Ladies Transition Lyrics — Hamilton

Song Overview

“Ladies Transition” — the workshop incarnation of what Broadway audiences now know as “A Winter’s Ball” — sits at track nine of Hamilton: An American Musical (2014 Workshop). Measured at a brisk 1 minute 9 seconds, the piece drops listeners straight into Aaron Burr’s sly commentary on Alexander Hamilton’s notorious charm, teeing up the romantic dominoes that tumble through “Helpless” and “Satisfied.” The later title change hardly matters; its heartbeat remains the same: swagger, whispered rivalry, and the dizzy promise of proximity to power.

Personal Review

I still remember hearing those first cymbal-snap beats back in 2015 and grinning at Burr’s delicious deadpan: “How does the bastard, orphan, son of a whore / Go on and on…?” The lyrics spill like gossip at the punch-bowl, half-tease, half-warning. In barely a minute, Lin-Manuel Miranda compresses an eighteenth-century cocktail party into a modern rap vignette, complete with wry punch lines (“Martha Washington named her feral tomcat after him!”). The track may be brief, yet it feels indispensable — a sly hinge between war-room grit and ballroom spectacle. Key takeaway? Even at their most playful, these characters weaponise reputation.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Musically, “Ladies Transition” fuses rap cadences with string stabs and pizzicato plucks, echoing the courtly setting while undercutting it with hip-hop swagger. The mood? Playful at first, then edged with ambition — like champagne served in a powder magazine. Burr narrates, Hamilton parries, and the ensemble punctuates each boast with that mocking refrain, “Ladies!” Somewhere between the bars you can almost smell pomade, spilled rum, and powdered snow drifting in from the Hudson.

How does the bastard, orphan, son of a whore
Go on and on, grow into more of a phenomenon?

The line fires a flare that lights the rest of the act: Hamilton’s social ascent is as combustible as his zeal for battle. Burr lists the General’s new aide-de-camp’s sins — arrogance, verbosity, lust — yet can’t help admiring the man’s gravitational pull.

Miranda threads historical gossip with contemporary slang. Burr’s “Looks! Proximity to power!” could headline any modern political blog. And Hamilton’s quick retort, “Is it a question of if, Burr, or which one?” foreshadows the love-triangle tension that Angelica will later unspool. The entire exchange functions like a verbal foxtrot: step, counter-step, spin.

Verse Highlights

Verse 1

Burr’s opening catalogues Hamilton’s résumé and vices in twelve rapid lines, setting up the central irony: moral flaws that somehow magnetise opportunity.

Chorus (“Ladies!”)

The men’s chorus doubles as Greek-style commentary and schoolyard chant, reducing conquest to call-and-response bravado. In performance, each “Ladies!” lands like a wink — audience included.

Song Credits

• Featured: Leslie Odom Jr.
• Producer: Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Composer: Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Release Date: February 17, 2015 (workshop); September 25, 2015 (cast album)
• Genre: Hip-Hop / Show-Tune Fusion
• Instruments: Rap vocals, string quartet, upright bass, trap kit, harpsichord patch, handclaps
• Label: Atlantic Records
• Mood: Flirtatious, conspiratorial
• Length: 1:09
• Track #: 9 (Act I)
• Language: English
• Album: Hamilton: Original Broadway Cast Recording
• Music style: Swing-inflected boom-bap
• Poetic meter: Predominantly iambic tetrameter with internal slant rhyme
• Copyrights: © 2015 Hamilton Uptown LLC / ? 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation

Songs Exploring Themes of Ambition & Desire

While Burr and Hamilton flex over eligible daughters, Helpless lets Eliza Schuyler narrate the same evening from inside the dizzy glow of first love. The heartbeat slows, the melody swirls; ambition melts into devotion — yet the thread connecting both tracks is the social calculus of marriage.

Meanwhile, Wait For It shifts vantage again: Burr’s private manifesto of cautious force. Where “Ladies Transition” bristles with immediate appetite, “Wait For It” moves like a chess player pausing before the kill — a study in deferred gratification.

Jump ahead to The Room Where It Happens and that appetite has matured into political hunger. Burr still narrates, but the currency is no longer flirtation; it’s legislative leverage. The through-line is clear: whether courting heiresses or votes, proximity to power remains the prize.

Questions and Answers

Why was the title changed from “Ladies Transition” to “A Winter’s Ball”?

Miranda streamlined the workshop’s placeholder into a setting-specific title that anchors the audience in 1780’s wintry Schuyler mansion festivities. The lyrics remained almost identical.

Did Martha Washington really name a tomcat after Hamilton?

Almost certainly not. Historians trace the anecdote to John Adams’ later gossip, but Miranda keeps it because Hamilton’s cheeky “That’s true!” reveals character more than fact.

Is the song released as a stand-alone single?

No; it appears only on the cast recording and workshop tapes, though it streams widely via Atlantic Records’ 2015 soundtrack release.

Has “A Winter’s Ball” received any certifications?

Yes. The track earned RIAA Platinum status and BPI Silver in 2023 alongside other album cuts when the recording’s cumulative streams passed the threshold.

Where can I watch the number?

The 2020 Disney+ film adaptation includes the full performance at timestamp 00:29:34, preserving Odom Jr.’s dry delivery and Miranda’s conspiratorial grin.

Awards and Chart Positions

Though the track itself never cracked Hot 100 territory, its parent album shot to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, won the 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, and later achieved Diamond certification — a first for any cast recording. Within that success, “A Winter’s Ball” earned individual RIAA Platinum recognition.

How to Sing?

The vocal range hovers between G?3 and C?5, comfortable for baritones yet agile enough for rap triplets. Tempo clocks at 131 BPM — quick but breathable if you ride the downbeats. Articulate the internal rhymes (“obnoxious / phenomenon”) with crisp consonants, then soften on the ensemble echo, “Ladies!” For phrasing, think conversational freestyle over courtly strings: let each punch line land before racing onward.

Fan and Media Reactions

“1780 — a winter’s ball. Still gets stuck in my head every time.” Reddit user, 2018

“Much of Satisfied is romanticised, but there wasn’t even a winter’s ball — and I love that the show owns it.” Reddit discussion, 2025

“That tomcat line? Pure theatre gossip, and I live for it.” TikTok comment, 2024

“Shortest track on the album yet somehow the biggest wink.” Spotify user review

“Odom Jr. delivers those bars like polished daggers.” Blog post, Ticketmaster Music, 2025