Helpless

"Helpless"
Song information
Song	10
Act	1
Sung by	Phillipa Soo, Lin-Manuel Miranda & the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton
As	Elizabeth Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton
Production	Broadway Production
Album	Broadway Cast Recording
Chronology
Previous	"A Winter's Ball"
Next	"Satisfied"
Audio
Helpless

"Helpless" is the 10th song of Act One of Hamilton.

Eliza sings about her hopes and true feelings for Alexander and about the impact he has on her life in the short time he has been in it.

After the couple writes letters to each other for several weeks, Alexander Hamilton asks Eliza's father for her hand in marriage; he accepts. Alexander reassures Eliza that "his love for her is never in doubt" (as indicated by the church bells).

Lyrics

[HAMILTON/LAURENS/BURR/WOMEN (EXCEPT ELIZA)]
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

[ELIZA] Oooh! I do I do I do I Dooo! Hey! Oooh! I do I do I do I Dooo! Boy you got me

[ALL WOMEN] Hey, hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey

[ELIZA & WOMEN]
Helpless! Look into your eyes
And the sky's the limit
I'm helpless
Down for the count and I'm drowning in 'em

[ELIZA]
I have never been the type to try and grab the spotlight
We were at a revel with some rebels on a hot night
Laughing at my sister as she's dazzlin' the room
Then you walk in and my heart went "boom"
Tryin' to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom
Everybody's dancin' and the band's top volume

[ELIZA & WOMEN]
Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine

[ELIZA]
Grab my sister and whisper, "Yo, this one's mine"

[ELIZA] My sister made her way across the room to you And I got nervous thinking "What's she gonna do?" She grabs you by the arm I'm thinking I'm through Then you look back at me and suddenly I'm Helpless! Oh, look at those eyes Oh... Yeah, I'm helpless I know I'm so into you I am so into you I know I'm down for the count And I'm drowning in 'em

[ALL WOMEN] Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh Helpless! Look into your eyes and the sky's the limit I'm helpless! Down for the count and I'm Drownin' in 'em I'm helpless Look into your eyes and the sky's the limit, I'm helpless Down for the count and I'm drowning in 'em

[HAMILTON]
(spoken throughout)
Where are you taking me?

[ANGELICA]
(spoken throughout)
I'm about to change your life.

[HAMILTON]
Then by all means, lead the way.

[ELIZA]
(spoken throughout)
Elizabeth Schuyler, it's a pleasure to meet you.

[HAMILTON]
Schuyler?

[ANGELICA]
My sister.

[ELIZA]
Thank you for all your service.

[HAMILTON]
If it takes fighting a war for us to meet,
it will have been worth it.

[ANGELICA]
I'll leave you to it.

[ELIZA & WOMEN]
One week later

[ELIZA]
I'm writin' a letter nightly
Now my life gets better every letter that you write me
Laughing at my sister 'cause she wants to form a harem

[ANGELICA]
I'm just saying, if you really loved me, you would share him

[ELIZA] Ha! Two weeks later in the living room stressin' My father stone-faced While you're askin' for his blessing I'm dying inside as you wine and dine And I'm trying not to cry 'Cause there's nothing that your mind can't do My father makes his way across the room to you I panic for a second thinking we're through Then he shakes your hand and says "Be true." And you turn back to me, smiling, and I'm Helpless! Helpless! Oooh! That boy is mine, That boy is mine! Helpless! Helpless! Down for the count, and I'm Drownin' in 'em

[ALL WOMEN] Stressin' Blessin' Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh Helpless! Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm Helpless! Down for the count and I'm drownin' in 'em, I'm Helpless! Look into your eyes and the sky's the limit, I'm Helpless! Down for the count and I'm Drownin' in 'em

[HAMILTON]
Eliza, I don't have a dollar to my name
An acre of land, a troop to command
A dollop of fame
All I have is my honor
A tolerance for pain
A couple of college credits, and my top-notch brain

Insane!
Your family brings out a different side of me
Peggy confides in me, Angelica tried to take a bite of me-
No stress, my love for you is never in doubt
We'll get a little place in Harlem
And we'll figure it out

I've been livin' without a family since I was a child
My father left, my mother died
I grew up buckwild
But I'll never forget my mother's face, that was real
As long as I'm alive, Eliza, swear to God
You'll never feel so...

[HAMILTON] Eliza I've never felt so... My life's gonna be fine 'Cause Eliza's in it

[ELIZA] I do, I do, I do, I do! I do, I do, I do, I do! Hey, yeah, yeah! I'm down for the count I'm— I look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit I'm— —drownin' in 'em

[ALL WOMEN] Helpless! Helpless! Helpless! Down for the count and I'm Drownin' in 'em Helpless! Helpless! Helpless! Down for the count and I'm Drownin' in 'em

[ALL WOMEN]
In New York you can be a new man
In New York you can be a new man
In New York you can be a new man...

[ELIZA]
Helpless

Gallery

Alexander and Eliza's Wedding

Hercules Mulligan throwing flowers

Lafayette whispering to surprised Peggy

Songs in Hamilton (Broadway Production)

Act One ⇢Alexander Hamilton ⇢Aaron Burr, Sir ⇢My Shot ⇢The Story of Tonight ⇢The Schuyler Sisters ⇢Farmer Refuted ⇢You'll Be Back ⇢Right Hand Man ⇢A Winter's Ball ⇢Helpless ⇢Satisfied ⇢The Story of Tonight (Reprise) ⇢Wait For It ⇢Stay Alive ⇢Ten Duel Commandments ⇢Meet Me Inside ⇢That Would Be Enough ⇢Guns And Ships ⇢History Has Its Eyes On You ⇢Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) ⇢What Comes Next? ⇢Dear Theodosia ⇢Tomorrow There'll Be More Of Us ⇢Non-Stop Act Two ⇢What'd I Miss ⇢Cabinet Battle #1 ⇢Take A Break ⇢Say No To This ⇢The Room Where It Happens ⇢Schuyler Defeated ⇢Cabinet Battle #2 ⇢Washington On Your Side ⇢One Last Time ⇢I Know Him ⇢The Adams Administration ⇢We Know ⇢Hurricane ⇢The Reynolds Pamphlet ⇢Burn ⇢Blow Us All Away ⇢Stay Alive (Reprise) ⇢It's Quiet Uptown ⇢The Election of 1800 ⇢Your Obedient Servant ⇢Best of Wives and Best of Women ⇢The World Was Wide Enough ⇢Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story