Ten Duel Commandments Lyrics – Hamilton

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Producers: Bill Sherman, Black Thought, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, ?uestlove
• Writers: Khary Kimani Turner, Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Vocals: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jon Rua, Leslie Odom Jr. & Original Broadway Cast
• Release Date: 2015-09-25
• Album: Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Genre: Broadway, Hip-Hop, Soundtrack
• Recorded At: Avatar Studios
• Label: Atlantic Records

Song Meaning and Annotations

“Ten Duel Commandments” is more than a catchy enumeration of rules for settling scores — it’s a high-drama, high-stakes crash course in 18th-century testosterone-fueled etiquette. Plucked from Hamilton’s blazing repertoire, the track blends historical grit with hip-hop’s swagger, channeling both Lin-Manuel Miranda's lyrical genius and the lyrical structure of Biggie’s “Ten Crack Commandments.”

The song operates like a user manual for an archaic ritual: the duel. But don’t be fooled — it’s not just a reenactment. It’s a lesson in ego, honor, and inevitable tragedy. From the moment “Number one!” rings out, we’re locked into a grim countdown.

If they apologize, no need for further action

The opening guideline reveals the farce in civility — the duel begins with a chance to de-escalate, but we know where this train is headed. Like every code of honor, it hides violence behind velvet words.

"Ten Duel Commandments" it’s a ritual, a ticking clock, a slow walk toward something none of us can stop.

(Low lighting. Drumbeat like a heartbeat. A voice counts. One... two... three...)

Every time we hear the count to nine—in “Take a Break,” “Blow Us All Away,” “The World Was Wide Enough”—it’s not just a motif. It’s a ghost. It’s fate whispering: you already know how this ends.

(The beat tightens. Spotlights isolate Hamilton and Burr.)

The duel rhythm even haunts the beat loop of “Cabinet Battle #1.” Politics is just another kind of duel. Different weapons, same blood pressure.

“Imagining death so much it feels more like a memory.”

We don’t just witness Hamilton’s death—we’re marched toward it, step by measured step.

(Footsteps echo. A pistol gleams. The count reaches nine...)

Historically, Hamilton was Laurens’ second. Burr wasn’t Charles Lee’s—Major Evan Edwards held that role. But dramatic license lets Lin-Manuel draw the battle lines early. (Two men square off. A silent nod. The audience breathes in.)

This wasn’t chaos. This wasn’t bar fights or back-alley revenge. This was legal arbitration... with guns. Miranda’s idea? Turn “Ten Crack Commandments” into a 1790s how-to guide for outlawed honor.

Rule 13: “No dumb shooting or firing in the air is admissible in any case.”

Hamilton breaks this rule. Twice. Once, when teaching his son. Once with Burr. It’s not just irony—it’s inevitability.

(A clock ticks. Distant thunder rolls. Somewhere, a bell rings.)

The real Code Duello—25 rules deep—was penned by Irish gentlemen in 1777. Americans used it, sometimes tweaking it. Governor John Lyde Wilson tried Americanizing it in 1838, but by then, the code had taken root.

Ten is deliberate. Biblical. Final. The number of commandments. The number of paces. The number of seconds between life and legend.

(Finger cymbals. Then: boxing bell. The ring is set.)

“Demand satisfaction”—it’s said with weight here. And yeah, even Tom Stoppard mocked it in Arcadia:

“Mrs. Chater demanded satisfaction and now you are demanding satisfaction.”

In the 1700s, a man didn’t settle things face-to-face. His second did the talking. His second might even take the bullet. Lieutenant, from the French—lieu tenant—placeholder. How fitting.

(Burr offers peace. Hamilton steps forward. Their choices are already made.)

Burr is calm. Hamilton burns. This won’t be their last stare-down.

Dueling wasn’t rampant. Just respected. Among the military elite? Common. The World of the American Revolution confirms: most duels involved officers. Honor was currency, and death its price.

And yet, even now, it’s just talk—until the lyrics shift. “Die.” “Shoots.” (Dark strings rise beneath the dialogue.) The air tightens.

“They’ll bring the pistols, you bring the physician.”

Doctors were told: stay far enough to deny everything. Chernow even notes surgeons trained in plausible deniability. (Close enough to save a life. Distant enough to pretend ignorance.)

“Number nine!”—that number matters. Philip counts to nine before he dies. It’s not a number. It’s a tolling bell. A countdown to tragedy.

“Send in your seconds.” It’s literal and lethal. Seconds as in helpers. Seconds, as in how much time you’ve got left.

(The stage turns. The clock ticks louder. You can feel it coming.)

Burr and Hamilton, again. Their future duel, already foreshadowed. (They glance. Tension coils. The world narrows.)

“Ten paces.” It completes the count. It completes the song. And it locks in the fate. One shot. History is altered forever.

“Count to ten paces and fire!”

(A single gunshot. Lights out. Scene shift. “Meet Me Inside” crashes in.)

By the time the cast collectively chants:

Look ‘em in the eye, aim no higher / Summon all the courage you require

— we’ve morphed into spectators at a morality play. It’s part opera, part courtroom drama, and all-out spectacle. The duel is not just physical but ideological. And the ticking “Ten paces!” at the end? It’s practically a gunshot cloaked in choreography.

Similar Songs

1. "Cabinet Battle #1" from Hamilton — If “Ten Duel Commandments” is a literal showdown, this one is its verbal sibling. Both songs explore conflict, ego, and political sparring — one with pistols, the other with bars.
2. "My Shot" from Hamilton — Where “Ten Duel” shows the cost of standing your ground, “My Shot” is the ambitious prelude. Both are about action, consequence, and identity under pressure.
3. "Gun Song" from Assassins — Another Broadway moment of firearm-focused introspection. It explores the allure and danger of the gun, where Hamilton uses it to dissect historical ritual and bravado.

Questions and Answers

Why is the song styled after "Ten Crack Commandments"?

Miranda used Biggie’s structure to draw parallels between street code and historical conflict etiquette, showing how little human posturing has changed across eras.

What historical event does this song depict?

It dramatizes the duel between John Laurens and Charles Lee, setting the stage for the later, fatal duel between Hamilton and Burr.

What is the significance of the number count?

The countdown adds tension and structure. It recurs throughout the musical as a foreboding motif — a musical clock ticking toward Hamilton’s fate.

Who sings the lead vocals in this number?

Anthony Ramos (Laurens), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Leslie Odom Jr. (Burr), and Jon Rua (Lee) all share key vocal roles, alongside the full cast.

What is the underlying message of “Ten Duel Commandments”?

It critiques the performative masculinity and rigid honor systems of the past — systems that demanded life for slights and glorified retribution over reason.

Fan and Media Reactions

"This song turns historical violence into hip-hop theater. Brilliant and chilling."

"The way that countdown builds tension… it’s Shakespeare with a beat drop."

"Still can’t believe how Miranda made 1700s duels feel like a street cipher."

"Every time I hear ‘Ten paces… Fire!’ I flinch. And I know it’s coming."

"Historically educational, emotionally devastating, rhythmically perfect."