“You’ve married an Icarus – he has flown too close to the sun”
Angelica Schuyler
Lyrics: The Reynolds Pamphlet
The Reynolds Pamphlet
Have you read this?
Alexander Hamilton had a torrid affair
And he wrote it down right there
Highlights
The charge against me
Is a connection with one
James Reynolds
For purposes of
Improper speculation
My real crime is an
Amorous connection with his wife
For a considerable time
With his knowing consent
I had frequent meetings with her
Most of them at my own house
At his own house
At his own house
Damn
Mrs. Hamilton with our children being absent
On a visit to her father
No
Boo
Have you read this?
Well, he’s never gon’ be President now
Never gon’ be President now
Well, he’s never gon’ be President now
Never gon’ be President now
He’s never gon’ be President now
Never gon’ be President now
That’s one less thing to worry about
That’s one less thing to worry about
I came as soon as I heard
What?
Angelica
All the way from London?
Damn
Angelica, thank God
Someone who understands what I’m struggling here to do
I’m not here for you
Oh
I know my sister like I know my own mind
You will never find anyone as trusting or as kind
I love my sister more than anything in this life
I will choose her happiness over mine every time
Put what we had aside
I’m standing at her side
You could never be satisfied
God, I hope you’re satisfied
Well, he’s never gon’ be President now (never gon’ be President now)
Well, he’s never gon’ be President now (never gon’ be President now)
Well, he’s never gon’ be President now (never gon’ be President now)
That’s one less thing to worry about (that’s one less thing to worry about)
Hey (he’s never gonna be President now)
At least he was honest with our money
Hey (he’s never gonna be President now)
He’s never gon’ be President now
He’s never gon’ be President now
At least he was honest with our money
That’s one less thing to worry about
That’s one less thing to worry about
The Reynolds Pamphlet
Have you read this?
You ever see somebody ruin their own life?
His poor wife
Lyrics: Burn
I saved every letter you wrote me
From the moment I read them, I knew you were mine
You said you were mine
I thought you were mine
Do you know what Angelica said
When we saw your first letter arrive?
She said
“Be careful with that one, love
He will do what it takes to survive”
You and your words flooded my senses
Your sentences left me defenseless
You built me palaces out of paragraphs
You built cathedrals
I’m re-reading the letters you wrote me
I’m searching and scanning for answers in every line
For some kind of sign, and when you were mine
The world seemed to burn
Burn
You published the letters she wrote you
You told the whole world how you brought this girl into our bed
In clearing your name, you have ruined our lives
Do you know what Angelica said
When she read what you’d done?
She said
“You have married an Icarus
He has flown too close to the sun”
You and your words, obsessed with your legacy
Your sentences border on senseless
And you are paranoid in every paragraph
How they perceive you
You, you, you
I’m erasing myself from the narrative
Let future historians wonder how Eliza reacted when you broke her heart
You have torn it all apart, I’m watching it
Burn
Watching it burn
The world has no right to my heart
The world has no place in our bed
They don’t get to know what I said
I’m burning the memories
Burning the letters that might have redeemed you
You forfeit all rights to my heart
You forfeit the place in our bed
You sleep in your office instead
With only the memories of when you were mine
I hope that you burn
Listen again: The Reynolds Pamphlet
Listen again: Burn
„He’s never gonna be President now“
Hamilton decides to write an open letter and tell the whole world about his affair with Maria Reynolds!
He does it so that everybody knows that he has not used money that wasn’t his. He also doesn’t want his political enemies to have something they could use against him.
But how does his wife, Eilza, react?
Task 1