Hamilton’s and Miranda’s way with words
The new Broadway musical, Hamilton (written by Lin-Manuel Miranda), chronicles the life of the founding father, Alexander Hamilton. Here are 15 of the best lyrics in the 46-song muscial:
- “My name is Alexander Hamilton/and there’s a million things I haven’t done.” These lyrics from the opening number show Hamilton’s motivation and drive and are a good reminder for others to follow their dreams.
- “Raise a glass to freedom/something they can never take away.” In the song “The Story of Tonight,” the characters are singing about the freedom they hope to one day get. Their persistence to make their country a better and more free place can inspire others.
- “We hold these truths to be self evident/that all men are created equal/and when I meet Thomas Jefferson/Imma compel him to include women in the sequel.” Angelica Schuyler, a friend of Hamilton’s, sings about women’s equality, showing feminism and supporting women around the world.
- “Now I’m the model of a modern major general/The venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all/Lining up, to put me up on a pedestal.” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s clever rhymes are shown yet again in these lyrics from “Right Hand Man.”
- “If it takes fighting a war for us to meet/it will have been worth it.” Hamilton uses these charming words to win over Eliza Schuyler, who eventually became his wife.
- “Love doesn’t discriminate/Between the sinners and the saints/It takes and it takes and it takes/And we keep loving anyway/We laugh and we cry and we break/And we make our mistakes.” These lyrics from the character of Aaron Burr are a good reminder that anyone can love or be in love.
- “Look at where you are/Look at where you started/The fact that you’re alive is a miracle/Just stay alive, that would be enough.” Eliza Schuyler sings these lyrics with such passion and emotion that listeners are reminded how much she cares about her husband.
- “There is so much more inside me now/Oh Philip, you outshine the morning sun/My son/When you smile, I fall apart/And I thought I was so smart.” These Lyrics from “Dear Theodosia” show Hamilton’s love for his son, Philip.
- “How do you write like tomorrow won’t arrive?/How do you write like you need it to survive?/How do you write every second you’re alive?” The ensemble questions Hamilton’s ability to write all of the time, and the drama makes this almost the climax of the song “Non-Stop.”
- “I wanna sit under my own vine and fig tree/A moment alone in the shade/At home in this nation we’ve made/One last time.” George Washington sings these meaningful words in the song “One Last Time,” showing his inner peace and desire to be calm in the midst of the war.
- “This is the eye of the hurricane/this is the only way I can protect my legacy.” Hamilton makes a beautiful comparison between hurricanes and the war in the song “Hurricane.”
- “There are moments that the words don’t reach/There is a grace too powerful to name/We push away what we can never understand/We push away the unimaginable.” This is a very relatable lyrics about human emotions and the way we deal with problems.
- “I have never agreed with Jefferson once/We have fought on like seventy-five different fronts/But when all is said and all is done/Jefferson has beliefs. Burr has none.” These lyrics from “The Election of 1800” show that Hamilton was the reason Jefferson won in the election, which is educational for listeners as well as catchy to sing.
- “Legacy/What is a legacy?/It’s planting seeds in a garden/you never get to see.” These thought provocative lyrics from “The World Was Wide Enough” that demonstrate Miranda’s and Hamilton’s way with words.
- “But when you’re gone/who remembers your name?/who keeps your flame?/who tells your story?” The final number in the musical is called “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” and contains many deep, meaningful lyrics about the future of the characters in the musical.
Hamilton is a work of art, to say the very least, and these are just 15 of the many great lyrics in it. This musical is meaningful, beautiful, and also extremely educational about the life of one of America’s founding fathers. There are so many poetic and resonating lyrics and this musical is inspiring and relatable to all.
