Leslie Odom Jr.
Alexander Hamilton (2014 Workshop)
[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?

[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

[JEFFERSON]
And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted
Away across the waves, our Hamilton 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

[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
[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?”

[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 shit, 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 nothing but ruined pride, something new inside
A voice saying

[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 [BURR] [COMPANY] Scammin' for every book he could get his  Scammin' hands on Plannin' for the future see him now as he  Plannin' stands on Oooh [BURR]
The bow of a ship headed for a new land
In New York you can be a new man [COMPANY] [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! [COMPANY]
In New York you can be a new man—

[WOMEN]
In New York—

[MEN]
In New York—

[HAMILTON]
Just you wait! [ALL WOMEN] [ALL MEN] Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton We are waiting in the wings for you Waiting in the wings for you [COMPANY]
You could never back down
You never learned to take your
Time!
[ALL WOMEN]
Oh, Alexander Hamilton

[ALL MEN]
Alexander Hamilton

[COMPANY]
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]
The ship is in the harbor now
See if you can spot him

[MEN]
Just you wait!

[BURR]
Another immigrant
Comin’ up from the bottom

[COMPANY]
Just you wait!

[BURR]
His enemies destroyed his rep
America forgot him
And me?
I’m the damn fool that shot him...

[COMPANY]
Wait!

Gunshot

[COMPANY]
Alexander Hamilton!