Anaïs Mitchell
Epic II
[ORPHEUS]
King of diamonds, king of spades
Hades was king of a kingdom of dirt
Miners of mines, diggers of graves
They bowed down to Hades who gave them work

And they bowed down to Hades who made them sweat
Who paid them their wages and set them about
Digging and dredging and dragging the depths of the earth
To turn its insides out, singing:
La la la la la la la…

King of mortar, king of bricks
The river Styx was a river of stones
And Hades laid them high and thick
With a million hands that were not his own

And a million feet that fell in line
That stepped in time with Hades’ step
And a million minds that were just one mind
Like stones in a row
And stone by stone
Row by row
The river rose up, singing:
La la la la la la la…