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.
The Song They Sang When Rome Fell
Anaïs Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be waiting with my baby and the curtains drawn
No evening news
Just our bodies and a record playing Delta blues
But he got a smile as wide as the road to hell
Wide as the road we're on
And he wrote the song they sang when Rome fell
It goes, Put on your rock and roll shoes and come on
Did we know
In our house on fire with all we own
What it is that makes a house a home
And in the end
Did we watch it all on CNN
What it is to be American
Cause we got the champagne and the gasoline
We got everything to lose
And if we can't say our hands are clean
Can we die in our dancing shoes
Our dancing shoes
Rock me roll me till we're sober
Best you can, best you can
And I probably won't fell a thing
Gonna put the stereo as loud as we can make it go
And then turn the record over
Over and over again
Bring it on
I'll be waiting with my baby and the curtains drawn
No evening news
Just our bodies and a record playing Delta blues
In the song "The Song They Sang When Rome Fell," Anaïs Mitchell seems to suggest that in the face of chaos and collapse, the best thing to do is to focus on the simple pleasures of life. The first stanza of the song portrays a couple retreating from the world, turning off the news and listening to music instead. Although the wider world may be in turmoil, the focus here is on the intimacy and connection between the two people. The second stanza suggests that the man writing this song understands the fragility of civilization, and recognizes that everything can be lost in an instant. This awareness doesn't lead to despair, however, but rather to a fierce determination to make the most of the time they have. Even if their hands aren't clean (i.e., even if they have contributed to the collapse of society), they will dance until the end.
Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on what really matters in life, and a recognition that the world can change in an instant. More than anything else, Anaïs Mitchell seems to value human connection and intimacy, and suggests that it is through these things that life gains meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Bring it on
I am ready and prepared for whatever comes next.
I'll be waiting with my baby and the curtains drawn
I will be patiently waiting for the chaos to pass with my loved one by my side, secluded from the outside world.
No evening news
I do not need to be informed of the current events and negativity surrounding us.
Just our bodies and a record playing Delta blues
All we need is each other, some good music and the simple pleasures in life to find happiness.
But he got a smile as wide as the road to hell
Despite the dire circumstances, my partner remains positive and happy, like nothing can bring him down.
Wide as the road we're on
His happiness and positivity is as vast as the road we are currently traveling.
And he wrote the song they sang when Rome fell
My partner is so talented that he created an anthem for the end of an era, like the fall of Rome.
It goes, Put on your rock and roll shoes and come on
Yeah, come on
The lyrics to his masterpiece are inviting us to put on our dancing shoes and join in on the fun, despite the impending doom.
Did we know
Were we aware in the moment?
In our house on fire with all we own
As we watched our home burn down with all of our possessions.
What it is that makes a house a home
We came to understand the importance of the intangible things that make a house a home, like love and memories.
And in the end
At the end of it all.
Did we watch it all on CNN
Did we become desensitized to tragedy through the constant media coverage?
What it is to be American
Cause we got the champagne and the gasoline
What does it mean to be American, where we have the wealth and power to live luxuriously but also be the cause of our own destruction?
We got everything to lose
In our current state of excess, we have everything to lose in the event of a collapse.
And if we can't say our hands are clean
If we cannot absolve ourselves of our responsibility in our own demise.
Can we die in our dancing shoes
Can we still enjoy life and experience joy in our final moments?
Our dancing shoes
Rock me roll me till we're sober
Best you can, best you can
Let us dance and enjoy the good times while we still can, with no regrets.
And I probably won't fell a thing
I likely won't feel any physical pain, but I will be emotionally distraught.
Gonna put the stereo as loud as we can make it go
And then turn the record over
Over and over again
We will blast the music as loud as we can, and keep repeating it to drown out the chaos outside and stay alive in the moment.
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jameswhitten6177
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve been looking for a copy since literally 2007.
@darcy6957
I saw a copy go very quickly for $100 on eBay not too long ago! If you are really motivated to get your hands on one, you can always "save" the eBay search and it will notify you when someone puts up an item. Anyway, no problem! It's a small audience, but I figured at least some others would benefit.
@rooniemag1639
woah, this is great. thanks for posting it! it's a shame she's tried to bury it, i'm very much liking it.
@jipes
Thanks a lot for sharing this. Longtime fan of Anais Music happy to discover her first opus
@guineveree1569
Thank you for this I’ve been looking for this for years!! I wish I had a copy of my own
@MartaDalekJaniszewskaXIV
Thank you so much for uploading this album! Sure, it does sound raw compared to her later records but this is a part of the charm.
I've been trying to find the last track as well and it seems I have to resort myself to waiting for someone to sell a physical copy...
@darcy6957
Of course! As for finding the physical CD, check out the other comment I left on the video. Let me know if you ever have any luck!
@disaster1594
I have the CD and uploaded the last track here! https://youtu.be/E9Z18LVrDy8
@bshaw315
One of the few reasons i keep an an old ipod is to enjoy this album
@itamarolmert3549
You can find track 11 over here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Z18LVrDy8