Hamilton Act 1 Lyrics!

Alexander Hamilton

AARON  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? 

JOHN LAURENS:

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. 

THOMAS 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. 

JAMES MADISON:

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. 

AARON 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 is gonna know your name. What's your name, man?" 

ALEXANDER 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 AND COMPANY:

"Alex, you gotta fend for yourself."  

WASHINGTON:

he started retreatin' and readin' every treatise on the shelf. 

BURR:

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 can get his hands on

(plannin') for the future see him now as he stands

onthe bow of a ship headed for a new land

In New York you can be a new man.  

COMPANY and (HAMILTON):

In 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   

WOMEN:

In New York

MEN:

New York

HAMILTON:

Just you wait!

COMPANY:

Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)

We are waiting in the wings for you  (Waiting in the wings for you)

You could never back down, you never learned to take your time!

Oh, 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 same, oh.

BURR AND COMPANY:

The 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.

MULLIGAN/LAFAYETTE:

We fought with him.  

LAURENS:

Me? I died for him.  

WASHINGTON:

Me? I trusted him.

ELIZA/ANGELICA/MARIA:

Me? I loved him.

BURR:

And me? I'm the damn fool that shot him.   

COMPANY:

There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait!  

BURR:

What's your name, man? 

HAMILTON & COMPANY:

Alexander Hamilton!