Alexander Hamilton Lyrics – Hamilton

SONG DESCRIPTION AND ANNOTATIONS:

Song Credits

• Title: Alexander Hamilton
• Artist / Original Broadway Cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda & Company
• Composer & Lyricist: Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Producers (cast album): Alex Lacamoire, Bill Sherman, Lin-Manuel Miranda; Executive Producers: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter
• Album: Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Release Date: September 25, 2015
• Length: 3 minutes 56 seconds
• Label: Hamilton Uptown LLC / Atlantic Records
• Genre: Hip-hop, R&B, Show tune
• Language: English
• Track #: 1 (of 46)
• Key / Tempo: B minor, ~132 BPM

Description & Annotations

Aaron Burr frames the show and frequently narrates, setting up Hamilton as the restless catalyst in a story about power, reputation, and the cost of speed. That choice pushes us into a point-of-view tug-of-war rather than a tidy hero’s journey.

Plot

“Alexander Hamilton” functions as the prologue. Aaron Burr steps forward as narrator and, with the company, sketches Hamilton’s origins in quick cuts: a child born out of wedlock in the Caribbean, a father who disappears, a mother who dies, and a teenager forced into clerking to survive. A catastrophic hurricane and a striking written account bring patrons who send him to New York. As Burr lists the forces that shaped him, other future players introduce themselves and their relationship to Hamilton, signaling the alliances and rivalries to come. The number closes by fixing the story’s stakes - an ambitious outsider arrives in a restless city, and everyone onstage already suspects he will bend the future.

Meaning

The opener is about authorship and momentum. Burr and the ensemble “write” Hamilton into the world, framing his ascent as a response to scarcity, stigma, and talent that will not idle. The immigrant narrative sits at the center, but the song also argues that legacy is a contested text - one man’s drive collides with friends, foes, and public opinion. Musically, the relentless rhythm, stacked rhymes, and call-and-response layout embody urgency and community witness at once: Hamilton pushes the tempo while the ch

Annotations

Hamilton felt the effects of his illegitimacy from an early age, as he was born out of wedlock and had to make do with alternative means of education. His father abandoned his mother and their children, and his mother died of fever in early 1768. The husband seized every last one of her belongings, leaving the thirteen-year-old Hamilton both orphaned and flat broke. His mother, Rachel Lavien née Faucette, had left an abusive marriage by the time she partnered with James A. Hamilton (the fourth son of a Scottish laird) and together they had two sons.

From the very first bars, the show tosses out the word “boss”, means (“Bastard, Orphan, Son of a whore, and a Scotsman”). That jaunty bit of slang rubs against the grim tone of the surrounding lyrics, signaling that Hamilton will amount to more than the bleak facts of his childhood. Meanwhile, “providence” does double duty: it nods to practical provision for the future while also hinting at fate, or even a quiet nudge from the divine.

Back in the eighteenth century, society already set gentlemen-scholars on a lofty pedestal, yet Alexander Hamilton blasted past even that standard. Starting with little more than grit, he fought his way into Revolutionary War legend and then used his razor-sharp intellect to sketch the architecture of a brand-new republic. The face we still see on every ten-dollar bill, lifted from John Trumbull’s 1805 portrait, remains a daily reminder of that improbable ascent.

With primary roles in the creation of the US financial system and the establishment of the US Mint, the use of Hamilton's portrait on currency is appropriate. Hamilton worked hard for everything he got, starting with his education in his youth. He studied under private tutors, spent time at a small academy run by a Jewish headmistress, and propelled by an almost obstinate curiosity, filled in the gaps on his own.

By fourteen, Hamilton was already minding the ledgers at the import-export outfit Beekman and Cruger. His knack for numbers and near-photographic memory soon turned him from errand boy into the person everyone asked when they couldn’t find a bill of lading.

*Hamilton: The Musical* plunges into that breathless rise and the legacy it left behind. The show reminds us that, as a teen, Hamilton handled cargo that included enslaved people, a front-row seat to cruelty that etched an early abolitionist streak into his worldview.

Hamilton’s early financial vision became the bedrock of the strong, centralized government we now take for granted—whether you’re swiping a credit card or filing taxes. His blueprint reshaped a fledgling republic into a resilient economic powerhouse.

Then, on August 31, 1772, a furious hurricane tore across his island home of St. Croix, leaving Hamilton with nothing but pen, paper, and resolve. He penned a vivid account to his mentor, Hugh Knox, which circulated anonymously and first planted the seed of “We’re a United States.” *stage aside* From the wreckage, he crafted a vision that would unite a nation.

The musical captures that drive with modern bravado. It kicks off with Hamilton’s grand entrance—an homage to today’s top rappers. The opening number, “New York,” channels the soul of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind,” a reference echoed again when “The Schuyler Sisters” burst onto the stage.

But the show doesn’t stop at its hero. It weaves in the giants who defined his era—Jefferson, Adams, Madison—each spinning Hamilton’s reputation to suit their own ends. And yet, for all his brilliance, Hamilton often proved to be his own worst enemy, his public missteps as legendary as his accomplishments.

In Act I, Hamilton proves his trustworthiness to Washington by being an impeccable resource for wartime tactics, strategy, and information-gathering. Washington repays that good service in Act II's peacetime by showing implicit trust in Hamilton's controversial financial scheme and political advice.

The musical nudges us to wonder: will Americans remember Hamilton as he truly was, flawed, brilliant,and ambitious, or will history smooth out the edges to fit a cleaner narrative?

When Act II rolls around, Maria Reynolds steps into the story, calling herself the “antagonist” of Hamilton’s tale. But that title’s already taken by Aaron Burr, who narrates most of Hamilton’s life from the sidelines. It’s a clever wink to the style of classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, where the adversary often gets as much stage time as the hero.

Lin-Manuel Miranda elaborates on the complex world of Nathaniel Hamilton's life, focusing on his past and present. Burr orients the audience to Hamilton in the present aboard the ship heading for his future. The players become characters, noting their relationship with Hamilton and summarizing their history. The company continues to orient the audience to the future of the show and Hamilton.

Awards & Chart Positions

• Track (“Alexander Hamilton”): Peaked at No. 98 on the U.S. Rolling Stone Top 100 (July 2020).
• Track certifications: RIAA 2× Platinum; BPI Gold.
• Cast album (context): Debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 (Oct 2015); re-peaked at No. 3 after the 2016 Tonys; reached a new peak of No. 2 after the Disney+ film release (July 2020).
• Other album feats: First cast album to top Billboard’s Rap Albums chart; 500+ weeks on the Billboard 200.

How to Sing “Alexander Hamilton”

Where it sits: Original key centers around B minor, ~132–134 BPM. Hamilton’s lead lines typically live in a baritone range around C3–G4, with some versions mapped B2–G4.

Breath & pacing: Mark breaths every 2 bars in the opening narrative. Use “stagger-breath” during ensemble overlap so the forward motion never drops. Practice with a metronome at 132, then 126–138 to build flexibility.

Diction (rap as storytelling): Keep consonants front-of-mouth and clipped; lean on percussive T/K/P to ride the groove. Treat multisyllabic runs as rhythmic “cells” (4–6 notes per exhale) rather than one long stream. Record and check that vowels stay consistent at speed.

Flow & emphasis: Aim for speech-first phrasing: pitch on target, but priority is intelligibility and attitude. Land operative words (e.g., nouns/verbs) dead on beat 1 or the “and” of 2 to match the show’s call-and-response feel.

Placement & color: Verses = speech mix (forward, bright); ensemble refrains = a touch more ring (mask) without pushing. Keep larynx neutral; think “spoken on pitch” rather than belted chorus.

Range strategy: If G4 edges tight, lighten into a speaking mix and back off volume 10–15%. If the low C3–B2 feels thin, drop the octave selectively or speak-sing the lowest words to preserve clarity.

Rehearsal map (quick drill): 1) Count-speak the first minute to a click at 132; 2) Add consonants on pitch (no vibrato); 3) Layer dynamics (mf?f only on cadences); 4) Run with track, then a cappella for time.

If you’re staging it: Keep eyes up on narrative hand-offs (Burr/Company). Tiny body accents on downbeats sell momentum more than sheer volume ever will.

Fan & Media Reactions

“Yes, it really is that good.” — Ben Brantley, The New York Times, August 6, 2015

“A landmark that stands up to repeated viewings.” — Marilyn Stasio, Variety

Teachers quickly adopted the opener as a classroom gateway to AP U.S. History and primary sources. — Education Next