"The Adams Administration" is the 11th song of Act Two of the musical Hamilton. It is the 34th song overall.
After Washington, who has been the support of Hamilton's power, steps down from office, Hamilton's political reputation starts to decline. He fights with John Adams, who is of his same political party, effectively destroying the Adams Administration and proving to further make worse his reputation.
Lyrics[]
[BURR]
How does Hamilton, the short-tempered
Protean creator of the Coast Guard
Founder of the New York Post
Ardently abuse his cabinet post
Destroy his reputation?
Welcome, folks, to
[BURR & COMPANY]
The Adams administration!
[BURR]
Jefferson's the runner-up
Which makes him the vice president
[JEFFERSON]
Washington can't help you now
No more mister nice president
[BURR]
Adams fires Hamilton
Privately calls him 'creole bastard' in his taunts
[JEFFERSON]
Say what?
[BURR]
Hamilton publishes his response
[HAMILTON]
Sit down, John, you fat mother–[BLEEP]!
[CROWD]
[reacts]
[BURR]
(spoken)
Hamilton is out of control.
[MADISON]
(spoken)
This is great! He's out of power, he holds no office, and he just destroyed president John Adams, the only other significant member of his party!
[JEFFERSON]
(spoken)
Hamilton is a host unto himself. As long as he can hold a pen, he's a threat. Let's let him know what we know.
Alternate versions[]
- In early workshops of Hamilton (preserved on the Soundboard Recording), more of Hamilton's condemnation of Adams was heard. This was cut during workshops after Lin-Manuel Miranda noticed audiences reacting poorly to the dig at Abigail Adams.
[HAMILTON]
An open letter to the fat
Arrogant
Anti-charismatic
National embarrassment
Known as President John Adams
[BURR]
Shit!
[HAMILTON]
The man's irrational. He claims that I'm in league
With Britain in some vast international intrigue?
Bitch, please!
You wouldn't know what I'm doin'
You're always goin' berserk
But ya never show up to work
Give my regards to Abigail
Next time you write about my lack of moral compass
At least I do my job up in this rumpus
[COMPANY]
Ooh...
[HAMILTON]
The line is behind me
I crossed it again
While the president lost it again
Aw, such a rough life
Better run to your wife
Now the boss is in Boston again
Let me ask you a question. Who sits
At your desk when you're in Massachusetts?
They were calling you a dick back in '76
And you haven't done anything new since
You're a nuisance with no sense
You'll die of irrelevance
Go ahead, you can call me the devil
You aspire to my level
You inspire to malevolence
Say, "Hi," to the Jeffersons!
And spies all around me
Maybe they can confirm
I don't care if I kill my career with this letter
I'm confining you to one term
YOU FAT MOTHERF*****!
- During a talk back for the Off-Broadway Production, Lin-Manuel Miranda performed a version of the missing rap where the final line was the well-known "Siddown John, you fat motherfucker!"[1]
Trivia[]
- Hamilton's declaration of "Sit down, John" is a reference to the musical 1776, which prior to Hamilton was arguably the most notable Broadway musical about the Founding Fathers.
- Although the bleeped line is ostensibly "You fat motherfucker!", Lin-Manuel Miranda revealed in a behind-the-scenes look at the recording that he actually said, "You fat mother fuckstick!"