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.
Hymn For The Exiled
Anaïs Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The word came down to him from heaven
And naked as an animal he knew
Everything of flesh and bone
He could call it all his own
If he could name it
He could lay claim to it too
But after all the word was spoken
All alone to make his broken promise
Whole again
Eight nine ten eleven twelve
Did you see how far he fell
And did you watch him
Covering his body in his shame
Wanting you near him
Though you couldn't hear him
He was falling down
With your name in his mouth
A thousand thousand years pass through me
Stoned on loneliness and movies
Where people make their love in foreign tongues
Every family locks their door
Every man in uniform
Reminds me of the body of my own one
And I knew you before I met you
I've forgotten why I left you
All I wanna do is get back in to your good grace
Call you by your hundred names
Till it makes you mine again
Until I get my will back in this god-forsaken place
I want you near me
I know you can't hear now
But I'm falling down with your name
I want you near me
I wish you could hear me now
While I'm falling down
With your name in my mouth
In Anaïs Mitchell's song "Hymn For The Exiled", the lyrics describe a person who has been exiled, presumably from their homeland. In the first stanza, the reference to counting ("One two three four five six seven...Eight nine ten eleven twelve") suggests a feeling of being constrained or confined. The "word" that comes down to him from heaven could represent a command or decree that forces him out of his home. The fact that he is "naked as an animal" emphasizes his vulnerability and humility in being stripped of everything he owned and forced to leave. The idea that he could lay claim to anything of flesh and bone if he could name it is a nod to the power and importance of language. However, despite the power of the spoken word, the man is still sent out into the open on his own, with a "broken promise" to make whole again.
The second stanza takes a different tone. The centuries that have passed are characterized by "loneliness and movies" and language barriers between people. Memories of a past lover linger, and the singer desperately wants to be back in their good graces. The use of "hundred names" suggests a knowledge and intimacy that could only come from a very close relationship. The refrain "I want you near me" conveys the intense longing and desire for companionship, even if it cannot be fulfilled. This stanza contrasts with the first in that the singer is no longer alone, but rather yearning for a connection that has been lost.
Overall, "Hymn For The Exiled" captures the themes of loss, displacement, and the power of language to both create and heal wounds.
Line by Line Meaning
One two three four five six seven
The word of God was told to a man and he knew everything about the physical world, but only if he could name it he could have possession of it.
And naked as an animal he knew
Bare and vulnerable as an animal, he acquired knowledge of everything that had flesh and bones.
Everything of flesh and bone
He learned about all physical things that had a body and bones.
He could call it all his own
If he could name it or identify it, it became his possession.
If he could name it
Only if he could label or assign a name to something, he could have authority over it.
He could lay claim to it too
Claiming ownership and dominion over something was easy if he named or identified it.
But after all the word was spoken
Despite receiving knowledge about the physical world after God spoke, the man's actions caused him to be exiled.
You sent him out into the open
God banished him into an unknown world filled with uncertainty and unknown dangers.
All alone to make his broken promise
Left to his own devices to keep his commitment, while struggling to repair his failed relationship with God.
Whole again
His goal was to reconcile with God, become whole, and fulfill his obligations.
Eight nine ten eleven twelve
Referring to the passing of time and events experienced by the man after being exiled.
Did you see how far he fell
Asking God if he observed how far the man had declined over time.
And did you watch him
Inquiring if God had witnessed the man's struggles and pain.
Covering his body in his shame
Man's guilt put him into a state of disgrace and embarrassment such that he couldn't confront his issues.
Wanting you near him
Longing for God's companionship and assistance despite all the odds.
Though you couldn't hear him
God was unaware of the man's silent pleas and desires for his assistance.
A thousand thousand years pass through me
The artist reflects upon the millenniums that passed as they feel alone and abandoned.
Stoned on loneliness and movies
The singer indulges in isolation, entertainment-seeking, and addictive practices to forget their abandonment and loneliness.
Where people make their love in foreign tongues
Witnessing people speaking dialects unfamiliar to the singer while they engage in romantic congress.
Every family locks their door
Observing that all households secure their premises.
Every man in uniform
Taking note of every uniformed individual who reminds them of their past relationship.
Reminds me of the body of my own one
Every uniformed official reminds the artist about their previous partner.
And I knew you before I met you
The singer believes they knew their previous partner before they formally met.
I've forgotten why I left you
They cannot recall why they ended the relationship with their former partner.
All I wanna do is get back in to your good grace
Feeling a pressing need to re-enter into a favorable relationship and attempting to regain trust.
Call you by your hundred names
The singer expresses their desire to call their former partner by a multitude of pet names and epithets.
Till it makes you mine again
The singer hopes that calling one hundred names will help them lay claim to their former partner once again.
Until I get my will back in this god-forsaken place
With a bleak and lonely outlook, the artist hopes to gain some personal willpower in their current forsaken location.
I want you near me
Seeking emotional closeness and attachment with their previous partner.
I know you can't hear now
The singer is aware that their former partner may not be aware of their pleas or be available to hear them at the present time.
But I'm falling down with your name
Their spirits are weaker, and their former partner's name is the only remaining source of their emotional vulnerability.
I wish you could hear me now
Desperately wishing that their previous partner would understand their struggles.
While I'm falling down
The artist's spirits and emotions continue to plummet and he is unable to pull himself up.
With your name in my mouth
Their former mate is the only thing that finds expression in their emotions as they constantly refer to their partner's name.
Contributed by Max W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.