“Then slowly and clearly aim your gun towards the sky”
Alexander Hamilton
Lyrics: Blow Us All Away
Meet the latest graduate of King’s College
I prob’ly shouldn’t brag, but, dag, I amaze and astonish
The scholars say I got the same virtuosity and brains as my pops
The ladies say my brain’s not where the resemblance stops
I’m only nineteen but my mind is older
Gotta be my own man, like my father, but bolder
I shoulder his legacy with pride, I used to hear him say
That someday I would (blow us all away!)
Ladies, I’m lookin for a Mr. George Eacker
Made a speech last week, our Fourth of July speaker
He disparaged my father’s legacy in front of a crowd
I can’t have that, I’m making my father proud
I saw him just up Broadway a couple of blocks, he was goin’ to see a play
Well, I’ll go visit his box (god, you’re a fox!)
And y’all look pretty good in ya’ frocks
How ’bout when I get back, we all strip down to our socks? (ooh, okay!)
Blow us all away
George (shh!) George! (shh, I’m tryin’ to watch the show!)
Ya shoulda watched your mouth before you talked about my father though
I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true
Your father’s a scoundrel, and so, it seems, are you
It’s like that?
Yeah, I don’t fool around, I’m not your little schoolboy friends
Well, see you on the dueling ground
That is, unless you wanna step outside and go now
I know where to find you, piss off, I’m watchin’ this show now
Pops, if you had only heard the shit he said about you
I doubt you would have let it slide and I was not about to (slow down!)
I came to ask you for advice, this is my very first duel
They don’t exactly cover this subject in boarding school
Did your friends attempt to negotiate a peace?
He refused to apologize, we had to let the peace talks cease
Where is this happening?
Across the river, in Jersey
Everything is legal in New Jersey!
Alright, so this is what you’re gonna do
Stand there like a man until Eacker is in front of you
When the time comes, fire your weapon in the air
This will put an end to the whole affair
But what if he decides to shoot? Then I’m a goner
No, he’ll follow suit if he’s truly a man of honor
To take someone’s life, that is something you can’t shake
Philip, your mother can’t take another heartbreak
Father!
Promise me
You don’t want this young man’s blood on your conscience
Okay, I promise
Come back home when you’re done
Take my guns, be smart, make me proud, son
My name is Philip
I am a poet
And I’m a little nervous, but I can’t show it
I’m sorry, I’m a Hamilton with pride
You talk about my father, I cannot let it slide
Mister Eacker, how was the rest of your show?
I’d rather skip the pleasantries, let’s go
Grab your pistol (confer with your men)
The duel will commence after we count to ten (count to ten!)
Look ’em in the eye, aim no higher
Summon all the courage you require
Then slowly and clearly aim your gun towards the sky
Lyrics: Stay Alive
Where’s my son?
Mr. Hamilton, come in, they brought him in a half an hour ago
He lost a lot of blood on the way over (stay alive) is he alive?
Yes, but you have to understand
The bullet entered just above his hip and lodged in his right arm
Can I see him please?
I’m doing everything I can but the wound was already infected when he arrived
Philip
Pa!
I did exactly as you said, Pa
I held my head up high
I know, I know, shh (high)
I know, I know, shh
I know you did everything just right
Even before we got to ten (shh)
I was aiming for the sky (I know, I know, shh)
I was aiming for the sky (I know, I know, shh)
I know, save your strength and stay alive! (No)
Eliza!
Is he breathing? Is he going to survive this? (Stay alive)
Who did this, Alexander, did you know?
Mom, I’m so sorry for forgetting what you taught me
My son
We played piano (I taught you piano)
You would put your hands on mine
You changed the melody every time
I would always change the line
Shh, I know, I know
I would always change the line
I know, I know
Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf (un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf)
Good
Un-deux-trois-quatre-cinq-six-sept-huit-neuf (un-deux-trois)
Sept-huit-neuf
Sept-huit
Lyrics: It’s Quiet Uptown
There are moments that the words don’t reach
There is suffering too terrible to name
You hold your child as tight as you can
And push away the unimaginable
The moments when you’re in so deep
It feels easier to just swim down
The Hamiltons move uptown
And learn to live with the unimaginable
I spend hours in the garden
I walk alone to the store
And it’s quiet uptown
I never liked the quiet before
I take the children to church on Sunday
A sign of the cross at the door
And I pray
That never used to happen before
If you see him in the street
Walking by himself, talking to himself, have pity
Philip, you would like it uptown, it’s quiet uptown
He is working through the unimaginable
His hair has gone grey
He passes every day
They say he walks the length of the city
You knock me out, I fall apart
Can you imagine?
Look at where we are
Look at where we started
I know I don’t deserve you, Eliza
But hear me out
That would be enough
If I could spare his life
If I could trade his life for mine
He’d be standing here right now
And you would smile and that would be enough
I don’t pretend to know
The challenges we’re facing
I know there’s no replacing what we’ve lost
And you need time
But I’m not afraid
I know who I married
Just let me stay here by your side
That would be enough
If you see him in the street
Walking by her side, talking by her side, have pity
Eliza, do you like it uptown? It’s quiet uptown
He is trying to do the unimaginable
See them walking in the park, long after dark
Taking in the sights of the city
Look around, look around, Eliza
They are tryna do the unimaginable
There are moments that the words don’t reach
There’s a grace too powerful to name
We push away what we can never understand
We push away the unimaginable
They are standing in the garden
Alexander by Eliza’s side
She takes his hand
It’s quiet uptown
Forgiveness, can you imagine?
Forgiveness, can you imagine?
If you see him in the street
Walking by her side, talking by her side, have pity
They are going through the unimaginable
Listen again: Blow Us All Away
Listen again: Stay Alive
Listen Again: It’s Quiet Uptown
„Look ’em in the eye, aim no higher
Summon all the courage you require““If you see him in the street
Walking by himself, talking to himself, have pity”“She takes his hand
It’s quiet uptown”
Task 1