If you’re anything like us, then you’ve had the Hamilton soundtrack on repeat ever since it came out on Disney +. Regardless of if you are a longtime fan or just discovered Hamilton, we can all agree that the music is catchy, entertaining, and brilliant! Our office has been discussing the musical, quoting songs, humming tunes, and discussing our favorite songs for a few weeks now. We all decided that we can’t choose just one favorite each so instead we’ll share our collective favorites with you all!
“Wait for It”
“Wait for It” was a crowd favorite amongst our crew. However, there was a myriad of different reasons ranging from Leslie Odom Jr.’s incredible voice to the beautiful way in which it humanizes Aaron Burr and drives home the idea of Burr being a foil character to Hamilton.
I was an English major in college, so I’ve always been fascinated by the complexities of characters within stories. It’s not always as simple as one person being the protagonist and another being the antagonist. “Wait for It” is one of those songs that proves this.
“Dear Theodosia”
Another Leslie Odom Jr. masterpiece is “Dear Theodosia.” This song is one where you can’t help but smile. In this number, both Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton sing a love song to their newborn children. It’s obvious that both fathers are enamored with their little ones and that they want to do everything in their power to make the world they live in the best they can for their child. I’m not crying…you’re crying!
“Yorktown” & “Guns and Ships”
There was obvious acclaim for both “Yorktown” and “Guns and Ships.” Not only are these two songs action-packed but they also have some of the most impressive lines in the whole play. At one point in “Guns and Ships,” Daveed Digs is rapping at a speed of 6 words per second, making it the fastest rapped lines in Broadway history. Similarly, Okieriete Onaodowan’s explosive performance as Hercules Mulligan in “Yorktown” is a showstopper.
“Satisfied”
“Satisfied” is another one that the majority of us named in our favorite lineup. One obvious reason that it’s a favorite is Renée Goldsberry’s incredible performance! Angelica shows her intelligence in this song and there’s no shortage of impressive and emotional belts.
From a visual standpoint, “Satisfied” is one of the most impressively choreographed songs. The way that they rewind to the beginning of the winter ball by literally doing the choreography in reverse in impressive, to say the least!
“It’s Quiet Uptown”
On a more somber note, “It’s Quiet Uptown” reminds us of the impact of death, tragedy, and sin in our lives. It shows not only the gut-wrenching feeling of losing a child but also the difficulty and beauty of forgiveness. One of the lines in the song says “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.” This specifically humanizes Hamilton and reminds us all that despite a person’s past to have compassion. We never know what unimaginable situations they’re going through.
“The World Was Wide Enough” & “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”
“The World Was Wide Enough” and “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” are the perfect close to Hamilton. Starting with “The World Was Wide Enough,” it details the final duel between Burr and Hamilton. It shows the story from both points of view and gives both characters a chance to share their thoughts.
We see Burr’s anger, frustration, worry, and jealousy. We also get the chance to hear Hamilton’s final thoughts as he runs through his life, singing refrains from several of the songs from throughout the musical. He sees his family and friends on the other side and seems to be at peace with the fact that he is going to die.
Burr then of course realizes what he’s done and laments the fact that he didn’t realize earlier that they could have coexisted had he not allowed his jealousy to overcome him. He even reminds us that by killing Hamilton, he casts himself as the villain when in actuality he and Hamilton were two intelligent men trying to make a positive difference with two very different tactics.
This of course leads into “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” where we learn that Eliza not only tells Alexander’s story but the story of the soldiers he fought with and friends he had. She does more than just tells his story, she carries on the work that she knows he would have done if he had more time, including creating the first privately funded orphanage where she takes care of hundreds of orphan children just like her beloved Alexander. This song is a tearjerker for good reason.
“You’ll Be Back”
Let’s not end on such a somber note though! We couldn’t have a blog of Hamilton favorites without talking about King George. Every time King George walks on stage it’s followed by laughter. The juxtaposition between King George’s music and the rest of the musical is comical but also the character of King George is just the best. Jonathan Groff does such a great job of being an indignant king that is slowly fading into madness plus he has some sick dance moves in the second act.
One coworker had this to say about King George, “All of his songs are my favorite because da da da dat da dat da da da ya da da da da dat dat da ya da.” Yep. We agree!
Have you seen Hamilton yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Go watch it and let us know what your favorite songs are. You won’t regret it!
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