This week’s entry is from the cultural phenomenon [*Hamilton: An American Musical*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_(musical)). The title is “Burn.” Last week’s [hint](https://steemit.com/hive-137433/@cmp2020/music-for-steem-week-8-esouthern3-and-cmp2020-yesterday) 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:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uENtTtoEhDc
>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]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton)—one of the Founding Fathers, one of the authors of [*The Federalist Papers*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Federalist_Papers), the country’s first Secretary of Treasury, and the founder of the [First Bank of the United States]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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”](https://genius.com/Original-broadway-cast-of-hamilton-the-reynolds-pamphlet-lyrics) 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*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton%E2%80%93Reynolds_affair) 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.