Non-Stop Chords by Lin-Manuel Miranda

_ After the war I went back to New York.
After the war I went back to New York.
I finished up my studies and I practiced law.
I practiced law, burr work next door.
Even though we started at the very same time,
Alexander Hamilton began to climb.
How to account for his rise to the top? _
Man, the man is non-stop.
Gentlemen [D] of the jury, I'm [C] curious, [A] bear with me.
Are you aware that we're [G] making history?
[F] This is the first murder trial of our [A] brand new nation,
the liberty behind a [F] liberation.
I intend to prove [D] beyond a shadow of [C] a doubt with [A] my assistant counsel.
Oh, Counsel Hamilton, sit down.
[F] A client family [E] reeks of innocence.
Call your first [C] witness.
[A] That's all you had to say.
[F] Okay, one more thing.
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the [A] room?
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the [F] room?
Why do you assume [D] you're the smartest in [C] the room?
[E] Isn't that attitude [Em] maybe your [F] dream?
Why do you ride [Dm] like you're running out of [Am] time?
Ride day and night like you're running out [G] of time.
[F] Every day you [Dm] fight like you're running out of [C] time.
Spawn fighting in the meantime.
[F] _ Corruption's such [Dm] an old song that we [C] can sing [A] along in harmony.
And [A#] nowhere is it stronger than in [F] Albany.
These colonies, [Dm] economies increasingly [Am] stalling in armistice.
That's why public service seems to be calling [F] in.
I've practiced [Dm] the law, practically [A] perfected it.
I've seen injustice [A#] in the world and I've [F] corrected it.
Now for a strong [Dm] central democracy.
[C] If not, then [Am] I'll be Socrates throwing verbal rocks at these [A] mediocrities.
Hamilton [B] at the Constitutional Convention.
I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention.
There is a New York junior delegate.
Now what I'm gonna say may sound indelicate.
Rosen proposes his own form of government.
His own plan for a new form of government.
He talks for six hours, the convention is listless.
Bright young man.
Yo, who the F [F] is this?
Why do you [Dm] always say what you [Am] believe?
Why do you always [A] say what you [F] believe?
Every proclamation [Dm] _ [Am] guarantees the ammunition of your [C] enemy.
[F] Why do you [Dm] riot like it's going out of [Am] style?
Why do you deny like it's going out of [G] style?
[F] Every day you [Dm] fight like it's going out of style.
[F] Do what you do. _ _
[Dm] _ Alexander?
[C] Aaron Burr, sir.
[F] Well, it's the middle of the night.
Can we confer, sir?
[Dm] Is this a legal matter?
[C] Yes, and it's important to me.
[F] What do you need?
Burr, you're a better lawyer than [Dm] me.
Okay.
I know I [C] talk too much, I'm abrasive.
[F] You're incredible in court.
You're succinct, [Dm] persuasive.
My client needs a strong [C] defense.
You're the [Am] solution.
Who's your client?
The new U.S. Constitution?
[D#m] No.
Hear me [C#] out.
No way.
[A#m] Series of essays anonymously published [D#m] defending the document to the [C#] public.
No one will read it.
I [F#] disagree.
And if it fails?
Burr, that's why we need it.
The [D#m] Constitution's a mess.
[C#] So it needs amendments?
[A#m] It's full of contradictions.
So is independence.
We [D#m] have to start [C#] somewhere.
No.
No way.
[A#] You're making a mistake.
Good night.
Hey, what are you waiting [A] for?
What do you stall for?
What?
We won the war.
What was it all for?
Do you support this [C#] Constitution?
Of course.
Then defend it.
And what if you're backing the wrong horse?
Burr, studied and we fought and killed [D#] for the notion of a nation we now get to build.
For once in your life, [C#] you stand with pride.
[F] I don't understand how you stand to the side.
[F#] I'll keep all [A#m] my hands close to my chest.
May the world wait, _ I'll wait [A#m] here and see which way the wind will blow.
_ [F#] I'm taking my time watching [C#] the afterbirth of a nation, watching [B] the tension grow.
[C#] _ _ [F#] _ _ _
[D#] _ _ [D#m] _ _ _ _ I am [F#] accompanied by someone who always [D#m] pays.
I have found a wealthy husband who will keep me in comfort for all my days.
He is not a lot of fun, but there's [F#] no one who can match you for turn of [B] phrase.
My [C#m] Alexander.
[C#] _ Jennica.
Don't forget to [D#m] rise.
[C#] Look at where you are.
[F#] _ _ [B] Look at where you started [D#m] to _ [C#] _ _ [F#] _
stay [B] alive.
That would [D#m] be enough.
[C#] And if your [F#] wife [B] could share a fraction of [D#m] your time, if [C#] I could grant you [A#] peace of mind, would that be [D#m] enough?
Alexander joins [F#] forces with James Madison and John Jay to write a series [D#m] of essays defending the new United States Constitution [F#] entitled The Federalist Papers.
_ [D#m] The plan was to write a total of 25 [F#] essays.
The work divided evenly among the three men.
_ [D#m] In the end, they wrote [F#] 85 essays in the span of six months.
[Em] _ _ [F#m] John Jay got sick after [G] writing five.
[D] James Madison wrote [Em] 29. _
[F#] Hamilton wrote the other [B] 51. _
[Em] How do you [F#m] write?
You're running [G] out of time.
Writing night, [D] you're running out of [Em] time.
Every day you [D] fight, you're running out [G] of time.
Are you running out of [C] time?
Are you running [Em] out of time?
How do you write?
Like tomorrow won't [G] arrive.
How [E] do you write?
Like you need it to [Em] survive.
How do you [D] write?
Every second you're alive.
[G] Every second you're alive.
[C] Every second you're alive.
_ [Em] They're asking [G] me to leave.
_ I'm doing the best I can [C] to get the [Am] people that I need.
[B] I'm asking you to be my [Em] right hand man.
Treasury or state.
I know it's [G] a lot to ask.
Treasury or state.
To leave behind the world you [A] know.
Sir, do you want me to run the Treasury or State Department?
[Am] _ _ [B] Treasury. _
Let's go.
[E] _ _ _ _ Alexander.
[F#] I have to leave.
[G] Alexander.
Look around, look [A] around at how lucky we are to be [B] alive right [Em] now.
Help me.
[F#m] They're asking [G] me to leave.
Look [Am] around.
[G] This is not.
He will never.
[C] _ _ _
[G] He will never be [Bm] satisfied.
[B] _ _ _
History [G] has its _ [Em] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
[Em] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ eyes _
[C] _ _ _ [D#] _ _ [D] on you.
I am not throwing away my [F#] shot.
[C] I am not throwing away my shot.
[Em] I am Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton.
Just [C] you [D] wait.
_ _ [B] I am not throwing away my shot.
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _