#2 -A Story in a Song
I don’t like history. I don’t like politics. I’ve never seen a broad way show. But I’ve lived and loved the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton countless times through Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical soundtrack. With 46 songs, the Hamilton (original cast recording) is 2 hours and 23 minutes of raw emotion and passion. Just listening to this, one almost forgets where and who they are. Every time it’s played I feel I learn more about Hamilton’s story and grow closer to it emotionally. When I first started writing this post I tried to tell his story. I wanted to share the emotion and inspiration of his life by picking out key quotes in these songs and summarizing the narrative. I can’t. It would take too many pages to convey the impact had by this lifetime of songs. Every phrase, word, and note contribute to the collection of feelings and thoughts that are perfectly expressed to the listener.
I’m a 15 year old white girl raised in Kansas. I haven’t personally experienced racial discrimination or war. I don’t know what it’s like to really feel hunger, fear death, or lose a child. But I’m not oblivious. I’ve always had deep compassion and empathy for those I encounter…It’s still easy to forget. Easy to get caught up on little things and neglect the truth of other’s sufferings. The inside view of Hamilton’s life reminds us how much pain and hardship can be packed into one existence. It reminds us that people who seem the same as us could have deep scars that we may never see. It softens our hearts and opens our eyes to a world we wouldn’t otherwise see. Personally, it reminds me that the world I live in now, filled with privilege and freedom, was forged with the sacrifice of those before me.
I would’ve never known their struggle or appreciated their journeys without Hamilton. If it were a book, I might not have finished it. If it were a class, I might not have listened. Thankfully, Maranda’s talent delivered this history to me in a form I could not only digest but thrill in. I first heard it two years ago and I’m still in love. Give it a listen and you might be too.
