"Alexander Hamilton" is the first song of Act One of the Broadway musical Hamilton. It is the first song of the musical overall.
The song serves to introduce the characters, primarily Hamilton. It also explains Hamilton's backstory and early life. Finally, it brings us into the present as they tell the story of Alexander.
Lyrics[]
[BURR]
How does a bastard, orphan,
Son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean, by providence
Impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?
[LAURENS/PHILIP]
The ten-dollar founding father without a father,
Got a lot farther, by working a lot harder,
By being a lot smarter,
By being a self-starter,
By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter.
[LAFAYETTE/JEFFERSON]
And every day, while slaves were being slaughtered, and carted away,
Across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up.
Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of,
The brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter.
[MULLIGAN/MADISON]
Then the hurricane came, devastation reigned,
Our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain.
Put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain,
And he wrote his first refrain, a testament to his pain!
[BURR]
Well, the word got around, they said, “This kid is insane, man!”
Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland!
“Get your education, don’t forget from whence you came,
And the world’s gonna know your name!
What’s your name, man?”
[HAMILTON]
Alexander Hamilton,
My name is Alexander Hamilton.
And there’s a million things I haven’t done,
But just you wait, just you wait...
[ELIZA]
When he was ten his father split, full of it, debt-ridden,
Two years later, see Alex and his mother bed-ridden,
Half-dead, sittin' in their own sick, the scent thick,
[COMPANY]
And Alex got better but his mother went quick.
[WASHINGTON]
Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide,
Left him with nothin’ but ruined pride, something new inside,
A voice saying,
[WASHINGTON/COMPANY]
"Alex, you gotta fend for yourself!"
[WASHINGTON]
He started retreatin’ and readin’ every treatise on the shelf!
[BURR/ENSEMBLE] [OVERLAPPING]
There would've been nothin' left to do,
For someone less astute.
He would've been dead or destitute,
Without a cent of restitution,
He started workin', clerkin' for his late mother's landlord!
Tradin' sugarcane and rum and all the things he can't afford!
Scammin' for every book he can get his hands on,
Plannin' for the future see him now, as he stands on
The bow of a ship,
Headin’ for a new land!
In New York you can be a new man!
[COMPANY]
Cause in-
[ENSEMBLE/HAMILTON]
New York you can be a new man! (Just you wait!)
In New York you can be a new man! (Just you wait!)
In New York you can be a new man! (Just you wait!)
[ENSEMBLE]
In New York.... (New York...)
[HAMILTON]
Just you waaait!!
[ENSEMBLE]
Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
We are waiting in the wings for you (Waiting in the wings for you)
could never back down, you never learned to take your
Tiiiiiimme!! Ohhh!
Alexander Hamilton! (Alexander Hamilton)
When America sings for you,
Will they know what you overcame?
Will they know you rewrote the game?
The world will never be the saaaame, ooooh!!
[BURR/ENSEMBLE]
Ship is in the harbor now, see if you can spot him, (Just you wait)
Another immigrant, comin' up from the bottom! (Just you wait)
His enemies destroyed his rep,
America forgot him
[LAFAYETTE/JEFFERSON/MULLIGAN/MADISON]
We, fought with him.
[LAURENS/PHILIP]
Me? I died for him.
[WASHINGTON]
Me? I trusted him.
[ANGELICA/ELIZA/PEGGY/MARIA]
Me? I loved him.
[BURR]
And me? I'm the damn fool that shot him. (shot him, shot him)
[ENSEMBLE]
There's a million things I haven't done,
But just you waaaaaait....!
[BURR]
“What's your name, man?”
[HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE]
Alexander Hamilton!
Alternate versions[]
2009 White House Poetry Jam[]
[BURR]
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a
Forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence
Impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?
The ten-dollar founding father without a father
Got a lot farther by working a lot harder
By being a lot smarter, by being a self-starter
By fourteen, they had placed him in charge of a trading charter
And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted
Away across the waves, our Hamilton kept his guard up
Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of
The brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter
Then a hurricane came, and devastation reigned
Our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain
Put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain
And he wrote his first refrain, a testament to his pain
Well, the word got around, they said, “This kid is insane, man”
Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland
“Get your education, don’t forget from whence you came, and
The world is gonna know your name. What’s your name man?”
Alexander Hamilton
His name is Alexander Hamilton
And there’s a million things he hasn’t done
But just you wait, just you wait...
When he was ten his father split, full of shit, debt-ridden
Two years later, see Alex and his mother bed-ridden
Half-dead, sittin' in their own sick, the scent thick
And Alex got better but his mother went quick
Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide
Left him with nothing but ruined pride, something new inside
A voice saying "Alex, you gotta fend for yourself."
He started retreatin’ and readin’ every treatise on the shelf
There would have been nothin’ left to do for someone less astute
He woulda been dead or destitute without a cent of restitution
Started workin’, clerkin’ for his late mother’s landlord
Tradin’ sugar cane and rum and all the things he can’t afford
Scammin' for every book he could get his (Scammin' hands on)
Plannin' for the future see him now as he (Plannin' stands on. Oooh)
The bow of a ship headed for a new land
In New York you can be a new man
His ship is in the harbor now see if you can spot him
Another immigrant comin’ up from the bottom
'
His enemies destroyed his rep
America forgot him
And me?
I’m the damn fool that shot him!
Alexander Hamilton
We were waiting in the weeds for you
You could never back down, you always had to speak your mind
But Alexander Hamilton, we could never take your deeds for you
In our cowardice and our shame, we will try to destroy your name
The world will never be the same, Alexander!
Yeah, I'm the damned genius that shot him!
Soundboard Recording[]
[BURR]
How does a bastard, orphan,
Son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean, by providence
Impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?
[LAURENS/PHILIP]
The ten-dollar founding father without a father,
Got a lot farther, by working a lot harder,
By being a lot smarter,
By being a self-starter,
By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter.
[LAFAYETTE/JEFFERSON]
And every day, while slaves were being slaughtered, and carted away,
Across the waves, our Hamilton kept his guard up.
Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of,
The brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter.
[MULLIGAN/MADISON]
Then the hurricane came, devastation reigned,
Our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain.
Put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain,
And he wrote his first refrain, a testament to his pain!
[BURR]
Well, the word got around, they said, “This kid is insane, man!”
Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland!
“Get your education, don’t forget from whence you came,
And the world’s gonna know your name!
What’s your name, man?”
[HAMILTON]
Alexander Hamilton,
My name is Alexander Hamilton.
And there’s a million things I haven’t done,
But just you wait, just you wait...
[ELIZA]
When he was ten his father split, full of shit, debt-ridden,
Two years later, see Alex and his mother bed-ridden,
Half-dead, sittin' in their own sick, the scent thick,
[COMPANY]
And Alex got better but his mother went quick.
[WASHINGTON]
Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide,
Left him with nothin’ but ruined pride, something new inside,
A voice saying,
[WASHINGTON & COMPANY]
"Alex, you gotta fend for yourself!"
[WASHINGTON]
He started retreatin’ and readin’ every treatise on the shelf!
[BURR & ENSEMBLE] [ OVERLAPPING]
There would've been nothin' left to do,
For someone less astute.
He would've been dead or destitute,
Without a cent of restitution,
He started workin', clerkin' for his late mother's landlord!
Tradin' sugarcane and rum and all the things he can't afford!
Scammin' for every book he can get his hands on,
Plannin' for the future see him now, as he stands on
The bow of a ship,
Headin’ for a new land!
In New York you can be a new man!
[COMPANY]
Cause in-
[ENSEMBLE & HAMILTON]
New York you can be a new man! (Just you wait!)
In New York you can be a new man! (Just you wait!)
In New York you can be a new man! (Just you wait!)
[ENSEMBLE]
In New York.... (New York...)
[HAMILTON]
Just you waaait!!
[ENSEMBLE]
Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
We are waiting in the wings for you (Waiting in the wings for you)
could never back down, you never learned to take your
Tiiiiiimme!! Ohhh!
Alexander Hamilton! (Alexander Hamilton)
When America sings for you,
Will they know what you overcame?
Will they know you rewrote the game?
The world will never be the saaaame, ooooh!!
[BURR & ENSEMBLE]
Ship is in the harbor now, see if you can spot him, (Just you wait)
Another immigrant, comin' up from the bottom! (Just you wait)
His enemies destroyed his rep,
America forgot him,
And me? I'm the damn fool that shot him.
[COMPANY]
Wait!
[Gunshot]
[COMPANY]
Alexander Hamilton!
Difference between versions[]
- The version performed at the White House is from the perspective of Burr, rather than from multiple characters.
- The version on the Soundboard Recording is missing the characters introducing themselves towards the end of the song.
Trivia[]
- This song was performed at the 2016 Grammys live from the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City. The performance was broadcast via satellite to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the main ceremony was being held. Hamilton won a Grammy later the same night for Best Musical Theater Album.
- This is the first song that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote for the show.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda performed this song at The White House Poetry Jam on May 12, 2009.
- The cast of Hamilton performed "Alexander Hamilton" and "My Shot" at the White House on March 14, 2016.
- The first line of the musical:
- "How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman" - — Aaron Burr
Is based on one of John Adams's essays criticizing his fellow Founding Fathers. The specific line is "that bastard brat off a Scottish peddler".
- Hamilton is called a "son of a whore" because his mother, Rachel Faucette Buck, had him illegitimately with his father, James A. Hamilton. Despite this, she was not a prostitute, and was thus wronged falsely by her legitimate husband when in suing her for divorce he accused her of "whoring with everyone".
- He is called the "son of a Scotsman" as his father was the fourth son a Scottish laird.
- The lyric "The ten-dollar founding father without a father"refers to Alexander Hamilton's picture on the ten united states dollar bill. In 2015, President Barack Obama had decided to redesign the ten dollar bill, and put the face of an American woman on it. However, the global popularity of the musical Hamilton, made the US Treasury reconsider their decision. Mrs. Hillary Clinton, who was the 67th United States secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 as well as a fan of the Hamilton musical, told a New York Daily News editorial board meeting she'd "keep Hamilton where he is." Ultimately, thanks to social media, political pressure and legendary hip-hop/rap music, Hamilton stayed on the ten dollar bill. Andrew Jackson, the 7th controversial President who supported slavery and the genocide of millions of Native Americans was removed from the twenty dollar bill. Harriet Tubman, a former slave and the first women as well as first African-American person to be in charge of a military operation which freed thousands of slaves, now has her picture on the redesigned twenty dollar bill.
Gallery[]
