Mitchell: Way Down Hadestown
Original Cast of Hadestown Lyrics

On the Road to Hell there was a railroad track (mm)
Oh, come on!
There was a train comin' up from way down below (mm)
That was not six months!
Better go get your suitcase packed, guess it's time to go

She's gonna ride that train
Ride that train
She's gonna ride that train
She'll ride that train She's gonna ride that train 'til the end of the line (mm)
'Cause the King of the Mine is coming to call (mm)
Did you ever wonder what it's like on the underside?
Way down under
On the yonder side?
Way down yonder
On the other side of his lawn?

Follow that dollar for a long way down
Far away from the poorhouse 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
Everybody tryin' to get a ticket to go but
Those who go they don't come back
They goin' way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Ha!

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
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground

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
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground

Every little penny in the wishing well
Every little nickel on the drum (on the drum)
All them shiny little heads and tails
Where do you think they come from?
They come from
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground

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
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground

Mr. Hades is a mean old boss
With a silver whistle and a golden scale
An eye for an eye!
And he weighs the cost
A lie for a lie!
And your soul for sale
Sold!

To the king on the chromium throne
Thrown!
To the bottom of a Sing Sing cell
Where the little wheel squeals and the big wheel groans
And you better forget about your wishing well
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground

On the Road to Hell, there was a railroad car (mm)
And the car door opened and a man stepped out (mm)
Everybody looked and everybody saw
It was the same man they'd been singing about

You're early
I missed you

Mr. Hades is a mighty king
Must be making some mighty big deals
Seems like he owns everything
Kind of makes you wonder how it feels

All aboard
A-one, A-two
A-one, two, three, four

Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
Way down under the ground
Way down under the ground