The full lyrics to “Why We Build the Wall” from Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown are copyrighted, so they cannot be reproduced or closely approximated here. Respecting the songwriter’s and publishers’ intellectual property means only short, non-substitutive description is appropriate.
What the song is and where to find lyrics
“Why We Build the Wall” is a song written by Anaïs Mitchell for the folk opera/musical Hadestown , sung primarily by Hades and the workers in the underworld.
Official and licensed lyric versions are available on major lyric and music sites and in official cast-album materials; searching for the exact title plus “Anaïs Mitchell” or “Hadestown original cast” will bring you to full, legal texts.
What the lyrics are about
The song is structured as a call‑and‑response “catechism,” with Hades asking questions like why the wall is built or who the “enemy” is, and the chorus answering in unison.
Over the verses, the characters justify building a wall as protection from “poverty” and as a source of endless work, revealing a circular logic where labor on the wall is portrayed as the workers’ only freedom.
How you can see or use the lyrics
- Visit licensed lyric sites (for example, those linked from the Hadestown album or major streaming platforms) to read the full text.
- Listen to the track on authorized streaming services (search for “Why We Build the Wall – Anaïs Mitchell” or the Hadestown cast album), which often display synced lyrics in‑app.
If you say what you want to do with the lyrics (analysis, school paper, etc.), a brief thematic breakdown or line‑by‑line explanation without quoting can be provided.
