Album Cover Manuel Miranda & Okieriete Onaodowan

Manuel Miranda & Okieriete Onaodowan

Christopher Jackson

2

Ladies and gentlemen, you coulda been anywhere in the world tonight

But you′re here with us in New York City

Are you ready for a cabinet meeting, huh?The issue on the table

Secretary Hamilton's plan to assume

State debt and establish a national bank

Secretary Jefferson, you have the floor, sir

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

We fought for these ideals; we shouldn′t settle for less

These are wise words, enterprising men quote 'em

Don't act surprised, you guys, ′cause I wrote ′em

Oww, but Hamilton forgets

His plan would have the government assume state's debts

Now, place your bets as to who that benefits

The very seat of government where Hamilton sits

Not true!

Ooh, if the shoe fits, wear it

If New York′s in debt, why should Virginia bear it?

Uh! Our debts are paid, I'm afraid

Don′t tax the South 'cause we got it made in the shade

In Virginia, we plant seeds in the ground

We create, you just wanna move our money around

This financial plan is an outrageous demand

And it′s too many damn pages for any man to understand

Stand with me in the land of the free

And pray to God we never see Hamilton's candidacy

Look, when Britain taxed our tea, we got frisky

Imagine what gon' happen when you try to tax our whiskey

Thank you, Secretary Jefferson

Secretary Hamilton, your response

Thomas, that was a real nice declaration

Welcome to the present, we′re running a real nation

Would you like to join us, or stay mellow

Doin′ whatever the hell it is you do in Monticello?

If we assume the debts, the union gets

A new line of credit, a financial diuretic

How do you not get it? If we're aggressive and competitive

The union gets a boost, you′d rather give it a sedative?

A civics lesson from a slaver, hey neighbor

Your debts are paid 'cause you don′t pay for labor

"We plant seeds in the South, we create"

Yeah, keep ranting we know who's really doing the planting

And another thing, Mr. Age of Enlightenment

Don′t lecture me about the war, you didn't fight in it

You think I'm frightened of you, man?

We almost died in a trench while you

Were off getting high with the French

Thomas Jefferson, always hesitant with the President reticent

There isn′t a plan he doesn′t jettison

Madison, you're mad as a hatter, son, take your medicine

Damn, you′re in worse shape than the national debt is in

Sittin' there useless as two shits

Hey, turn around, bend over

I′ll show you where my shoe fits

Excuse me! Madison, Jefferson

Take a walk! Hamilton, take a walk!

We'll reconvene after a brief recess

Hamilton!

Sir!

A word

You don′t have the votes

You don't have the votes

(Aha-ha-ha ha!)

You're gonna need congressional approval and you don′t have the votes

Such a blunder sometimes it makes me

Wonder why I even bring the thunder

Why he even brings the thunder

You wanna pull yourself together

I′m sorry, these Virginians are birds of a feather

Young man, I'm from Virginia, so watch your mouth

So we let Congress get held hostage by the South?

You need the votes

No, we need bold strokes, we need this plan

No, you need to convince more folks

James Madison won′t talk to me, that's a nonstarter

Ah, winning was easy, young man, governing′s harder

They're being intransigent

You have to find a compromise

But they don′t have a plan, they just hate mine!

Convince them otherwise

What happens if I don't get congressional approval?

I imagine they'll call for your removal

Sir-

Figure it out, Alexander

That′s an order from your commander