Hey Little Songbird-A Hadestown Story

Why We Build the Wall

The endless wall of concrete bricks and iron grates was the jewel in the crown of Hadestown. On day a week, the citizens labored on it from dawn until dusk. As tall and as long it grew, there always seemed to be more that could be added to it and places that needed repair.
When Eurydice arrived in Hadestown, it was "Wall Day" and she was greeted with a construction site. The sun had barely risen but the noises of flatbed trucks, cranes, drills and cement mixers filled the air. Some of the workers operated the machines: mixing up cement, raising concrete bricks up to where they were needed, or drilling iron grates into place. Others spread out the cement which would hold the bricks in place.
The workers stopped to stare when Hades's car drove through this construction site.
"Like what you see?" Mr. Hades asked her.
All of the workers had drawn and lifeless looking faces and wore drab, grayish clothing. They looked like shades; the living dead.
A crowd gathered around the car, causing the driver to stop. Hades opened the door on his side and walked around to let Eurydice out. He lead Eurydice into the center of the crowd where hundreds of faces looked at them. Their expressions seemed both dead and blank and tired and world weary.
Eurydice believed that she recognized some of them as people she had known who had left New Orleans weeks, months, or years ago. Some of their faces looked familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on who they were.
This huddled mass of humanity parted when Hades walked through it and re-formed around him.
"My children," Hades began, his booming, subterranean voice overwhelming the crowd, "Why do we build the wall?"
"We build the wall to keep us free," the crowd shouted.
"How does the wall keep us free?"
"The wall keeps out poverty!" One of the workers called out.
"The wall keeps out those who want what we got," Another worker added.
"We have work and they have none," cried a third worker, "We have a wall to work on."
The philosophy of the wall was simple and easy to remember : the wall keeps us free; the wall keeps them out; we have a wall to build, they do not.
With these tenets, Hades managed to whip the formerly lifeless crowd into a frenzy which reminded Eurydice of a religious revival. They all honestly believed that the wall would be their salvation and protect them from hunger and fear. This faith was infectious and Eurydice found herself swept up in it.
"We have a wall to work upon," she shouted a long with the rest, "We have work and they have none and our work is never done and the war is never won."
With their faith in the wall renewed and invigorated, the workers went back to what they were doing. Hades put his hand on Eurydice's shoulder.
"We better get going, little song bird," he said, ushering her back towards the car.
"Where are we going?" Eurydice answered.
"I'm bringing you back to my office. We have some paperwork to fill out."