Behind the Music: How “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” Came to Define ‘Agatha All Along’

Ahead of the release of Agatha All Along, Marvel revealed that music would play a significant role in the streaming series.

The decision made sense, as Agatha Harkness was initially revealed to be WandaVision’s main antagonist through the song “Agatha All Along.” The moment that Agatha was unmasked and the ditty that accompanied it would become an iconic moment in Marvel history.

To recreate the WandaVision magic, Marvel returned to songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who wrote “Agatha All Along.”

What’s In a Name?

At the time, however, they had no idea the show would be named after their composition.

“We didn’t even know what the show’s title was at first because they kept changing it,” Lopez said, referring to the fact that Marvel announced four other titles for the show before settling on Agatha All Along.

“They told us they were going to keep changing it, but they didn’t say what it was going to be. I could almost tear up thinking about it. And the fact that they named each episode using lyrics from ‘The Ballad of the Witches’ Road’ song is an honor.”

“Ballad of the Witches’ Road”

At the center of Agatha All Along, has been “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” a well-known song in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that doubles as an instruction manual for reaching and navigating the Witches’ Road. As Lopez noted, each episode of the series is named after a line from the song.

“The song ‘Agatha All Along’ added a lot of color and texture to WandaVision, whereas in the show ‘Agatha All Along,’ ‘The Ballad of the Witches’ Road’ is more central to the story,” said creator, showrunner, director, and executive producer Jac Schaeffer. “I see the ballad as the spine of the show. And any excuse to work with the Lopezes, I’m going to jump all over.”

“The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” was created after Schaeffer outlined specific plot points for the songwriters, who then worked their magic to write multiple iterations of the tune.

US songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez (L) and US songwriter Robert Lopez. Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

“Jac and the writers gave us so many wonderful pieces that needed to be incorporated. We knew we had to start with the version that contained the most components, which is the ’70s ballad. The whole song is about peeling back layers,” Anderson-Lopez recalled.

Photo: Marvel

“The ’70s ballad had to contain a protection spell that had been added by Lorna Wu, Alice’s mother; it had to be a hit love song from the ’70s, with sort of a ‘Silver Springs’ quality; and it had to contain all of the witch elements, all of the plot points, and all of the rules to the road. That was the trickiest puzzle to write. Then, with each subsequent genre, we’d peel back another layer.”

The Importance of Music

While music has played a central role in Agatha All Along, the series is not a musical.

Although the songwriting duo did not need to drive the plot forward with their music, they needed to relay the show’s tone and the emotion of Agatha’s coven of witches. Eventually, Anderson-Lopez had an epiphany.

Photo: Marvel

“When we had to peel back some layers from the ’70s version to write the sacred version, I happened to be on a college tour with our daughter,” she recalled.

“We were visiting a campus that had traditionally been all women. I went and sat on this balcony in the science center that overlooks this haunted, sunken forest. It was in October 2022. Leaves were falling down around me, the wind was blowing, the sun was starting to set. I was consulting old Wiccan texts and scripts — putting it all together, feeling very witchy.”

Making Magic

When asked which version of “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” was their favorite, Lopez quickly named the “sacred chant” version.

“I don’t think either of us knew how powerful it was going to feel when we wrote it,” he confesses. “Once we had the ladies standing in a circle, looking each other in the eye, feeling the tension of whether this magic is going to work, it was the most chills I’ve ever felt on a set. It was almost as if a green flash was going to occur and magic was going to really happen.”

Anderson-Lopez agrees, noting that there was magic in the air.

Photo: Marvel

“Magic was really happening that day. Because for many of them, it was the first time they had been in costume with each other. I think they even drew tarot cards before singing, too. It was like watching a coven form, because they were going to walk down this scary road of doing a series together — out of town, far from their families — for the next three months. There was a meta quality.”

“At the risk of sounding silly, I do believe that music is magic — and this is an example of it,” Lopez continued. “Music has the power to change the way you feel, to change your heart — especially when it’s in a powerful story. This was a successful application of that principle.”

Appreciation For Marvel

Since “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” was released, Marvel fans have poured over the lyrics, hoping for a clue to Agatha All Alongs‘ central mysteries. Lopez appreciates this dedication.

Photo: Empire

“One thing that I so appreciate about Marvel fans is how they scrutinize every bit of every song,” Lopez says. “They’re hungry for information, so they pay very close attention to the work we put into it. And I love when that happens, because when we put that much work into everything we do, it’s nice when fans put just as much effort into listening to it.”

Agatha All Along is streaming now on Disney+.

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