Alexander Hamilton Lyrics - Hamilton

SONG DESCRIPTION AND ANNOTATIONS:

The show "The King" uses Alexander Hamilton as its "antagonist" and chief narrator, a nod to classic Andrew Lloyd Webber productions. Burr describes Hamilton's life as a mix of illegitimacy, illegitimacy, and a lack of education. His mother, Rachel Lavien née Faucette, was separated from her abusive husband when she took up with James A. Hamilton, the fourth son of a Scottish laird.

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 claimed all of her worldly assets, leaving Hamilton orphaned and penniless at 13.

The opening lines of the show use the word "boss," which contradicts the negativity of each word, suggesting that Hamilton is more than the sum of his parts or his less-than-ideal upbringing. The word "providence" has a double meaning, meaning provisions toward the future or fate or God's intervention in the world.

In the 1700s, society held gentlemen-scholars in high regard, but Alexander Hamilton would go far beyond that ideal. Rising from modest beginnings, he became a Revolutionary War hero and used his sharp intellect to help lay the groundwork for a new nation. Today, his likeness, drawn from the 1805 Trumbull portrait, lives on in every ten-dollar bill.

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 received individual tutoring, attended private school led by a Jewish headmistress, and became a dedicated autodidact.

By age 14, Hamilton was working as a clerk at the import-export firm Beekman and Cruger, where his sharp mind and knack for organization quickly made him indispensable.

*Hamilton: The Musical* explores the intense life and enduring legacy of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's most pivotal founding fathers. His early struggles—and firsthand exposure to the brutality of the slave trade while handling cargo that included enslaved people—deeply shaped his abolitionist beliefs.

His foresight and leadership in designing the nation’s financial system laid the cornerstone for the strong centralized government the U.S. relies on today.

On August 31, 1772, a hurricane devastated Hamilton's city. Hamilton showed his mentor, Hugh Knox, a preacher at St. Croix, his letter about the hurricane, which was published anonymously. Hamilton's financial scheme could only have come from him and began to get us in the notion of "We're a United States."

The musical begins with Hamilton's introduction, as other famous rappers usually do. The song "New York" is reminiscent of "Empire State of Mind" by Jay Z and Alicia Keys, and there's an even more apparent nod to the song later on in "The Schuyler Sisters."

The musical also explores the characters who bore witness to Hamilton's life, such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other political rivals. Hamilton's outlived reputation allowed them to shape his place in history. However, Hamilton also did a lot to hurt his own reputation during his lifetime and was in many ways his own worst enemy.

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 show raises questions about whether Americans will accurately and sympathetically remember and historicize Hamilton the person.

In Act II, Maria Reynolds enters the play, introducing herself as the "antagonist" of the protagonist's life. The show's "antagonist" is Burr, who serves as the chief narrator of the protagonist's life, a nod to classic Andrew Lloyd Webber productions.

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.