Helpless to Hamilton

Dear friends,

I am completely *helpless* to the Hamilton musical soundtrack.

I hope I’m not the first to introduce you. But if I am, you’re welcome.

I first heard about Hamilton from my dear friend Jess, but I didn’t heed her loving exhortations to listen until a month later. I finally listened  to the first song, “Alexander Hamilton,” and it made repeat status. After that, I saw Lin Manuel Miranda on Jimmy Fallon and after his rap battle with Tariq from the Roots, I held my hand to my mouth in awe and whispered “that was freaking genius.” Finally, I was knee-deep in my House binge-watching at that point, and one night I realized Lin Manuel Miranda guest-starred on a few episodes in the season of House’s major mental breakdown.*

So, thanks to Jess’s urging, the stand-out first song, and fortuitous Lin Manuel sightings, I took the plunge. One Saturday, during all my chores, I committed to the whole soundtrack from start to finish. I haven’t stopped listening since. That was in December – it is now May.

The thing I love about Hamilton is everything. That first listening, I remember cleaning the sink twice because I’d been distracted by the lyrics, sometimes funny, sometimes pointed, and other times plain beautiful. I teared up when I heard “Dear Theodosia,” a song from Aaron Burr and Alexander’s perspectives to their children. There’s a line that goes,

“If we lay a strong enough foundation, we’ll pass it on to you, we’ll give the world to you and you’ll blow us all away. Someday.”

It gives me goosebumps, thinking of my own future child this way.

Also, even though Hamilton takes place during the heat of the American Revolution, the themes apply to the current political and social climate and even provide unique and insightful commentary; look at the lines “…another immigrant coming up from the bottom” or “if you stand for nothin’ Burr, what do you fall for?” The diversity of the cast only enriches the conversation. That’s another thing – the casting decisions are genius!

I love that Hamilton is a sort of historical case study surrounding a man with a hard, messy past trying to do his best and making mistakes all the way until his death. But what we remember as a country are his contributions, and what his friends and family remember are what he meant to them and how he inspired them to do better. It’s a hopeful story, after all is said and done. I love that, because I think it’s something that we can all relate to and hope for in our own stories.

I’ll stop blabbing on and on and just say – listen. Join the rest of the country in the Hamilton revolution. And just like King George warns, “You’ll be back.”

Your revolutionized friend,

Need more convincing?

Watch Lin Manuel Miranda perform at the White House here.

Hamilton wins a Grammy here.

Cabinet battle in the real White House Cabinet here.

Jimmy Fallon and Lin Manuel Miranda sing “You’ll Be Back” song here. (Just for the love of the bromance of Jimmy and Lin Manuel).

*House, Season 6. Watch an odd, yet comprehensive, musical montage of his scenes here.