While there are no bad Hamilton Songs, there are definitely some that are better than others, and the best Hamilton Songs are typically the ones that pack emotional punches for the audience. The musical musical clap Hamilton Reached a whole new audience thanks to the release of the recorded performance on Disney +. Created by and starring Lin Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is based on the life of the United States’ first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton. Although not the most obvious subject of a hip-hop musical, Hamilton’s life story captured Miranda’s imagination after he read Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography of the founding father.
Since its premiere in February 2015, Hamilton became a runaway success and cultural phenomenonWinning 12 Tony Awards in 2016 and opening on London’s West End in 2017, where it won seven Olivier Awards. A specially recorded performance was released on Disney+ to widespread acclaim, so more newcomers than ever were able to avoid the Broadway ticket price and appreciate the acclaimed songs at home. Lin Manuel Miranda Hamilton Soundtrack propelled it to great heights and is worthy of an in-depth breakdown.
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“Schuyler Defeated” (1:03)
Performed by: Anthony Ramos, Philippa Soo, Lin Manuel Miranda, & Leslie Odom Jr.
Ranked the lowest of the best Hamilton The songs are short and more of a transition than anything else, “Schuyler Defeated” is the moment when Alexander Hamilton discovers that his old friend Aaron Burr is tired of waiting. Unfortunately for the Hamilton family, Burr’s first big move was to upset the Senate seat of Eliza’s father, Philip Schuyler. It is here that Burr switches parties and becomes a Democratic-Republican for his personal status and overthrew Philip Schuyler’s seat in the Senate.
They don’t need to know me / they don’t like you.
When the stage show is full of more songs than talking moments, even the smallest bits of dialogue are songs, but they don’t necessarily pop like some of the longer performances do. This song plays an important part in the play as it drives a divide between Hamilton and Burr, since they are now in different political parties. Bear sings, “I changed parties to take advantage of the opportunity I saw. I swear, your pride will be the death of us all.” And “They don’t need to know me / They don’t like you.”
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“The Story of Tonight (Reprise)” (1:55)
Anthony Ramos, Okieriete Onaodowan, Daveed Diggs, Lin Manuel Miranda, & Leslie Odom Jr.
Sandwiched between “Satisfaction” and “Waiting For It,” the reprise of “Tonight’s Story” is an important moment that allows the audience to Slow down and absorb the impact of Angelica Schuyler’s revelation. This Hamilton The song is mainly comprised of drunken banter between friends, but is nonetheless an enjoyable little segue with a heartfelt moment between Hamilton and Burr that doesn’t exactly fall over the show. Here, Burr admits to an affair with a British officer’s wife and Hamilton tells him to “Go get her.”
Hamilton and Burr spend so much of the story at each other’s throats that watching them cuddle and have fun together is completely different from the rest of the show. The music is also less intense than the rest of the show, and as lovely as it is, not one that sits with fans as long as others. Hamilton Songs do. However, it helps set the stage for Burr’s biggest solo song of the game as Hamilton allows him to contemplate his life of “waiting for him.”
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“Aaron Boor, Lord” (2:36)
Anthony Ramos, Okieriete Onaodowan, Daveed Diggs, Lin Manuel Miranda, & Leslie Odom Jr.
Miranda’s love of wordplay is shown early in the second Hamilton Song, “Aharon Bear, Sir,” in which The name of the eponymous antagonist is echoed in the line“You beat the bursar.” Bear responds to Hamilton’s over-indulgence by inviting him to meet the beloved John Lawrence, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan—but Hamilton doesn’t exactly learn the lesson Bear was hoping for, which is to keep his Head down and don’t run your mouth or risk making enemies.
If you stand in vain, bear, why will you fall?
The poem plays an important role as it also sets the time and place of the story (1776 in New York City). It is also one of the original songs of The Hamilton Mixtape Which stayed in the Broadway play, while most of the others were cut. This is also the first real taste of the rap battles in the musical, although the further the story progresses, the more inventive the wordplay.
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“Staying Alive” (2:39)
The entire cast of Hamilton
One of the more exhibition-heavy Hamilton The song, “Stay Alive” finds Hamilton in a frustrating spot as George Washington refuses to give him a command in the war, instead relegating him largely to letter-writing duties, a job Hamilton despises. A highlight is the chaos when Jon Rua’s Charles Lee “It is the bed in the battle of Monmouth“ And his subsequent valley of insults hurled in Washington.
While it’s a nice showcase for the variety of voices in the show, since most of the main cast members get at least a line or two, there’s also a lot of information in this specific song for the audience to keep track of all in Once upon a time. When the songs leading up to it are faster-paced, it means that the audience is largely getting through that particular track in the game to see what happens next.
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“A Winter’s Ball” (1:09)
Leslie Odom Jr.
This is the ninth song in HamiltonAnd it takes place while Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are together and are headed to attend Philip Schuyler’s winter ball. One of the shortest Hamilton Lieder is also one of the most amusing. The somewhat crude lyrics are lightened by Hamilton’s comedy And his friends got into the ball full of overconfidence about their talent with the ladies, as well as Hamilton’s proud acknowledgment of the fact that he had a wild tomcat named after him.
Hi. Hi. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
The song itself is a transitional one, in place to get the audience to the next step of the story, so it’s fun, but not a number meant to blow the audience away. Before the Off-Broadway production, the song was called “Ladies’ Transition” because of its short length. Audiences also love the dance the guys pull off just before the song ends.
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“Meet Me Inside” (1:23)
Anthony Ramos, Christopher Jackson, Lin Manuel Miranda, & Leslie Odom Jr.
Hamilton’s resentment at sitting on the writing bench Over the war boils over Hamilton Song centered on a tense argument between Hamilton and Washington in the wake of the Charles Lee/John Laurens duel. With its pulsing beats and very measured dialogue, this Hamilton Song is an exercise in escalating tempers until finally Hamilton levels a veiled threat to his commander, and it’s not the last disagreement the two of them have on the show.
Call me ‘son’ one more time.
This is the 16th Hamilton Song from Act One and sees Charles Lee shot in the side during the duel. Washington is angry with Hamilton and sends him home from the army to his wife. This song has a change in the soundboard recording, as does the line that Burr sings (“You shot him in the side“) was changed because it was Lee Sang (“You shot me in the side”) After Hamilton asks if he yields.
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“That Would Be Enough” (2:58)
Philippa Soo & Lin Manuel Miranda
This is the 17th song of act one of Hamilton And see Eliza explains her pregnancy to Alexander Hamilton After George Washington sent him back home. Although it may seem like just one of the sweet and romantic Hamilton Songs that may have wound up cut, this song brings things down after the hits of “Meet Me Inside.” “That Would Be Enough” actually features just as much tension despite its softer notes.
Let this moment be the first chapter / where you decide to stay.
The vocals are primarily from Eliza, giving a sweetness to the tone of the song, although the tension is thick. In this case, there is the tension between Alexander’s determination to build a legacy and Eliza who wants him to appreciate his life while he is still living it. She wants him to stay, but he is also concerned about the future, which permeates the entire Hamilton.
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“I Know Him” (1:37)
Jonathan Graf
In the final interlude of King George III, he wonders at the idea of a leader voluntarily stepping down from their position of power. While “I know him” is definitely one of the more enjoyable Hamilton songs, which is even better – King George watching the ensuing American in-fighting With joy and even make a comeback to smooth once more during “The Reynolds Pamphlet.” The scene-styling King George III is nothing if not mean.
There is no one else in their ‘country’ that is quite as big.
This is the 10th song of Act Two of Hamilton and is the 33rd overall track in the musical. The whole song is funny because King George III seems shocked that John Adams won the presidential election in the United States, and is even more shocked that George Washington will give up his power. It shows not only George’s misunderstanding of what America is all about but also his arrogance in his position as a leader himself.
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“Farmer Refuted” (1:52)
Thayne Jasperson & Lin Manuel Miranda
Poor Samuel Seabury just wants to stand on his soapbox and make a speech in support of the King, but runs into Alexander Hamilton’s inability to let anything go. This is one of the shorter ones Hamilton songs, But a fun that’s only enhanced by Hamilton’s physical comedy Harassing the Loyalist until Bear steps in to intervene.
But strangely your cuff is the same!
It’s quite early in the show, as the sixth song of Act One, and it shows a great juxtaposition between the classical musical stylings of the loyalists stuck in the past, and the hip-hop of the revolutionaries, like Hamilton’s lines are rapped. Along with the classic Seabury lines. Alexander saw mocking Samuel, who was reading from the Free Thoughts on the Proceedings of the Continental Congress Really shows the difference in the two sides when it comes to their passion and belief systems.
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“The Story of Tonight” (1:31)
Anthony Ramos, Okieriete Onaodowan, Daveed Diggs, Lin Manuel Miranda, & Leslie Odom Jr.
After the reveal of “My Shot” comes a much-needed wind-down in “Tonight’s Story.” While the previous on the list of Hamilton Songs can make the revolutionary’s wishes seem insignificant – from wanting to make a name for himself, to simply not wanting to sew pants anymore – “The Story of Tonight” is a Assurance that they really believe in what they are fighting for.
Raise a glass to us four / Tomorrow there will be more of us.
“Tomorrow there will be more of us“is also one of the most quotable lines (or partial lines, more accurately) from the show because it’s a call to action and a reminder that even the biggest revolution starts with the smallest group. It’s even better since Hamilton, Mulligan, Laurens, and Lafayette drink heavily and have no problem saying what they feel when they sing the song about progress and their goals to unite as revolutionary allies.
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“Staying Alive (Reprise)” (1:51)
Philippa Soo, Anthony Ramos and Lin Manuel Miranda
This is where Act II of Hamilton Gets heartbreaking. Alexander and Eliza Hamilton’s frantic rush to their son on his deathbed, after his duel with George Eaker. This is a reproduction of one of these Hamilton Songs that marked Alexander’s own brush with death earlier in the show. The most heartbreaking moment comes at the end, As Eliza practices counting in French with her son until she realizes she is the only one still counting. It was a sad moment because Eliza just wanted to comfort her son, knowing that he was dying.
While Soo, Ramos and Miranda may have most of the lines in the song and the story here, the rest of the cast helps make the song a little more haunting with their echoes of the titular line, “Stay alive“, and the steady beat of the drum creates the tension.
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“Take a Break” (4:46)
Philippa Soo, Anthony Ramos, Lin Manuel Miranda, & Renée Elise Goldsberry
If Hamilton Act II is the “fall” part of Alexander Hamilton’s rise-and-fall story, therefore “Take a break” marks the tipping point right before that fall. With the threat of losing his job hanging over his head at this, one of the best Hamilton Songs, Hamilton pulls away from his wife, his son and his sister-in-law – choosing the pursuit of his legacy even over the people for whom he is ostensibly pursuing it, he throws himself into his work above all else.
Angelica, tell my wife John Adams doesn’t have a real job anyway.
It features Ramos as the youngest Hamilton starting his journey into wordplay as his father and Sue beatboxing for him, making the song incredibly fun. This song also resonated before Hamilton Songs like Angelica and Alexander write to each other, reminding the audience of their connection. This is where Alexander loses sight of what is really important in his life and it costs him.
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“History has her eyes” (1:37)
Christopher Jackson and Lin Manuel Miranda
This one of those Hamilton Songs in the calm before the storm of the Hamilton musical “Yorktown: and serves as a warning from the elderly general to his upstart young right-hand man: that despite his wishes, He will not get to control his own inheritanceWhat is in the hands of people who look back on someone’s life. It is particularly poignant in light of his return in Hamiltons last song, where it is revealed that Eliza – the person who told Alexander “We don’t need an inheritance” – is the one who tells his story.
You have no control / who lives, who dies, who tells your story.
It’s also one of Washington’s most traditionally Broadway-styled songs in the entire show as he tries to get through to Hamilton, but of course, Hamilton’s style is already faster and more modern than Hamilton at this point in the show.
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“Say No To This” (4:02)
Leslie Odom Jr., Lin Manuel Miranda, Jasmine Cephas-Jones and Sidney Harcourt
This is the beginning of the case of Alexander Hamilton and details how he ends up having an affair with Maria Reynolds. More than any other Hamilton songs, “Say No to That” has the distinct ring of an unreliable narratorStarting with Aaron Burr’s framing of “Alexander himself, I will let him tell.” According to the cheating Alexander Hamilton’s version of the story, he was tired and helpless when a beautiful woman took advantage of his philanthropy to lure him to her bed with her feminine eyelashes.
Uh-oh, you made the wrong watch a cuckoo.
Much like “The Place Where It Happens” and “Burning,” this song acknowledges a gap in historical knowledge—and exercises appropriate skepticism toward Hamilton’s take on what happened and his treatment of said woman in the song. This Hamilton Song fuses elements of traditional Broadway with R&B and pop to provide the audience with a full story.
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“Election of 1800” (3:57)
Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Leslie Odom Jr., & Lin Manuel Miranda
The best moments of “Election of 1800” are not in this, one of the best Hamilton The songs themselves, but in Aaron Burr’s ecstatic reactions when he listens to the people who describe him as “tsunapan” and Missing that they would like to share a beer with him. For a brief moment in the show, things actually seem to be Burr’s way.
And they say I’m a Francophile / At least they know I know where France is.
Of course, it doesn’t last long, but he’s so thrilled by it that it’s one of the highlights as he tries to make his own legacy instead of waiting for it. The song itself combines traditional Broadway chorus stylings with the hip-hop of the leads to create an interesting fusion. While Jefferson and Burr were victorious over John Adams and Charles Pinckney, Hamilton started a campaign for Jefferson, which resulted in Burr losing and challenging Hamilton to a duel in anger.
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“Best of Wives and Best of Women” (0:47)
Philippa Soo & Lin Manuel Miranda
The shortest of these Hamilton Lieder, only 47 seconds, is also one of the most moving, As Alexander says his final farewell to his wife (Although she doesn’t know it). This is where the importance of “Ten Duel Commandments” comes in, because, thanks to that song, everyone in the audience will know exactly what it is that Alexander is writing before he leaves.
Best of Wives and Best of Women.
What’s really great about this short snippet of music is that Eliza’s lines all echo previous lines she has in the play. It may be short, but it is one Hamilton A song that knows exactly how to remind the audience of everything that came before it. the line, “Best of Wives and Best of Women,“was on the dedication page of Ron Chernow’s book, and it was the line that inspired Alexander Hamilton.
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“Cabinet Battle #2” (2:22)
Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, Lin Manuel Miranda and Okieriete Onaodowan
One of the great strokes of genius in Hamilton is reimagining cabinet meetings on fairly dry topics like vicious rap battles between the founding fathers. in this Hamilton Song, Jefferson finds himself on the back foot while Asked for American intervention in the French RevolutionAnd Hamilton goes to his usual excess while arguing against him despite the help of France against the British.
Should we honor our treaty, King Louis’ head? / ‘Ah, do what you want, I’m super dead.’
When listening to the rhyming schemes of their rap battle, it is easier to notice that Hamilton has the upper hand because his rhymes are more complex than Jefferson’s. This is the event song in Act Two of Hamilton And this was a turning point between Hamilton and Jefferson, who informed Alexander that the only reason he had achieved any success was because he had George Washington on his side. “Well, someone should remind you… you’re nothing without Washington behind you.”
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“The Adams Administration” (0:54)
The cast of Hamilton
Things get chaotic in this particular Hamilton Song in which King George III watches (and dances) with joy. Although he was brought up more than once as a punchline and even got a track named after him, John Adams never actually appears on stage in Hamilton – Which in itself is another kind of dig against him. This, the 11th song of Act Two of Hamilton It begins with Burr declaring that this is how Hamilton’s downfall begins, singing, “How does Hamilton, the short-tempered… ruin his reputation? Welcome, folks, to the Adams administration!“
As long as he can hold a pen, he’s a threat.
The music here echoes the opening song of the show, demonstrating that this is like an introduction to John Adams (despite his absence from the stage) and a new chapter in Hamilton’s life. This is where Hamilton begins to lose the power he had while working with George Washington, because there is a new American president, and Hamilton clashes with him despite being part of the same political party.
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“We Know” (2:22)
Daveed Diggs, Lin Manuel Miranda, Okieriete Onaodowan, & Leslie Odom Jr.
Madison, Jefferson, and Burr’s tried to confront Hamilton in order to discredit him and it works, although not quite in the way they intended. This particular song in Hamilton, The 12th song in Act Two, Marks a point where Hamilton has a choice between protecting his personal pride And saves his family from pain, and he chooses the first – not the last time.
As you can see, I kept a record of every check in my checkered history.
The lyrics here are less rapid-fire than most, despite the steady beat of the song, until Hamilton admits it is. It is then that Miranda speeds up Hamilton’s speech significantly as a sign of Hamilton’s conviction and desperation, just as he does during cabinet battles. The poem deals with three of Hamilton’s most dangerous political enemies – Burr, Jefferson and Madison – and deals with the blackmail payments they saw him make to James Reynolds. However, this scandal has nothing to do with money.
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“Guns and Ships” (2:07)
Christopher Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., & Daveed Diggs
Marquis de Lafayette delivers an impassioned argument for Hamilton’s return to the war, with Daveed Diggs deftly juggling a French accent and a mile-a-minute rap—not to mention jumping off the table in the middle of it. He finds a way to cut off British forces and gives Hamilton the opportunity to command That he longed for all his life. This is Lafayette’s last big hurray before he switches roles Hamilton Act II, and this one of the Hamilton The song features a memorable final solo for the character.
Sir, he knows what to do in a trench / ingenutive and fluent in French.
It is one of Diggs’ best Hamilton songs. While his performance as Thomas Jefferson is often mentioned more, this song is an impressive display of his abilities as Diggs raps incredibly rapidly:
Lord, you will have to use him eventually. What will he do on the bench? I mean – no one resisted more
Or matches my practical tactical brilliance – you want to fight for your country back? Ah! Ah, get your right hand man back.”