"Your Obedient Servant" lyrics

Lin-Manuel Miranda & Leslie Odom Jr. Lyrics

"Your Obedient Servant"
(from "Hamilton: An American Musical" soundtrack)

[Burr:]
How does Hamilton
An arrogant
Immigrant, orphan
Bastard, whoreson
Somehow endorse
Thomas Jefferson, his enemy
A man he's despised since the beginning
Just to keep me from winning?
I wanna be in the room where it happens

[Burr and Company:]
The room where it happens
The room where it happens

[Burr:]
You've kept me from

[Burr and Company:]
The room where it happens

[Burr:]
For the last time

Dear Alexander:
I am slow to anger
But I toe the line
As I reckon with the effects
Of your life on mine
I look back on where I failed
And in every place I checked
The only common thread has been your disrespect
Now you call me "amoral,"
A "dangerous disgrace,"
If you've got something to say
Name a time and place
Face to face

I have the honor to be your obedient servant
A dot Burr

[Hamilton:]
Mr. Vice President:

I am not the reason no one trusts you
No one knows what you believe
I will not equivocate on my opinion
I have always worn it on my sleeve
Even if I said what you think I said
You would need to cite a more specific grievance
Here's an itemized list of thirty years of disagreements

[Burr:]
Sweet Jesus

[Hamilton:]
Hey, I have not been shy
I am just a guy in the public eye
Tryin' to do my best for our republic
I don't wanna fight
But I won't apologize for doing what's right

I have the honor to be your obedient servant
A dot Ham

[Burr:]
Careful how you proceed, good man
Intemperate indeed, good man
Answer for the accusations I lay at your feet or
Prepare to bleed, good man

[Hamilton:]
Burr, your grievance is legitimate
I stand by what I said, every bit of it
You stand only for yourself
It's what you do
I can't apologize because it's true

[Burr:]
Then stand, Alexander
Weehawken. Dawn
Guns. Drawn

[Hamilton:]
You're on

[Burr and Hamilton:]
I have the honor to be your obedient servant

[Hamilton:]
A dot Ham

[Burr:]
A dot Burr


Writer(s): Lin-manuel Miranda
The basis for this song was Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr's correspondence before their duel.
"Your Obedient Servant", abbreviated to "Your Obdt. St", was a common closing in the letters at the time.
The song, with its 3/4 time, is a minuet of a waltz, although waltzing was considered shameless at the beginning of the 19th century. It hints that this song is not so courteous as it seems.
Aaron Burr was angry at Alexander Hamilton not only because Hamilton supported Jefferson during the presidential election of 1800, but also because Hamilton actively supported Democratic-Republican candidate Morgan Lewis in the election for governor of New York in 1804 when Burr ran for the position.