Song Search

Non-Stop (Off-Broadway)

by Lin-Manuel Miranda

on Manuel Miranda - Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2015)

[HAMILTON]
After the war I went back to New York

[BURR]
A-After the war I went back to New York
I finished up my studies and I practiced law

[HAMILTON]
I practiced law, Burr worked next door

[BURR]
Even though we started at the very same time
Alexander Hamilton began to climb
How to account for his rise to the top?
Maaaaan, the man is

[BURR & ENSEMBLE]
Non-stop!

[HAMILTON]
Gentlemen of the jury, I'm curious, bear with me
Are you aware that we're making hist'ry?
This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation
The liberty behind
Deliberation—

[ENSEMBLE]
Non-stop!

[HAMILTON]
I intend to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt
With my assistant counsel—

[BURR]
Co-counsel
Hamilton, sit down
Our client Levi Weeks is innocent. Call your first witness
That's all you had to say!

[HAMILTON]
Okay!
One more thing—

[BURR]
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?
Soon that attitude may be your doom!

[ENSEMBLE]
Awwww!

[BURR]
I'll keep all my cards
Close to my chest
I'll wait here and see
Which way the wind
Will blow

[BURR & ENSEMBLE]
I'm taking my time
Watching the
Afterbirth of a nation
Watching the tension grow
And Hamilton is non-stop

[HAMILTON]
Corruption's such an old song that we can sing along in harmony
And nowhere is it stronger than in Albany
This colony's economy's increasingly stalling and

[HAMILTON]
I practiced the law, I practic'ly perfected it
I've seen injustice in the world and I've corrected it
Now for a strong central democracy
If not, then I'll be Socrates
Throwing verbal rocks at these mediocrities

[ENSEMBLE]
Awww!

[BURR]
Hamilton, at the Constitutional Convention:

[HAMILTON]
I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!

[BURR]
There as a New York junior delegate:

[BURR]
Talks for six hours! The convention is listless!

[ENSEMBLE MAN]
Bright young man…

[ANOTHER ENSEMBLE MAN]
Yo, who the fuck is this?

[BURR & COMPANY]
Ev'ry day you fight like it's
Going out of style
Do what you do

[BURR]
Alexander?

[HAMILTON]
Aaron Burr, sir

[BURR]
It's the middle of the night

[HAMILTON]
Can we confer, sir?

[BURR]
Is this a legal matter?

[HAMILTON]
Yes, and it's important to me

[BURR]
What do you need?

[HAMILTON]
Burr, you're a better lawyer than me

[BURR]
Okay

[HAMILTON]
I know I talk too much, I'm abrasive
You're incredible in court. You're succinct, persuasive
My client needs a strong defense. You're the solution

[BURR]
Who's your client?

[HAMILTON]
The new U.S. Constitution?

[BURR]
No

[HAMILTON]
Hear me out

[BURR]
No way!

[HAMILTON]
A series of essays, anonymously published
Defending the document to the public

[BURR]
No one will read it

[HAMILTON]
I disagree

[BURR]
And if it fails?

[HAMILTON]
Burr, that's why we need it

[BURR]
The constitution's a mess

[HAMILTON]
So it needs amendments

[BURR]
It's full of contradictions

[HAMILTON]
So is independence
We have to start somewhere

[BURR]
No. No way

[HAMILTON]
You're making a mistake

[BURR]
Good day

[ANGELICA]
I am sailing off to London
I'm accompanied by someone who always pays
I have found a wealthy husband
Who can keep me in comfort for all my days
He is not a lot of fun, but there's no one
Who can match you for turn of phrase
My Alexander

[HAMILTON]
Angelica

[ANGELICA]
Don't forget to write

[ELIZA]
Look at where you are
Look at where you started
The fact that you're alive is a miracle
Just stay alive, that would be enough
And if your wife could share a fraction of your time
If I could grant you peace of mind
Would that be enough?

[BURR]
Alexander joins forces with James Madison and John Jay to write a series of essays defending the new United States Constitution, entitled The Federalist Papers. The plan was to write a total of twenty-five essays, the work divided evenly among the three men. In the end, they wrote eighty-five essays, in the span of six months. John Jay got sick after writing five. Madison wrote twenty-nine. Hamilton wrote the other fifty-one!

[FULL COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON)]
How do you write like tomorrow won't arrive?
How do you write like you need it to survive?
How do you write ev'ry second you're alive?
Ev'ry second you're alive? Ev'ry second you're alive?

[WASHINGTON]
They are asking me to lead
I am doing the best I can
To get the people that I need
I'm asking you to be my right hand man

[HAMILTON]
Treasury or State?

[WASHINGTON]
I know it's a lot to ask

[HAMILTON]
Treasury or State?

[WASHINGTON]
To leave behind the world you know…

[HAMILTON]
Sir, do you want me to run the Treasury or State department?

[WASHINGTON]
Treasury

[HAMILTON]
Let's go

[ELIZA]
Alexander…

[HAMILTON]
I have to go

[ELIZA]
Alexander—

[HAMILTON]
Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now

[ELIZA]
Helpless…

[HAMILTON]
They are asking me to lead

[ELIZA]
Look around, isn't this enough?

[COMPANY]
History has its eyes on you