Summary

“Guns and Ships”: Burr narrates how the exuberantly rapping Lafayette, who has just returned from a mission to gain supplies and support, convinces Washington to bring Hamilton back into the rebellion. As Washington writes a letter to Hamilton, the music transitions into “History Has Its Eyes On You” in which Washington confesses that his first command ended in failure, commenting that he knew early that history was watching him, and adding that he also knows history is watching Hamilton. This song contains the first reference, in the show, to an idea that is one of the piece’s main themes and which, from this point on, is repeated frequently, particularly at the show’s conclusion: “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” (Act 1, Scene 19). Musically, the early part of “Guns and Ships” begins with the same rhythmic, military pounding as the opening...