[Intro] [Setting: Philadelphia, 1776, echoey wooden chamber] [Sounds of rain, quill scratching, marching snare roll] (Seventeen seventy-six) (Hark, the parchment cracks) (Hark, the people move) [Verse 1 - George Washington] Evening, my children, pray come and sit by the fire I, George Washington, speak of a tale most vile Enemies and their trials and the trials they left for us Rivaled by none but by God, we were swept in love By the sword, I do swear, 'tis revolting, my dears They speak poison, my dears, and it poisons my ears Now they're voicing their fears And my voice, it doth sneer Now they're facing their fears At the face of my peers [Pre-Chorus - All Voices] Revolting, my dears 'Tis revolting, my dears [Chorus - Massive Group Chant] Oh, revolting Oh, revolting Oh, revolting Oh, revolting [Verse 2 - Thomas Jefferson] Evening, my brothers, Thomas Jefferson stands at the dawn And I swear on their graves, we shan't labor long For the kings and their thrones, and their horsemen and armor We'll take up the sword in the name of our honor But first, on my word, we shall first send our envoy I know a man, though he's rather quite annoyed By this plight of ours and the heights of ours We'll convince him, I'm sure, and he'll join in our cause [Verse 3 - Alexander Hamilton] [Style: Fast theatrical mid-atlantic delivery, crisp diction] Behold, Alexander Hamilton enters the fray! An orphan of fortune with plenty to say To the tyrant who sits on his throne far away We shall tear down his banners, his tax we shan't pay! With a pen like a blade, I shall draft our defense For submission to monarchs makes utterly no sense Hear the rhythm of revolution, the rattling chains We shall wash out the crown from our blood and our veins! [Pre-Chorus - All Voices] Revolting, my dears 'Tis revolting, my dears [Chorus - Massive Group Chant] Oh, revolting Oh, revolting [Verse 4 - John Adams] [Style: Harsh, blunt Massachusetts accent, crisp theatrical baritone] I, John Adams, do stand in the chamber with grit While the cowards and cautious do argue and sit! They do tremble at redcoats and whisper of peace But my voice is a hammer that shall not cease! We need not their silks, nor their tea, nor their grace We shall spit on their mandates right here in this place Let the king send his navy, his Hessians, his men For the fight has begun and we’ll never bend! [Verse 5 - James Madison] [Style: Intense whispered delivery, rapid-fire formal cadence] Pray, James Madison begs thee look unto the frame Lest we build a new tyrant with only a name I shall balance the power, the weight of the state With a structure so careful it masters our fate Though my body be frail and my breathing be slight Every word that I write is a weapon of might No more crowns, no more scepters, the papers are spun For the law shall be king when the battle is won! [Verse 6 - Benjamin Franklin] [Style: Wise old gravelly baritone, eccentric old-world delivery] Old Benjamin Franklin has captured the sky And I tell thee, my brothers, the end is now nigh Let us laugh at their threats as the thunder comes down For a kite cannot fly in the shade of a crown! Pass the parchment, my children, let ink find the page We're a rowdy young nation arriving of age With a grin on my lips and a spark in my eye We shall sign to our freedom or together we'll die! [Bridge - Alternating Voices] [Washington] When the drums come up, turn not away [Jefferson] 'Tis the price of the shape we take [Hamilton] Six strong voices [Madison] One hard vow [All Voices] We were then, we are, we are it now! [Chorus - Massive Group Chant] Oh, revolting Oh, revolting Oh, revolting Oh, revolting [Outro] [Sounds of quill scratching stops, heavy footsteps on floorboards] (Hear that parchment crack) (Hear that old room ring) One hard vow. One living thing.
