Your Obedient Servant (song)
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"Your Obedient Servant" is a song from Act 2 of the 2015 musical Hamilton. It was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Synopsis
The song is based on Hamilton and Burr's correspondence after the United States presidential election of 1800 prior to their duel. The song takes its name from the closing in the letters "Your Obdt. St" (a common phrase used in correspondence at the time). The closing is a juxtaposition to the tone of the letters, which is reflected in the music as well as the lyrics.
Analysis
The Huffington Post likens the song to other battle duets, such as "The Confrontation" from Les Misérables and Wicked's "What is this Feeling?"[1] The Vibe calls the song an ironic depiction of the correspondence, set from Burr's point of view.[2]
Historical accuracy
Burr did not initiate the correspondence after losing the 1800 election but instead initiated the correspondence after the New York gubernatorial election of 1804. Burr lost in a landslide to Morgan Lewis. After the election, a letter was published from Charles D. Cooper to Philip Schuyler, which claimed that Hamilton had called Burr, "a dangerous man, and one who ought not be trusted with the reins of government", and that he knew of "a still more despicable opinion which General Hamilton has expressed of Mr. Burr."[3]
Popular culture
- A line from the song, "Here’s an itemized list of 30 years of disagreements", is a homage to Leslie Knope from Parks & Recreation.[4]
References
- ^ Logan, Elizabeth (1 October 2015). "I Have an Opinion on Every Song in "Hamilton"". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ Woods, Monesha (20 October 2015). "Going H.A.M.: A Track-By-Track Review Of The 'Hamilton' Soundtrack". Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ Flemming, Thomas (1999). Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America. New York: Basic Books. pp. 233–284. ISBN 0465017371.
- ^ Deliso, Meredith. "What we learned from the new 'Hamilton' book". Retrieved 6 July 2016.