Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton)

 203. Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton) page 1 

Intro: F# F#7 b/D F#/C# 

How does a b (i) bastard, orphan son of a whore

And a F# (V) Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten G (VI) spot 

in the Caribbean by providence, impoverished, in D (III) squalor

grow up to be a F# (V) hero and a scholar? The b (i) 10 dollar Founding father without a father got a F# (V) lot farther by working a lot harder

by being a G (VI) lot smarter by being a self-starter, by F# (V) 14 

they placed him in charge of a F# (V) trading charter

And b (i) everyday while slaves were being slaughtered and carted 

A- F# (V) way across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up

G (VI) Inside he was longing for something to be a part of

The D (III) brother was ready to F# (V) beg, steal, borrow or barter

Then a b (i) hurricane came, and devastation reigned

Our F# (V) man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain

Put a G (VI) pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain

And he D (III) wrote his first refrain, a F# (V) testament to his pain

Well the b (i) word got around, they said "This kid is insane, man!"

F# (V) Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland

G (VI) "Get your education, don't forget from whence you came

203. Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton) page 2

And the D (III) world's gonna know your F# (V) name. 

What's your name man?" b (i) Alexander Hamilton My name is 

F# (V) Alexander Hamilton And there's a G (VI) million thing I haven't done 

But just you D (III) wait, just you F#7 (V7) wait

 When he was b (i) 10, his father split, full of it, debt ridden

2 F#7 (V7) years later, see Alex and his mother bed-ridden

Half- G (VI) dead, sitting in their own sick, the scent thick

No Chord: And Alex got better but his mother went quick

b (i) Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide

F# (V) Left him with nothing but ruined pride, something new inside

A G (VI) voice saying, "Alex you gotta fend for yourself"

He started D (III) retreating and reading every F# 7(V7) treatise on the shelf

There b (i) woulda been nothing left to do for someone less astute

He woulda been F#7 (V7) dead and destitute without a cent of restutition

Started G (VI) working, clerking for his late mother's landlord

D (III) Trading sugar cane and rum and F#7 (V7) all the things he can't afford

b (i) Scanning for every book he can get his hands on

F#7 (V7) Planning for the future, see him now as he stands on

The G (VI) bow of a ship headed for a new land 

203. Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton) page 3

In D (III) New York you can F#7 (V7) be a new man

In b (i) New York you can be a new man

In G7 (VI7)New York you can be a new man 

In e9 (iv) New York you can be a new man

In F#7 (V7) New York (Just you wait!) b (i) Alexander Hamilton 

(Alexander Hamilton) we are G7 (VI7) waiting in the wings for you 

You could e9 (iv) never back down you never learned to take your 

F#7 (V7) time Oh, b (i) Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)

A- G7 (VI7) merica sings for you Will they e9 (iv) know what you overcame? 

Will they b/D know you rewrote the e9 (iv) game?

The b/F# world will e/G never D/A be F# (V) same, oh

The b (i) ship is in the harbor now, b/C# see if you can spot him

b/D Another immigrant e7 (iv7) coming up from the bottom

His e/G enemies destroyed his rep, A- e/C# merica forgot him

F# (V) We fought with him Me? I died for him b/F# Me? I trusted him

e/F# Me? I loved him And me? F# (V)  I'm the damn fool that shot him

There's a e/F# million things I haven't done D (III) But just you e/F# wait 

F# (V) What's your name man?

Alexander Hamilton! b (i)