When the married composing duo of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe to write the Emmy-winning “WandaVision” banger “Agatha All Along,” it was predetermined that if Disney+ wanted a spinoff series focusing on Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, the witchy wildwoman neighbor of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), they’d be on call. But what if you were entrusted with not merely writing a song, but coming up with eight different variations on it?
“This song was almost like the MacGuffin and the road map of the whole project,” said Anderson-Lopez of the instant earworm “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” the omnipresent anthem of “Agatha All Along,” the series named after their song from WandaVision. “And we knew we were going to be tasked with adding layers, having different lyrics that mean different things in different episodes, which was so exciting.” The song exists as musical lore for the principal Agatha witches (also
including Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Aubrey Plaza and Patti LuPone), derived from a old coven lullaby that has taken on a life of its own over generations.
“It had to feel like a nursery rhyme, the kind of song a mom makes up while she’s with her kid, which we know a lot about,” said Lopez. “The hook had to sound like a little kid made it up, which actually helps, because a lot of No. 1 hits share a lot in common with nursery rhymes. They’re simple like that.”
The song exists in no less than eight incarnations throughout the series, including a group number with the witches, a pop rendition dubbed “the Stevie Nicks version,” a lullaby, a Japanese Breakfast cover and a skewed interpretation in the fake-out Mare of Easttown parody season opener. The lead vocalist in the most famous version is once again Agatha herself, Kathryn Hahn, reprising her role in the “WandaVision” composition.
“We knew that if we built it, Kathryn can handle it,” Anderson-Lopez said. “Once she steps into character, amazing things happen. Kathryn is game for anything, but we knew that inside of her, she has a Steve Perry just waiting to come out.”
While it seems like a no-brainer now, the songwriters were initially unaware that three-time Tony winner and musical-theater titan Patti LuPone was going to be among those singing their tune.
“This was the final surprise of the whole process, and it was very impactful for us, because we’re both huge Patti LuPone fans,” Lopez said. “I mean, Kristen
was doing a one-woman Evita at the age of 9 with her Mr. Microphone in her closet growing up.”
They agree that the recording of the group number was a magical experience. “Throughout the day, each member of the coven came in and recorded their take separately, and they all could have gone off and gotten their nails done or had massages or whatever,” said Anderson-Lopez. “They all stayed and supported the next one. And each person brought their own superpower. I mean, Ali is a classical pianist; Sasheer has this gorgeous, rich alto voice that is like the glue of the piece; Kathryn brings her charisma and energy; and Patti has this high-urgency power.”
How to Watch the Marvel Movies in Order
Despite Lopez being the youngest person ever to win the EGOT and the only person to win at least two Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys, and Anderson-Lopez being a Tony shy of her own EGOT, the duo have retained their unbridled enthusiasm through the years. “Singing in harmony is such a big part of being human in that we release oxytocin, which is the loving, nurturing and bonding hormone,” Anderson-Lopez said. “It’s why we sing in churches or graduations. There is this bonding thing that happens through singing in groups. And it was fun to watch it happen there on set that day.”
This story first ran in the Comedy issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the issue here.
