Original Broadway Cast Of Hamilton - Guns And Ships Lyrics

Original Broadway Cast Of Hamilton Lyrics

"Guns And Ships"
(from "Hamilton: An American Musical" soundtrack)

[Burr:]
How does a ragtag volunteer army in need of a shower
Somehow defeat a global superpower?
How do we emerge victorious from the quagmire?
Leave the battlefield waving Betsy Ross' flag higher?

Yo. Turns out we have a secret weapon!
An immigrant you know and love who's unafraid to step in!
He's constantly confusin', confoundin' the British henchmen
Everyone give it up for America's favourite fighting Frenchman!

[Company:]
Lafayette!

[Lafayette:]
I'm taking this horse by the reins makin' redcoats redder with bloodstains

[Company:]
Lafayette!

[Lafayette:]
And I'm never gonna stop
Until I make 'em drop
And burn 'em up and scatter their remains,
I'm

[Company:]
Lafayette!

[Lafayette:]
Watch me engagin' 'em,
Escapin' 'em!
Enragin' 'em.
I'm

[Company:]
Lafayette!

[Lafayette:]
I go to France for more funds

[Company:]
Lafayette!

[Lafayette:]
I come back with more

[Lafayette and Ensemble:]
Guns
And ships
And so the balance shifts

[Washington:]
We rendezvous
With Rochambeau,
Consolidate their gifts

[Lafayette:]
We can end this war in Yorktown, cut them off at sea,
But for this to succeed,
There is someone else we need:

[Washington:]
I know

[Washington and Company:]
Hamilton!

[Lafayette:]
Sir, he knows what to do in a trench
Ingenuitive and fluent in French, I mean

[Washington and Company:]
Hamilton!

[Lafayette:]
Sir, you're gonna have to use him eventually
What's he gonna do on the bench? I mean

[Washington and Company:]
Hamilton!

[Lafayette:]
No one has more resilience
Or matches my practical tactical brilliance

[Washington and Company:]
Hamilton!

[Lafayette:]
You wanna fight for your land back?

[Company:]
Hamilton!

[Washington:]
I need my right-hand man back!

[Women:]
Hamilton!

[Lafayette (men):]
Ah! Uh, get ya right-hand man back (Get your right-hand man back!)
You know you gotta get ya right hand man back (Your right-hand man back!)

[Lafayette (women/men):]
I mean you gotta put some thought into the letter (Hamilton!)
But the sooner the better (Hamilton! Hamilton!)
To get your right hand man back! (Ha ha)

[Washington:]
Alexander Hamilton
Troops are waiting in the field for you
If you join us right now, together we can turn the tide

Oh, Alexander Hamilton
I have soldiers that will yield for you
If we manage to get this right
They'll surrender by early light
The world will never be the same, Alexander…

Submit Corrections

Thanks to Koko, Andrea Conway, Duncan, Maddie, McKenzie for correcting these lyrics.

Mental Floss noted, "'Hamilton' may possibly hold the title of fastest-paced Broadway show, but the distinction of single fastest song is still pretty much a toss-up. 'Guns and Ships' the fastest song in Miranda's show, barrels along at 6.3 words per second..."

The use of the word "superpower" in these lyrics shows how this musical is not a retelling of Alexander Hamilton's life as it happened, but a story of the past as told by the present because the term "superpower" was not used until the middle of the 20th century.

"Betsy Ross' flag" mentioned at the beginning of this track was the first version of the flag of the United States of America. The flag was made when the Patriots were still fighting the Revolution.

Lafayette's verse that starts with "And I'm never gonna..." is the fastest part in Broadway history, according to FiveThirtyEight, with 19 words rapped in just 3 seconds.

"Guns And Ships" lyrics

Original Broadway Cast Of Hamilton Lyrics