The lyrics for all 8 Hamilton Children (as seen at today’s #Ham4Ham show) lyrics by Morgan Marcell & Lin-Manuel Miranda
ANGELICA:
My name is Angie, you wouldn’t know it
Unless you listened to my brother, he’s a poet. Even tho, he’s older at the time, I can play piano better plus I can rhyme! Of course, I have a nervous breakdown when he dies!
I play piano and everybody cries!
A sister sibling seems pretty great
When you find out our parents had 8!
ALEX JR:
I’m Alex Junior, I’m on a journey
I grow up to be a famous attorney But revenge is a sweet final course
I rep Aaron Burr’s second wife when they divorce!
JAMES ALEXANDER:
The name’s James Alexander, I’m a lawyer too!
I had five kids like Tevye, with a boy or two!
No time for relaxin,
Cuz I’m secretary of state for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson!
JOHN CHURCH:
Yo I’m John Church, I win the pennant!
Fought the war of eighteen twelve, second lieutenant!
And I’m the one who brought us glory!
I kept my mother’s promise and I wrote Dad’s story!
WILLIAM STEPHEN:
Hey, the name’s William Stephen and I COLD CRUSH!
I moved to California for the gold rush!
I’m a screamer, I’m a shouter, I’m a hollerer!
I died in Sacramento, most likely of CHOLERA!
ELIZABETH HOLLY:
My name’s Eliza Holly, please follow!
You can see my tombstone in Sleepy Hollow!
I lived with my mom while she was dying
In DC. I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING!
PHILIP HAMILTON
The sun has gone To bed and so must I
My name is Philip I’m the second try
I am the youngest Child in our line
Don’t worry I Will live a nice long time
Goodbyyyyyyyyyye
Goodbyyyyyyyyeee
Goodbyyyyyyyyeee
One of my friends categorized Hamilton as "fake hip-hop made by white people for white people" with "second rate musicians," spouting lyrics she could "never see any artist I respect saying." I think this is unfair (and unfounded,) but since I am not a fan or knowledgeable of the genre I don't have a way to put up a counter argument. Since you love the album and are a fan of the genre what would you say to her?
Wow. I’d tell your friend, “Whaaaaaaat?” in Jefferson’s voice from “We Know”. Then I’d explain why she’s very, very wrong.
First of all, Hamilton is a love letter to hip-hop (and history!) written by the best rap lyricist on the planet right now. (It’s true. If there was as championship belt for best rapper in the world, @linmanuel would be wearing it right now.) I’d also mention to her that Lin-Manuel Miranda is Puerto Rican and pretty much the entire roster of performers in the musical are people of color.
Your friend clearly doesn’t know hip-hop because there are tributes to different rap styles, different eras, and different artists throughout the play. When I listen to Hamilton, I hear so many familiar rappers through the lyrics and performances in the musical. I’m not going to go through the whole show because part of the fun is the surprise that you get from hearing certain things, but an example is James Reynolds in “Say No To This”. When you hear his verses, you recognize that the style is Ice Cube. That’s not accidental. It’s an homage – just like in “Helpless” when Eliza channels SWV (she even sings “I’m so into you/I am so into you” at one point during the bridge) and Alexander channels Ja Rule. Or in “Ten Duel Commandments”, which is structured like Biggie’s “Ten Crack Commandments”. And there are so many more examples. It is amazing how Lin-Manuel Miranda is able to craft the lyrics in the way that he does while remaining astonishingly accurate to the actual history.
I’m a guy who grew up loving rap and history. I’m now a historian who wishes he could rap. Hamilton feels like it was made for only me, and I know that Lin-Manuel Miranda feels like I do about rap from the things I’ve read about him. He doesn’t use rap as a gimmick in the musical. He wouldn’t use rap as a gimmick in the musical. He respects it too much. That story could only be told that way with that much detail through hip-hop. And hip-hop is more than just rap or R&B. It’s an attitude and you can feel how real it is by listening to the cast recording (I haven’t seen the play – although I feel like I have by envisioning it in my mind while listening it to the album a million times). Alexander Hamilton’s history spoke to Miranda because he had that aggression and passion and confidence that also burns through in the very best hip-hop of our generation.
Listen, the play has Founding Fathers using battle raps in a Cabinet meeting. I’d love it if it was terrible. But it’s not terrible. It’s actually out-of-this-world good and performed by amazingly talented performers – including Daveed Diggs, who was rapping about very real shit not too far away from me in Oakland long before he ever thought about being in a Broadway musical. Hip-hop is all over the play in ways big and small, very direct and very subtle. There’s the obvious connection with the rap battles, but then you listen to them and recognize, “Wow, these are written like actual rap battles” even though they are built to demonstrate historical points and move the story forward. There’s the back-and-forth, but there’s also Easter eggs throughout everything like James Madison as Jefferson’s political partner in the historical context and as Jefferson’s hype man in the battle rap context. That stuff is weaved together perfectly.
I don’t know Broadway. But I know history and I know rap. And Hamilton is real hip-hop and real history. And really good. Tell your friend to listen again.
WHY THE SIGNS FEEL SAD..
Aries: cause Jeremy left the band Taurus: cause Jeremy left the band Gemini: cause Jeremy left the band Cancer: cause Jeremy left the band Leo: cause Jeremy left the band Virgo: cause Jeremy left the band Libra: cause Jeremy left the band Scorpio: cause Jeremy left the band Sagittarius: cause Jeremy left the band Capricorn: cause Jeremy left the band Aquarius: cause Jeremy left the band Pisces: cause Jeremy left the band
The Signs as Neko Atsume Cats
Aries:
Taurus:
Gemini:
Cancer:
Leo:
Virgo:
Libra:
Scorpio:
Sagittarius:
Capricorn:
Aquarius:
Pisces:
The signs as old civilizations
Aries: Ancient Egypt
Taurus: The Mayans
Gemini: Ancient Greece
Cancer: Ancient Rome
Leo: Ancient Middle East
Virgo: Ancient China
Libra: Ancient Japan
Scorpio: Medieval Europe
Sagittarius: The Aztecs
Capricorn: The Vikings
Aquarius: Mesopotamia
Pisces: Victorian France
The signs during Finals Week
Aries: study guru. They’re very good at being organized and know their own study methods like the back of their hand
Taurus: naps instead of studying, then regrets this and crams obsessively for their exams
Gemini: Up until 4 am every night. Coffee is their best friend.
Cancer: is tired constantly. Hands in a paper that they finished two hours before it was due.
Leo: is probably actually dead
Virgo: Sobs in the library, surrounded by stacks of books and coffee cups
Libra: counts down the minutes until break. Fills this time with video games and sporadic studying
Scorpio: haha stUDYING? I’M FINE. DON’T YOU WORRY ABOUT ME. NUMBERS DON’T DEFINE ME *sobs grossly*
Sagittarius: actually somehow stays sane and gets enough sleep and good grades hOW THE FUCK
Capricorn: doesn’t study because they think they know the material, then gets to the test and bullshits the entire thing
Aquarius: studies because they know they don’t know any of the material, then gets to the test and bullshits the entire thing
Pisces: haha studying? nah. a two hour nap actually sounds more productive
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FINALS! WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
on a scale of one to invade russia in the winter
how bad is your idea
invading finland in winter
the Finns used SKIS. just imagine being a Russian coming to battle and all of a sudden the Finns come out on nowhere ON SKIS
You could say the Russians were…
Finnished.
Excellent…
