Tomorrow There'll Be More Of Us Lyrics — Hamilton

Song Overview

Personal Review

Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us lyrics fall like a midnight telegram—ninety-three seconds, no chorus, just shock. I remember sitting in a rehearsal run-through nine summers ago: the room hushed, Miranda slid into John Laurens’s ghostly refrain, and a pencil snapped in the back row. The scene never made the 2015 cast album—fans only knew it from grainy bootlegs until Disney+ preserved it in 2020—but its absence always felt deliberate, a silent grave between “Dear Theodosia” and “Non-Stop.”

Key takeaway? The song distills loss into a single page of correspondence. One minute we celebrate Yorktown; the next, the revolution charges interest in blood.

Song Meaning and Annotations

The interlude stages August 27 1782, when Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens—age 27—was killed in a skirmish along the Combahee River, South Carolina, days after the war was effectively won. Hamilton hears by letter, read aloud by Eliza; the news fractures his celebratory momentum and foreshadows his lifelong sprint away from grief.

Musical shape. The piece reprises the “Story of Tonight” motive in E-flat major but slows to roughly 70 BPM, letting each syllable land like shovel dirt. Violin harmonics eerily hover behind Eliza’s narration, then drop out altogether as Hamilton mutters, “I have so much work to do.”

Historical footnote. Laurens had been lobbying Congress to arm 3 000 enslaved men in exchange for freedom. In reality, that regiment never marched; Miranda lets Eliza read the line, “The surviving members have been returned to their masters,” twisting the bayonet of irony.

“Tomorrow there’ll be more of us.” —Laurens’ imagined refrain, echoing the earlier tavern toast.

Why the cast album silence? Miranda has said the scene works visually—Hamilton freezing, lights dimming—yet risks stalling the album’s forward thrust. By omitting it, he forces listeners to feel the same jolt of sudden absence Laurens’ comrades felt.

Verse Highlights

Laurens’ Solo Line

Anthony Ramos sings on an open B-flat, ghost-echoing his Act I optimism but now detached from time.

Eliza’s Letter

Soo delivers the report in plain speech over held strings—a newsreader over a requiem.

Hamilton’s Closing Whisper

Miranda undersings the final phrase, letting ambient breath replace orchestration—workaholism as mourning ritual.

Song Credits

• Featured Vocals: Anthony Ramos (John Laurens), Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton)
• Producer: Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Composer/Lyricist: Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Workshop Premiere: February 17 2015
• Genre: Spoken-song Lament / Show Tune
• Length: 1 min 33 sec (workshop)
• Key: E-flat major
• Label: Independent workshop demo (not on cast album)
• Mood: Sudden bereavement
• Instruments: piano, violin pad, subdued cello swell
• Copyright © 2015 5000 Broadway Music

Songs Exploring Themes of Grief & Legacy

“It’s Quiet Uptown” – Original Broadway Cast
Later in Act II, the Hamiltons process their son’s death. Both pieces use hushed strings and minimal percussion, yet “Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us” ends mid-air, while “It’s Quiet Uptown” searches for fragile forgiveness.

“Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” – Les Misérables
Marius mourns lost comrades; Hamilton mourns a single brother-in-arms. Both songs anchor grief in physical absence—chairs, letters—and resolve with numb resolve to “work” or “remember.”

“Dear Theodosia (Reprise)” – Hamilton workshop
Act II echo where Burr sings alone; the reprise, cut from Broadway, parallels this interlude’s intimacy and sense of unfinished promise.

Questions and Answers

Why is the song missing from the cast album?

Miranda trimmed the recording for pacing; he felt the scene’s impact relied on stage silence and couldn’t translate to audio alone.

Is the scene in the Disney+ film?

Yes—the July 2020 release restores it at 01:08:05, giving screen audiences their first official view.

Did Laurens really plan an all-Black regiment?

Absolutely. He sought to raise a 3 000-man unit of enslaved South Carolinians, promising emancipation—Congress stalled, plan died with him.

Where was Laurens buried?

Initially at the nearby Stock Plantation; later re-interred at his family’s Mepkin Plantation on the Cooper River.

How popular is the workshop video?

The most-viewed YouTube upload of the workshop clip sits around 932 000 views.

Awards, Streams & Milestones

How to Sing?

Laurens’ refrain sits B-flat₃–D₄; aim for fragile head-voice. Eliza speaks around G₃; keep tone journalistic, almost monotone. Hamilton ends on F₂—a sigh more than a note. Maintain rubato; the scene breathes grief, not groove.

Fan and Media Reactions

“The cast-album gap always felt like Laurens’ actual grave—silent but enormous.” – YouTube commenter

“Miranda’s decision to cut the track makes every live performance feel like uncovering a headstone.” – r/hamiltonmusical thread

“That single line—‘Tomorrow there’ll be more of us’—became a protest chant at the March For Our Lives rally.” – Teen Vogue interview

“The hush after Eliza says the soldiers were sent back to their masters hits harder than any crescendo.” – theatre critic blog

“932 K views and still underrated.” – @LaurensInterludeStats