In ‘Agatha All Along,’ ‘Ballad of the Witches’ Road’ goes from sacred chant to ’70s rock hit

As a music enthusiast with a soft spot for the ’80s rock era, I found this scene from “Witches of East End” utterly captivating. The raw talent and emotional depth that each actor brought to their performance was nothing short of mesmerizing.

This article contains spoilers for Episode 4 of “Agatha All Along.”

In the second installment of “Agatha All Along,” a character comments, “It’s just a dumb song.” But as fans of the Marvel series have learned, this isn’t true. “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” is far from simple; it’s a significant artifact for centuries-old witches, serving as both a guide along their path and a catchy melody that has been stuck in viewers’ heads since the season debut a month ago.

In the fourth episode, the tune evolves just as the road does, and what started as an old tribal song has now morphed into a powerful and emotionally healing ’70s rock number. Creator and series developer Jac Schaeffer hints at more variations to come in future episodes.

She shared with The Times that “The Ballad” serves as the central element of the entire production. With each fresh interpretation, she emphasized, it’s less about the genre and more about the period and its relevance to Agatha. This means that unlike our approach in ‘WandaVision’, where we gave it a charming, somewhat whimsical feel by applying a filter every time, this version is distinct because it’s deeply integrated into the storyline, making it less about cosmetic enhancements and more about narrative depth.

From my perspective as a movie critic, it was evident from the outset that the “WandaVision” spinoff series would immerse its characters in an intricate web of trials resembling enchanting escape rooms for witches. Each trial offers unique wardrobe and set designs, while providing poignant emotional journeys and ample chances to delve into the historical portrayals of witches, challenging our perceptions at every turn.

The central idea was effectively established through a song, as the brief tune titled “Agatha All Along” that exposed Agatha Harkness’ (Kathryn Hahn) villainous role in Westview became popular in 2021. This viral hit generated numerous covers, remixes, and even earned an Emmy award.

Schaeffer expressed his preference for unexpected musical moments in content, stating that these instances are less conventional and have a global, or world-influenced, feel. He pointed to the movies “The Commitments” from 1991 and “That Thing You Do!” from 1996 as excellent examples of this style.

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, known for composing songs in “Frozen,” “Coco,” and “WandaVision,” were asked to pen various renditions of “The Ballad.” Each version needed to incorporate fresh, crucial details and be altered significantly enough to feel like unique songs, as explained by Anderson-Lopez regarding the project.

Within a span of three weeks, the married pair of lyricists devised various adaptations of the song, making slight adjustments to the lyrics to serve the storyline requirements. To put it another way, “It was like solving a musical mystery, each one being its own small enchantment in melody, whispering, ‘Yes, the same tune and familiar words. Yet, listen carefully, this time it’s unique.’

In the initial scenes of the series, we find “The Ballad” being subtly introduced as Agatha seems to be humming it unconsciously. Scattered fragments of this melody can be found throughout the compositions by Christophe Beck and Michael Paraskevas, and during the title sequence of the pilot, a blues rendition similar to theme songs from series like “True Detective” and “True Blood” plays, with Matthew Mayfield providing the vocals.

Schaeffer commented, “That one is sung by a man, serving as a bit of a red herring.” He enjoys observing things that stir his unconscious mind, so they designed it such that when you hear them singing together in the basement [at the end of Episode 2], it seems vaguely familiar, as if you’ve heard it before.

The enchanted rendition of “The Ballad,” sung by Agatha along with divination witch Lilia Calderu (played by Patti LuPone), potions expert Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), protection witch Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) and Agatha’s neighbor Sharon Davis, also known as Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp), poetically describes the ancient Witches’ Road, which becomes visible when a coven sings it. This unveiling sets the stage for the trials they must overcome to reach their ultimate destination.

I found ourselves greatly relieved from having to extensively detail the rules of the road, Schaeffer noted. To ensure swift understanding among the witches, we opted for using ‘The Ballad’ as a shared reference. Most elements of world-building within the show could be traced back to lyrics or phrases in this song.

For example, what happens if a witch dies midtrial? “If one bе gone, we carry on,” read the lyrics.

Speaking about the production of Episode 2, Hahn expressed that creating this specific version felt profoundly significant. This extended, a cappella adaptation commences with the witches appearing apprehensive, and concludes with them interlinked and undeniably united.

That day will always stay with me. We raced through it in unison to capture the main shots, but for additional scenes, each individual sang their part of the harmony separately,” she reminisced. “So what you heard were these touching, exposed notes from Sasheer and Ali, and then all of a sudden, there was Patti, and wow, the strength! And that was her restraining herself.

Schaeffer, the director for Episode 2, pointed out that “they were singing more like actors rather than professional vocalists.” This gives the recording a unique, unpolished quality that’s quite captivating. Moreover, each of them possesses a deep, individual timbre to their voices, which aligns perfectly with the characters in the series, whose personalities are distinct yet harmonious when they come together on a particular day.

In Episode 4, “The Ballad” undergoes a significant change, penned by Giovanna Sarquis and helmed by Rachel Goldberg. This transformation finds the coven in a ’70s-style recording studio, which presents a unique hurdle for Alice, Lorna Wu’s daughter. Alice is particularly connected to this challenge because she recorded the most renowned version of the ballad, and despite her struggle with alcoholism, she was consistently touring with her band, The Coral Shore – a nod to her comic book counterpart, Alice’s mother.

The trial? To stop them all from getting burnt at the stake.

It seems like an impromptu music gathering is on the cards,” Agatha deduces. “Despite the fact that you should have been long gone, reduced to ashes, here you stand, gloomy and directionless, but still breathing. This is due to the simple reason that at any given instant, somewhere out there, someone is playing a song that you despise intensely. Lorna’s ‘Ballad,’ it turns out, functions as a shielding charm. It has been safeguarding you.

Adds Lilia, “And maybe now, it can protect us.”

Ahn explained that until now, Alice wasn’t sure if her mother loved her due to her mom’s excessive focus on performing a song for her fans, which eventually led to her death when Alice was still young. However, he revealed that this song was actually her mother’s way of expressing her love. He pointed out that the misunderstanding between mother and daughter is something common across cultures, but there’s a unique aspect related to the lack of openness that can occur within Asian generations.

Drawing inspiration from bands like Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Lorna initially penned “The Ballad” (and subsequently adapted it into various forms, including a hymn-like piece, a blues melody, and upcoming versions). The piano-led track was designed to serve dual purposes: according to Anderson-Lopez, it needed to convey the raw emotions of a bitter love song laden with pain and sorrow, while also representing a promise from a resigned parent to a distant child.

Lopez shared that as a youngster, he took a keen interest in traditional tunes such as ‘Streets of Laredo’ and ‘Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,’ timeless songs that found their place in contemporary music. Their aim was to choose a song which seemed ancient yet still had the potential to become a smash hit love ballad from the 60s and 70s, an era known for the intricate harmonies produced by popular bands. (Initially, they incorporated a striking guitar solo, played by Dillon Kondor, grandson of Carole King, but it was removed due to time constraints.)

As a cinema enthusiast, I must say that this musical scene is nothing short of daring, reminiscent of the “Try a Little Tenderness” sequence from “The Commitments.” Initially, it’s tentative and awkward, gradually gaining momentum until it reaches its peak by the finale. And just like the character Alice, the actress portraying her finds herself grappling with a demon she’s carried unknowingly for years, much like how her mother did. Ahn, the actor, is seen hunched over and hiding herself in the early episodes, and after filming, she confessed, “I needed so many massages!

The song kicks off with Hahn, wearing cape sleeves and jeweled fringe, owning her lead singer status.

Hahn stated, “I needed to create a protective shell of self-assurance, or else I might have crumpled, like a spilled drink on the ground.” She drew inspiration from the androgynous essence of ’80s rockers such as Siouxsie Sioux. The day was exhausting, and every time they advised her to “conserve your voice” or “tone it down,” she persisted in giving her all. She simply couldn’t grasp their instructions; instead, she kept performing at full volume.

Despite portions of the studio repeatedly igniting, the coven’s members, joined now by the yet-unnamed Teen (Joe Locke) and the enigmatic rival of Agatha, Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), gather their respective musical tools. As Schaeffer intended for Lilia to play an antiquated sounding instrument such as the lyre, but Patti LuPone proposed using the zills instead, finding it more amusing, and requested a cache of various hand instruments she could swap during the performance.

Alice plays the piano hesitantly, not only due to her anxiety over the upcoming trial, but also because of the intricate bond she shares with her mother.

Ahn shared that she chooses not to list her piano-playing skills on her resume because her past experience with classical music competitions was highly intense, requiring children to practice for numerous hours each day. Reuniting with the instrument after a long absence, which had previously been associated with pressure and stress, understandably made her feel apprehensive. She admitted that confronting these old feelings about playing the piano was challenging.

During the bridge, Alice assumes control of the lead vocals, performing with increased intensity and a renewed determination, despite Jade Quan’s winged demon perching on her shoulders and igniting them. The extraordinary trigger for this dramatic peak in the performance can be traced back to Fleetwood Mac’s 1997 rendition of “Silver Springs,” where Stevie Nicks powerfully sang the song to Lindsey Buckingham, her former partner who was the song’s inspiration.

Schaeffer commented on the band’s footage, stating, “At times, she seems to release something deeply emotional, singing as if from her very core. It’s incredibly powerful.” He then pondered over finding a way to balance this intense emotion with having a performer suspended in a harness on Ali’s back during the performance. The challenge was to ensure the mechanical aspects worked seamlessly while maintaining an emotional impact and avoiding any element of absurdity. His solution lay in the careful editing of the song, ensuring each cut felt appropriate, and employing the classic technique from “Jaws” by limiting the visibility of the demon to increase its eeriness.

In upcoming episodes, “The evolution of the song is pretty amazing,” teased Hahn.

Schaeffer remarked, “Our fan base is incredibly attentive; they never miss a beat. The song we’ve created is intended for our dedicated audience, and I hope they begin to notice the nuances in the lyrics across various versions.

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2024-10-03 23:32