was released on Wilderland Records in the UK on February 13, 2012 and in the US on February 28, 2012.
Hold This
Anaïs Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While you're holding onto my hand,
Like the bones of your face that are holding your smile,
While the bones of your feet hold the land,
That is holding this city we lived in,
As it readies itself for the fall,
As it follows the planet back into the dark,
At the end of one slow summer's haul.
I think leaving things isn't hard,
'Cause we couldn't leave things any better,
But the hardest is happening right this minute,
When we're trying to just be where we are and,
Be here together.
In the morning all things are familiar,
We have coffee outside on the deck,
And our talk is as light as the boxes inside,
That haven't already been packed,
And the next time we meet we'll be strangers,
Though there's plenty to talk about,
And we'll try and pick up in the place we left off,
Which is here, and now.
I think leaving things isn't hard,
'Cause we couldn't leave things any better,
But the hardest is happening right this minute,
When we're trying to just be where we are and,
Be here together.
You know I can just go and keep going,
And forget what I'm going for,
And I rush away from the moment,
As if anything mattered more,
But we're here in the heat of the moment,
Where all of this wonder exists,
And before it comes time to drop everything,
Would you help me to hold this,
Could you help me to hold this?
I know leaving things isn't hard,
'Cause we couldn't leave things any better,
But the hardest is happening right this minute,
When we're trying to just be where we are and,
Be here together.
In Anaïs Mitchell's song Hold This, the central theme is about the difficulty of holding onto things that matter in the face of inevitable change. The chorus expresses this sentiment, "I know leaving things isn't hard, 'cause we couldn't leave things any better, but the hardest is happening right this minute, when we're trying to just be where we are and, be here together." The verse lyrics paint a vivid picture of this struggle, starting with the line "Hold on to Everything, while you're holding onto my hand," which conveys a sense of urgency and desperation to hold onto what is slipping away.
The second verse outlines the routine of the morning, with the characters' interactions being "as light as the boxes inside that haven't already been packed." The third and final verse culminates in a plea to "hold this," expressing the desire to savor the present moment before it's lost. Ultimately, the song is about the human condition of wanting to hold onto things, whether it's memories, people, or moments, and the inevitability of change that makes it all so difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold on to Everything,
Grasp onto all you can.
While you're holding onto my hand,
As I hold your hand, hold onto all you can.
Like the bones of your face that are holding your smile,
Just as the bones in your face maintain your smile, cling to all that makes you happy.
While the bones of your feet hold the land,
Just as your feet keep you grounded, keep yourself grounded in the moment.
That is holding this city we lived in,
This city that we lived in is holding us as we prepare to leave it behind.
As it readies itself for the fall,
The city prepares itself for the upcoming fall and departure.
As it follows the planet back into the dark,
The city follows the planet as it enters into the darkness of the night.
At the end of one slow summer's haul.
After a long, slow summer, the end is near.
I think leaving things isn't hard,
Departing doesn't seem hard.
'Cause we couldn't leave things any better,
Since things can't be any better, leaving doesn't seem difficult.
But the hardest is happening right this minute,
The most difficult part is happening right now.
When we're trying to just be where we are and,
It's hard to stay in the present moment.
Be here together.
We must try to stay here and be together.
In the morning all things are familiar,
The morning brings familiarity.
We have coffee outside on the deck,
Enjoy coffee on the deck.
And our talk is as light as the boxes inside,
Conversation is lighthearted as we pack boxes.
That haven't already been packed,
Some things remain unpacked.
And the next time we meet we'll be strangers,
The next time we meet, we'll feel like strangers.
Though there's plenty to talk about,
There's much to say, even if we don't know each other well.
And we'll try and pick up in the place we left off,
We'll attempt to resume where we left off.
Which is here, and now.
The place we left off is right here and right now.
You know I can just go and keep going,
I'm prone to keep moving forward.
And forget what I'm going for,
I might lose sight of my goals.
And I rush away from the moment,
I might move too fast and lose my connection to the present.
As if anything mattered more,
As if nothing else was as important.
But we're here in the heat of the moment,
But right now, we're in an important moment.
Where all of this wonder exists,
Where all of this incredible moment exists.
And before it comes time to drop everything,
Before we have to leave it all behind.
Would you help me to hold this,
Will you help me cling onto this moment?
Could you help me to hold this?
Can you help me stay in the present moment too?
Contributed by David L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.