Ten Things, One Thing

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[Male Company:]
One two three four

[Full Company (except Hamilton and Burr):]
Five six seven eight nine...

[Burr:]
There are ten things you need to know

[Company:]
Number one!

[Burr:]
We rode across the Hudson at dawn
My friend, William P. Van Ness signed on as my...

[Company:]
Number two!

[Burr:]
Hamilton arrived with his crew
Nathaniel Pendleton and a doctor that he knew

[Company:]
Number three!

[Burr:]
I watched Hamilton examine the terrain
I wish I could tell you what was happ'ning in his brain
Just apologize, we have worthier pursuits!

[Company:]
Most disputes die and no one shoots!
Number four!

[Burr:]
Hamilton drew first position
Looking to the world like a man on a mission
This is a soldier with a marksman's ability
The doctor turned around so he could have deniability

[Company:]
Five!

[Burr:]
Now, I didn't know this at the time
But we were...

In the same spot
Your son died, is that why

[Hamilton:]
In the same spot
My son died, is that why

[Company:]
Six!

[Burr:]
He examined his gun with such rigor?
I watched as he methodically fiddled with the trigger

[Company:]
Seven!

[Burr:]
Confession time? Here's what I got:
My fellow soldiers'll tell you I'm a terrible shot

[Company:]
Number eight!

[Burr/Hamilton/Ensemble Men:]
Your last chance to negotiate
Send in your seconds, see if they can set the record straight

[Burr:]
They won't teach you this in your classes
But look it up, Hamilton was wearing his glasses
Why? If not to take deadly aim?
That's when I realized this was not a game
I had only one thought before the slaughter:
This man will not make an orphan of my daughter

[Company:]
Number nine!

[Burr:]
Look him in the eyes, aim no higher
Summon all the courage you require
Then count:

[Company:]
One two three four five six seven eight nine

[Burr And Company:]
He aims his pistol at the sky...

[Burr:]
Wait!

[Company:]
Nine eight seven six five

[Male Company:]
Four three two...

[Hamilton:]
One last thought

[Company:]
Number one!

[Hamilton:]
Before we got in the boat to cross the Hudson
I stopped to write a note
Actually I wrote...

[Hamilton And Company:]
Two!

[Hamilton:]
Just in case I didn't make it through
I want the world to know what I intended to do

[Company:]
Number three!

[Hamilton:]
If I shoot first, and throw it away
He has to yield, we both get to live another day
I know this puts me in a difficult spot
But I've got to throw away my shot

[Company:]
Number four!

[Hamilton:]
I get lucky, I draw first position
I stand facing east as I load my ammunition
The sun is in my eyes, I am almost giddy
As I watch it slowly rise over my New York City

[Company:]
Five!

[Hamilton:]
I start to shake when I realize
That we are...

In the same spot
My son died, is that why

[Burr:]
In the same spot
Your son died, is that why

[Company:]
Six!

[Hamilton:]
I examine the gun that we shared?
Philip never hurt a soul, he must've been so scared

[Company:]
Seven!

[Hamilton:]
My Eliza is still asleep
I left her a letter, I could've written it better

[Company:]
Number eight!

[Burr/Hamilton/Ensemble men:]
Your last chance to negotiate
Send in your seconds, see if they can set the record straight

[Hamilton:]
I put on my glasses, so I can see if Burr is softening
I see him glaring back at me
He's always hated dueling, hated confrontation
I never had his instinct for self-preservation
I feel a sense of calm fill me
It's not in his political interest to kill me

[Company:]
Nine!

[Hamilton:]
My last thought is of Eliza
Maybe I can get back home before she opens her eyes
They put us through our paces, we count to ten
God, I can't wait to see her again

[Company:]
One two three four five six seven eight nine

[Burr and Company:]
He aims his pistol at the sky...

[Burr:]
Wait!

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: Jul 16, 2018 ⏰

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