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Alexander Hamilton

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4 years ago
Tone: [Bm]
(BURR)
 
How does a b[Bm]bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
[F#]Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a
Forgotten s[G]spot in the Caribbean by providence
Impoverished, in sq[D]squalor
Grow up to be a [Bbdim]hero and a scholar?
 
 
(LAURENS)
 
The t[Bm]ten-dollar founding father without a father
Got a l[F#]lot farther by working a lot harder
By being a l[G]lot smarter
 
By being a self-starter
By fou[D]fourteen, they placed him in c[Bbdim]charge of a trading charter
 
 
(JEFFERSON)
 
And e[Bm]every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted
A[F#]Away across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up
In[G]Inside he was longing for something to be a part of
The b[D]brother was ready to beg, s[Bbdim]steal, borrow, or barter
 
 
(MADISON)
 
Then a h[Bm]hurricane came, and devastation reigned
Our m[F#]man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain
Put a p[G]pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain
And he w[D]wrote his first refrain, a t[F#sus4]testament to his [F#]pain
 
 
(BURR)
 
Well the w[Bm]word got around, they said, "This kid is insane, man"
[F#]Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland
[G]"Get your education, don't forget from whence you came
and the wo[D]world is gonna know your [Bbdim]name. What's your name, man?"
 
 
(HAMILTON)
 
[Bm]Alexander Hamilton
My name is A[F#]Alexander Hamilton
And there's a [G]million things I haven't done
But just you w[D]wait, just you w[F#]wait...
 
 
(ELIZA)
 
When he was [Bm]ten his father split, full of it, debt-ridden
Two y[F#]years later, see Alex and his mother bed-ridden half-d[G]half-dead
 
Sittin' in their own sick, the scent thick
 
 
(COMPANY)
 
N/A
And Alex got better but his mother went quick
 
 
(WASHINGTON)
 
[Bm]Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide
[F#]Left him with nothin' but ruined pride, something new inside
A [G]voice saying
 
 
(WASHINGTON) // (COMPANY)
"You gotta fend for yourself" //
"Alex, you gotta fend for yourself"
 
 
(WASHINGTON)
 
He started retr[D]retreatin' and readin' every t[Bbdim]treatise on the shelf
 
 
(BURR)
 
There[Bm]There would have been nothing left to do
 
For someone less astute, he woulda been
[F#]Dead or destitute without a sense of restitution
Started w[G]workin', clerkin' for his late mother's landlord
[D]Tradin' sugar cane and rum and [Bbdim]all the things he can't afford
[Bm]Scammin' for every book he can get his hands on
[F#]Plannin' for the future see him now as he stands on
The [G]bow of a ship headed for a new land
In [D]New York you can [Bbdim]be a new man
 
 
(COMPANY)
 
In[Bm]In New York you can // (HAMILTON)
 
Be a new man // Just you wait
In [G7]New York you can // (HAMILTON)
 
Be a new man // Just you wait
In [Em9]New York you can
 
Be a new man
 
 
(WOMEN)
 
In [F#]New York--
 
 
(MEN)
New York
 
 
(HAMILTON)
Just you wait!
 
 
(COMPANY)
 
[Bm]Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
We are w[G7]waiting in the wings for you (waiting in the wings for you)
You could n[Em]never back down
You never learned to take your t[F#]time
Oh, A[Bm]Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
When A[G7]America sings for you
Will they k[Em]know what you overcame?
Will they k[D]know you rewrote the [Em]game?
The w[Bm/F#]world will n[Em/G]never be [D/A]the same,[F#7/A] oh
 
 
(BURR)
 
The[Bm]The ship is in the harbor now // (COMPANY)
[Bm/C#]See if you can spot him // Just you wait
A[Bm/D]Another immigrant
Comi[Em]Comin' up from the bottom // Just you wait
His e[Em/G]enemies destroyed his rep
[Em/C#]America forgot him
 
 
(MULLIGAN/MADISON & LAFAYETTE/JEFFERSON)
 
[F#sus4]We fought[F#]fought with him
 
 
(LAURENS/PHILLIP)
 
[F#sus4]Me? I died f[F#]for him
 
 
(WASHINGTON)
 
[Bm9/F#]Me? I trusted[F#]trusted him
 
 
(ELIZA & ANGELICA & PEGGY/MARIA)
[Em6/F#]Me? I loved h[F#]him
 
 
(BURR)
 
And me[F#]me? I'm the damn fool that shot him
 
 
(COMPANY)
There's a m[Em/G]million things I haven't done [D]
But just you [Em6/F#]wait!
 
 
(BURR)
[F#7]What's your name, man?
 
 
(COMPANY)
 
[Bm]Alexander Hamilton!
 
[Bm]

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