Alexander Hamilton lyrics
Alexander Hamilton
[AARON BURR]
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten
spot in the Caribbean by Providence impoverished in squalor
grow up to be a hero and a scholar?
[JOHN LAURENS]
The Ten dollar, founding father without a father
got a lot farther by working a lot harder
by being a lot smarter by being a self-starter
by fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter
[THOMAS JEFFERSON]
And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted away
across the waves he struggled and kept his guard up
Inside he was longing for something to be a part of
the brother was ready to beg steal borrow or barter
[JAMES MADISON]
Then a hurricane came and devastation rained
our man saw his future drip-dripping down the drain
put a pencil to his temple connected it to his brain
and he wrote his first refrain a testament to his pain
[BURR]
Well the word got around they said this kid is insane man
took up a collection just to send him to the mainland
Get your education don't forget from whence you came. And the world is gonna know your name.
What's ya name, man?
[ALEXANDER HAMILTON]
Alexander Hamilton.
My name is Alexander Hamilton.
And there's a million things I haven't done.
But just you wait, just you, wait.
[ELIZA HAMILTON]
When he was 10, his father split
Full of it, debt-ridden
Two years later, see Alex and his mother, bed-ridden
Half-dead, sittin' in their own sick, the scent thick
[COMPANY]
And Alex got better but his mother went quick
[GEORGE WASHINGTON and COMPANY]
Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide
Left him with nothin' but ruined pride
Somethin' new inside
A voice saying Alex, you gotta fend for yourself
He started retreatin' and readin' every treatise on the shelf
[BURR & COMPANY]
There would've been nothin' left to do
For someone less astute
He would've been dead and destitute
Without a cent of restitution
Started workin', clerkin' for his late mother's landlord
Tradin' sugar cane and rum and other things he can't afford
Scammin' for every book he can get his hands on
Plannin' for the future, see him now as he stands on (oh)
The bow of a ship headed for a new land
In New York you can be a new man
[COMPANY & HAMILTON]
In New York, you can be a new man (Just you wait)
In New York, you can be a new man (Just you wait)
In New York, you can be a new man
[WOMEN & MEN]
In New York (New York)
[ALEXANDER HAMILTON]
Just you wait
[COMPANY]
Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
We are waiting in the wings for you (Waiting in the wings for you)
You could never back down
You never learned to take your time
Oh, Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
America Sings for you
Do they know what you overcame?
Do they know you rewrote the game?
The world will never be the same, oh
[BURR & COMPANY]
The ship is in the harbor now
See if you can spot him (Just you wait)
Another immigrant comin' up from the bottom (Just you wait)
His enemies destroyed his rep, America forgot him
[MULLIGAN/MADISON & LAFAYETTE/JEFFERSON]
We, fought with him
[LAURENS/PHILIP]
Me, I died for him
[WASHINGTON]
Me, I trusted him
[ELIZA, ANGELICA & PEGGY/MARIA]
Me, I loved him
[BURR]
And me, I'm the damn fool that shot him
[COMPANY]
There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait
[BURR]
Whats ya name man?
[COMPANY]
ALEXANDER 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 18th century, being a gentleman and a scholar was considered the cream of the socially desirable crop, but Hamilton grew up to be a hero of the American Revolutionary War and used his prodigious intelligence to help build the foundations of the country he fought to create.
Alexander Hamilton's face adorns the United States ten dollar bill, based on the popular 1805 Trumbull portrait. With primary roles in the creation of the US financial system and 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. At 14, he worked as a clerk at a local import-export firm called Beekman and Cruger, where his natural intelligence and administrative acumen proved his worth.
Hamilton: The Musical explores the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton, a prominent figure in American history. Hamilton's early life was marked by trauma and a firsthand view of the brutal practices of the slave trade. He worked at a trading firm and was responsible for inspecting cargoes, including slaves, which led to his strong belief in abolition. Hamilton's influence on the founding of America's financial system helped forge the strong centralized government we have today.
On August 31, 1772, a hurricane devastated the city Hamilton lived in. 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, which is similar to other famous rappers. 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 out-lived 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 historicalize 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.
The first song, "Alexander Hamilton," serves several purposes in the production: it introduces the music to the listener, introduces many of the characters and themes that will play a part in the show, and introduces Hamilton himself. The song was originally written as the first on a theoretical hip hop mixtape, which he might eventually stage à la Jesus Christ Superstar.
Ron Chernow, who wrote the biography on which the play is primarily based, had a positive experience with the song, which was performed at the White House and received a standing ovation from the Obamas. Miranda's own words about the song's conception are that it took him a long time to wrestle this onto the stage and understand the worldviews of the characters that inhabit the show.
Hamilton won Best Musical Theater Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, performed live in Los Angeles and New York, and was seen on a live screen from Los Angeles.
Last Update: December, 19th 2024