If you've spent any time on the internet lately, you've probably heard that rhythmic, low-register chanting. It’s haunting. It’s catchy. It’s basically a legal requirement to hum it if you’re walking through a wooded area. When you listen to Kathryn Hahn The Ballad of the Witches Road, you’re not just hearing a TV tie-in song. You’re hearing a meticulously crafted piece of occult-inspired music that was written to be a literal instruction manual for a coven.
Honestly, it’s rare for a Marvel song to have this much staying power. Sure, "Agatha All Along" was a viral banger, but this is different. This has lore.
Who actually wrote this thing?
The masterminds behind the track are none other than Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Yeah, the Frozen and Coco people. They didn't just throw some rhyming words together and call it a day. They actually sat down and studied Wiccan texts and old folklore to make the "Sacred Chant" version feel authentic. Robert Lopez even mentioned in an interview that a real-life practitioner of witchcraft commented online saying the chant was legit enough to use in their own rituals. That’s a pretty high bar for a Disney+ show.
Kathryn Hahn leads the vocal, but the heavy lifting comes from the whole coven. You’ve got the legendary Patti LuPone—yes, the Patti LuPone—adding that Broadway-caliber depth, alongside Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Debra Jo Rupp.
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Why the lyrics are more than just spooky vibes
When you listen to Kathryn Hahn The Ballad of the Witches Road, pay attention to the specific instructions. The song is the literal key to opening the gate. In the show Agatha All Along, Ali Ahn’s character, Alice Wu-Gulliver, tries to dismiss it as "just a song" her mother used to sing. She was wrong.
The lyrics are broken down into stages of a journey:
- "Circle sewn with fate, unlock thy hidden gate": This isn't just poetry; it's the trigger for the door to the Road to physically manifest.
- "I hold death's hand in mine": A bit of foreshadowing? Some fans think this points toward the identity of Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), while others think it’s just a nod to the high stakes of the Road itself.
- "The road is wild and wicked... where all that's wrong is right": This sets the tone for the trials. On the Witches' Road, the rules of reality don't apply.
There are at least seven or eight different versions of this song floating around. There's the "Sacred Chant" version from the basement scene, the "True Crime" version from the first episode's Mare of Easttown parody, and even a 1970s Lorna Wu rock version that sounds like it came straight off a Fleetwood Mac record.
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How to listen to Kathryn Hahn The Ballad of the Witches Road right now
If you want the full experience, don't just stick to the 30-second TikTok clips. The official versions are all over the major streaming platforms.
- Spotify & Apple Music: Look for the "Agatha All Along" official soundtrack. The "Sacred Chant Version" is the one most people are obsessed with.
- YouTube: Marvel Music VEVO has the official visualizers. If you watch the "Agatha Through Time" version, you can see how the song evolves through different decades of musical styles.
- Vinyl: For the true collectors, Disney Music Emporium released a 1-LP vinyl. There's something about hearing a witch's chant on a physical spinning record that just feels correct.
What most people get wrong about the song
A lot of casual listeners think this is just a rehash of the "Agatha All Along" vibe. It’s not. While the first show's hit was a "Vampy" reveal song, the Ballad is the "spine" of the entire series. It’s a map.
Each version of the song actually contains different secrets. The songwriters have explicitly said that if you compare the lyrics between the '70s rock version and the sacred chant, you’ll find clues about the characters' fates. For example, the mention of the "Maiden, Mother, and Crone" isn't just a cool reference to Hecate; it’s a structural hint about the coven’s makeup and who might not make it to the end of the road.
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The song has also sparked a weirdly specific debate: Is it "coven true" or "coven two"? In the show, the characters argue about this. Agatha sings "two" while the others sing "true." It seems like a small detail, but in a show about lies and perceptions, that one syllable changes the entire intent of the spell.
Actionable steps for the obsessed fan
If you can't get this song out of your head, here’s how to dive deeper:
- Compare the versions: Pull up the lyrics for Lorna Wu’s 1970s version and the Sacred Chant side-by-side. Look for the lines that are missing in one but present in the other. Those are the "secrets" the Lopezes were talking about.
- Check out the "True Crime" version: Most people skip this one because it's in the background of episode one, but Matthew Mayfield's performance gives it a completely different, grittier energy.
- Watch the D23 performance: If you want to see the cast's chemistry, find the video of Kathryn Hahn and the coven performing this live. It’s remarkably rare to see a TV cast pull off live vocals with that much intensity.
Go ahead and put the "Sacred Chant" on repeat. Just don't be surprised if a mysterious door appears in your living room.