Lin-Manuel Miranda’s impact on Broadway pushed the bounds of when art meets hip-hop and storytelling. Hamilton – An American Musical opened in 2015 and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Well-known public figures across politics, music, Hollywood, and pro-sports have praised the award-winning show for its ingenuity. Hamilton attracted a huge fan following while also appealing to a younger demographic for Broadway overall.
If you listen closely, you can hear the references to lyrics that were written by Mobb Deep, Grandmaster Flash, Jay Z, Notorious B.I.G., DMX, and a number of other well-known hip-hop artists.
Hamilton took seven years to bring to the final stages. In addition to the overwhelming popularity of the show, Hamilton has already earned 11 Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 7 Oliver Awards, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. The musical’s film adaptation was originally scheduled for movie theater release, but due to COVID, it was released on Disney +, the only streaming platform where Hamilton can be seen for now.
Here are some of the most memorable lyrics from the songs on the original Hamilton Broadway Cast Album.
Alexander Hamilton
[Aaron Burr]
“Plannin’ for the future see him now as he stands on
The bow of a ship headed for the new land
In New York you can be a new man”
My Shot
[Alexander Hamilton]
“I gotta holler just to be heard
With every word, I drop knowledge
I’m a diamond in the rough, a shiny piece of coal
Tryin’ to reach my goal. My power of speech: unimpeachable
Only nineteen but my mind is older
These New York City streets get colder, I shoulder…..“
My Shot – “Im young, scrappy and hungry and I’m not throwing away my shot!“
Continued:
“………..I’m past patiently waitin’
I’m passionately smashin’ every expectation
Every action’s an act of creation
I’m laughin’ in the face of casualties and sorrow
For the first time, I’m thinkin’ past tomorrow”
Continued:
“………..Don’t be shocked when your history book mentions me
I will lay down my life if it sets us free
Eventually, you’ll see my ascendancy”
Schulyer Sisters
[Aaron Burr]
“Excuse me, miss, I know it’s not funny
But your perfume smells like your daddy’s got money”
Continued:
[Angelica Schulyer]
“You want a revolution? I want a revelation!
So, listen to my declaration:
‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal
And when I meet Thomas Jefferson
I’m a’ compel him to include women in the sequel, work!”
Yorktown – “Immigrants, we get the job done”
Guns and Ships
[Lafayette]
“I’m takin this horse by the reins makin’
Redcoats redder with bloodstains
And I’m never gonna stop until I make ‘em
Drop and burn ‘em up and scatter their remains, I’m
Watch me engagin’ em! Escapin’ em!
Enragin’ em! I’m—Lafayette”
Cabinet Battle #1
[Thomas Jefferson]
“‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’
We fought for these ideals; we shouldn’t settle for less
These are wise words, enterprising men quote ‘em
Don’t act surprised, you guys, cuz I wrote ‘em”
Non-Stop
[Alexander Hamilton]
“I practiced the law, I practically perfected it
I’ve seen injustice in the world and I’ve corrected it
Now for a strong central democracy
If not, then I’ll be Socrates
Throwing verbal rocks at these mediocrities.”
Nonstop: “Life doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints”
Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)
[Alexander Hamilton]
“I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.
This is where it gets me,
On my feet, the enemy ahead of me.
If this is the end of me,
At least I have a friend with me.
Weapon in my head,
In command of my men with me.”
Wait For It
[Aaron Burr]
“Life doesn’t discriminate
Between the sinners and the saints
It takes and it takes and it takes
And we keep living anyway
We rise and we fall and we break
And we make our mistakes
And if there’s a reason I’m still alive
When so many have died
Then I’m willin’ to—wait for it”
The Story of Tonight
[Alexander Hamilton]
“I may not live to see our glory
But I will gladly join the fight
And when our children tell our stories
They’ll tell the story of tonight”
Room Where it Happens
[Alexander Hamilton]
“When you got skin in the game, you stay in the game
But you don’t get a win unless you play in the game
Oh, you get love for it. You get hate for it
You get nothing if you…wait for it”
For the Love of Hip-Hop
Hamilton-An American Musical will be referenced as one of the most inspiring and innovative musicals of all time, thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s creative mind and passion for hip-hop. You can stream Hamilton now only on Disney +, or catch it live in NYC on Broadway. In addition to the original soundtrack, the Hamilton Mixtape has an impressive list of artists covering the originals in this version, which you can check out here.
If you have different favorite lyrics, let me know in the comments!
HAMILTON – An American Musical
11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
7 Olivier Awards, including Best Musical
Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album
Book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton
Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler
Musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire
Direction by Thomas Kail
Produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater
On Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street) and on tour in the US, in London’s West End, and in Australia and Germany.
Hamilton is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies, who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. Hamilton‘s score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway – the story of America then, as told by America now.
Hamilton features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA.
Hamilton is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.
