Two of the hottest topics these days are the presidential election and Hamilton, the rap musical that has taken Broadway (and the world) by storm.
Chronicling the life of Alexander Hamilton, this show focuses heavily on early American politics and the struggles of our growing nation, which feeds right back into our current state of affairs. Many things have changed since good old A. Ham was here, but some things certainly haven’t — believe it or not, there are a lot of lines from this quick-witted production that apply perfectly to the Election of 2016 (nudge-nudge, wink-wink).
Check out these hilariously relatable lines from a variety of Hamilton’s songs!
1. “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory” Hamilton heading into the battle of Yorktown and considering his possible death a.k.a how we all feel when we contemplate our impending doom this November. -The World Was Wide Enough
2. “Someone’s gotta keep the American promise…” but we have to pick who it will be… -What’d I Miss
3. We’re basically “Headfirst into a political abyss.” So here we go with this silly election. -What’d I Miss
4. “My dog speaks more eloquently than thee! But strangely, your mange is the same….” Trump on both counts. -Farmer Refuted
5. “Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for.” Like, every political convo ever had with anyone ever. -Aaron Burr, Sir
6. “But we’ll never be truly free until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me!” Race…gender…job payment…the list goes on and on and on -My Shot
7. “Are we a nation of states? What’s the state of our nation?!” Does anybody know or…?? -My Shot
8. “Scratch that, this is not the moment, it’s the movement.” It’s all a movement, honestly. -My Shot
9. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ We fought for these ideals, we shouldn’t settle for less.” Heck no, we shouldn’t settle for less! -Cabinet Battle #1
10. “Raise a glass to freedom, something they can never take away, no matter what they tell you.” And oh, what they’ve tried to tell us. -The Story of Tonight
11. “Try not to crack under the stress, we’re breaking down like fractions. We smack each other in the press and we don’t print retractions.” I don’t know who’s cracking under the stress more–Trump, Clinton or the citizens?! Just like Jefferson’s party in this song, we smack each other in the press and we definitely don’t print retractions. -Washington On Your Side
12. “I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine — so men say that I’m intense or I’m insane. You want a revolution? I want a revelation! So listen to my declaration…” Can we give it up with the sexist rhetoric already? Hillary is intense but definitely not insane…if only we could say that about all the candidates. Werk. -The Schuyler Sisters
13. “Jefferson or Burr? We know it’s lose-lose. Jefferson or Burr…but if you had to choose?” Let’s be real — just like the choices for the 3rd President, neither of the 45th candidates are ideal. -The Election of 1800
14. “Can I be real a second? For just a millisecond? Put down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second?” Washington sings this as he’s confiding to the audience about the state of the troops (or lack thereof,) but really…Obama feels this same disappointment. -Right Hand Man
15. “The only common thread has been your disrespect.” *cough cough Trump cough cough* -Your Obidient Servant
16. “There’s only one way for us to win this. Provoke outrage, outright.” Some candidates take this one way too far… -Stay Alive
17. “Talk less. Smile more. Do whatever it takes to get my plan on the Congress floor.” Every politician ever. -The Room Where It Happens
18. “This war is hard enough without in-fighting.” Pretty self explanatory, honestly. -Meet Me Inside
19. “You and your words, obsessed with your legacy…your sentences border on senseless, and you are paranoid in every paragraph, how they perceive you…” Trump, anyone?! -Burn
20. “No one really knows how the parties get to ‘yes’, the pieces that are sacrificed in every game of chess. We just assume that it happens…but no one else is in the room where it happens.” Relatable AF. -The Room Where It Happens
21. “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll ya fall for?” *couGH COUGH TRUMP COUGH* -Aaron Burr, Sir
22. “We’ll teach ‘em how to say goodbye, you and I…” Washington’s farewell address, or BFFs Barack and Joe saying ‘sayonara’ to the White House? -One Last Time
23. “Ask him a question, he obfuscates, he dances.” You already know. -The Election of 1800
24. “I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me. America, you great, unfinished symphony, you sent for me.” Hamilton’s expression of bittersweet thankfulness to America (prior to his death in that fated duel) could definitely apply to Obama reflecting on his 8 years in the Oval Office, and how his successor will shape America’s legacy. -The World Was Wide Enough
25. “It’s hard to listen to you with a straight face.” Have you ever watched a debate and tried to sit through Trump’s turn to speak??? -Farmer Refuted
26. “And so, the American experiment begins.” Literally this entire election is like one, big experiment. -Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)
November is quickly approaching Collegiettes! So remember, wherever you fall on the political spectrum, get out to the room where it happens and make your voice heard! Oceans rise, empires fall…it’s much harder when it’s all your call.
Collegiettes, don’t throw away your shot next month.