MUSIC FOR STEEM WEEK 9 - @esouthern3 and @cmp2020 “Burn”

This week’s entry is from the cultural phenomenon Hamilton: An American Musical. The title is “Burn.” Last week’s hint mentioned that the song is from a “popular musical” (which Hamilton certainly qualifies as) and that it is “in response to a scandalous affair” (which I will explain later on).

Choosing the Song
Once again, I have chosen a song from a musical. I’m sure most of you have at least heard of Hamilton. The show first premiered on Broadway in the fall of 2015. It took me until perhaps the spring of the following year to finally give it a listen. I had been skeptical of listening. I wasn’t sure if it was overrated or if I’d even enjoy it (it is known for its untraditional hip-hop and rap in a successful Broadway musical, and I had not been a fan of rap). However, after listening to it, I absolutely fell in love with the show. I find the lyrics incredibly captivating and ingenious, as well as the storytelling. Honestly, I could really go on and on about Hamilton, but I’ll get to the point. Since I absolutely love the show, I wanted to perform one of the songs (of the 46 in total in the musical) for this competition. “Burn” is a beautiful ballad sung toward the end of Act 2. I find my singing much more pleasant than my ability to rap (that’s more of a sing-in-the-shower or sing-alone-in-my-room type of skill), so I chose one of the more “traditional” type songs that also happened to be a solo sung by a female character.

Here are the recording and lyrics:

I saved every letter you wrote to me
From the moment I read them
I knew you were mine
You said you were mine
I thought you were mine

Do you know what Angelica said,
When we saw your first letter arrive?
She said, be careful with that one, love
He will do what it takes to survive

You and your words flooded my senses
Your sentences left me defenseless
You built me palaces out of paragraphs
You built cathedrals

I'm re-reading the letters you wrote to me
I'm searching and scanning for answers in every line
For some kind of sign
And when you were mine
The world seemed to burn
Burn

You published the letters she wrote you
You told the whole world
How you brought this girl into our bed
In clearing your name
You have ruined our lives

Do you know what Angelica said
When she read what you'd done?
She said, you've married an Icarus
He has flown too close to the sun

You and your words obsessed with your legacy
Your sentences border on senseless
And you are paranoid in every paragraph
How they perceive you
You, you, you!

I'm erasing myself from the narrative
Let future historians wonder how Eliza reacted
When you broke her heart
You have torn it all apart
I'm watching it burn
Watching it burn

The world has no right to my heart
The world has no place in our bed
They don't get to know what I said
I'm burning the memories
Burning the letters that might have redeemed you

You forfeit all rights to my heart
You forfeit the place in our bed
You'll sleep in your office instead
With only the memories of when you were mine

I hope that you burn

About the Song
As I said before, I would explain how the song was “in response to a scandalous affair.” Hamilton is a musical based on the life of Alexander Hamilton—one of the Founding Fathers, one of the authors of The Federalist Papers, the country’s first Secretary of Treasury, and the founder of the First Bank of the United States. The musical (though it takes some historical liberties) is relatively accurate. Alexander married Elizabeth Schuyler (as portrayed in Act 1 of the musical). However, he later had a “torrid affair” with Maria Reynolds and was blackmailed by her husband. In order to seemingly preserve his legacy (by proving that he was not stealing funds from the United States), Alexander published The Reynolds Pamphlet detailing his entire affair. At this point in the musical, the audience has seen all of the characters’ reaction to The Reynolds Pamphlet except for Eliza’s. “Burn” portrays, from Eliza’s perspective, the aftermath of the hurricane that Alexander has created. She (quite understandably) feels betrayed by and angry with her husband’s actions. All of her raw emotions are expressed through this moving song.

Conclusion
Thanks again for reading this article and listening to our song! And thanks to @cmp2020 for learning this piano part. It sounds beautiful!! It’s been a wonderful experience to compete these past several weeks. Here’s a hint for next week’s song: written by Bob Dylan but famously covered by other artists.