Livin' it Up on Top

"Livin' it Up on Top" is the sixth song in the musical "Hadestown".

## Lyrics

PERSEPHONE
Well it’s like he said, I’m an outdoor girl

COMPANY
Livin' it, livin' it up

PERSEPHONE
Married to the king of the Underworld

COMPANY
Livin' it up on top

PERSEPHONE
Trying to enjoy myself

COMPANY
Livin' it, livin' it up

PERSEPHONE
Six months out of every twelve

COMPANY
Livin' it up on top

PERSEPHONE
When the sun is high, brother, so am I
Drinking dandelion wine
Brother, I’m as free as a honeybee
In a summertime frame of mind
And when my man comes around,
Oh, I know he’s gonna bring me down
But for now I’m livin' it

COMPANY
How are you livin' it?

PERSEPHONE
Livin' it, livin' it up
Brother, right here I’m livin' it

COMPANY
Where are you livin' it?

PERSEPHONE
Livin' it up on top!

ORPHEUS
Now why would a man of his own free will--

HERMES (spoken)
He’s talking about your man!

ORPHEUS
-- go to work all day in the mine, in the mill?

PERSEPHONE (spoken)
You think I give a damn?

ORPHEUS
Why would he trade the sunshine--

PERSEPHONE (spoken)
Tell him how it is, brother!

ORPHEUS
-- for a couple of nickels and dimes?
Oh, up on top a man can breathe when he’s-

COMPANY
Livin' it, livin' it up

ORPHEUS
Picking fruit in the orchard trees

COMPANY
Livin' it up on top

ORPHEUS
No one here’s a millionaire, but we’re-

COMPANY
Livin' it, livin' it up

ORPHEUS
What we have, we have to share!

COMPANY
Livin' it up on top

ORPHEUS
Come on! Say, brother, give me a lyre and a campfire
And an open field at night
Give me the sky that you can’t buy
Or sell at any price
And I’ll give you a song for free
‘Cause that’s how life oughta be!
So that’s how I’m livin' it!

COMPANY
How are you livin' it?

ORPHEUS
Livin' it, livin' it up
Oh, brother, right here we’re livin' it

COMPANY
Where are you livin' it?

ORPHEUS
Livin' it up on top

HERMES (spoken)
And that is how the summer went

PERSEPHONE (spoken)
Oh, I’m just getting started!

HERMES (spoken)
Oh, the flowers bloomed and the fruit got ripe

PERSEPHONE (spoken)
Who says times are hard?

HERMES (spoken)
And the lovers took each other by the hand

PERSEPHONE (spoken)
Anybody want a drink?

HERMES (spoken)
And danced underneath the sky

PERSEPHONE
Up on top we ain’t got much,
But we’re-

COMPANY
Livin' it, livin' it up

PERSEPHONE
Just enough to fill our cups

COMPANY
Livin' it up on top

PERSEPHONE
Brother, pass that bottle around, cause we’re-

COMPANY
Livin' it, livin' it up

PERSEPHONE
Let the poet bless this round!

ORPHEUS (spoken)
To the patroness of all of this: Persephone!

HERMES (spoken)
Here, here!

ORPHEUS
To the sunshine and the fruit of the vine
She gives us every year
Asking nothing in return, except that we should live
And learn to live as brothers in this life
And to trust she will provide
If no one takes too much, there will always be enough
She will always fill our cups
And we will always raise them up!
(raises his cup & spoken)
Let the world we dream about be the one we live in now!
(takes a drink)
‘Cause right now we’re livin' it-

COMPANY
How are you livin' it?

ORPHEUS
Livin' it, livin' it up
Brother, right here we're livin’ it

COMPANY
Where are you livin' it?

ORPHEUS
Listen here, I’ll tell you where we’re livin' it! Up on top!

COMPANY
Up on top!

ORPHEUS
Livin' it up and we ain’t gonna stop! Livin' it, livin' it

COMPANY
Livin' it, livin' it
Livin' it up on top!