Hamilton - The Room Where It Happens - Misc Musicals
Tuning: , E A D G B E
Note: This is an ensemble number, but rather than writing out all of who sing what, I've just credited
the line to whoever predominantly sings the melody line.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
[Burr] Ah, Mr
Secretary! [Ha
milton] Mr Bur
r, sir!
[Burr] Did you
hear the news
about good ol
d general Merc
er?
[Ham] No [Burr
] You know Cle
rmont Street?
[Ham] Yeah
[Burr] They re
named it after
him, the Merc
er legacy is s
ecure [Ham] Su
re
N.C.
[Burr] And all he had to do was die. [Ham] That's a lot less work
[Burr] We outta give it a try! [Ham] Ha!
[Burr] Now how're you gonna get your debt plan through?
[Ham] I guess I'm gonna finally have to listen to you [Burr] Really?
[Ham] Talk
less, smil
e more [Burr]
Ha!
[Ham] Do wh
atever it take
s to get my pl
an on the cong
ress floor
[Burr] Now, Ma
dison and Jeff
erson are merc
iless
[Ham] Well, ha
te the sin, lo
ve the sinner
[Madison] Hami
lton! [Ham] I'
m sorry, Burr,
I've gotta go
!
[Burr] But- [H
am] Decisions
are happening
over dinner.
[Burr] Two
Virginians and
an immigrant
walk into a ro
om diametrical
ly opposed, fo
es
They emerge
with a compro
mise, having o
pened doors th
at were previo
usly closed, b
ros
The immigra
nt emerges wit
h unprecedente
d financial po
wer a system h
e can shape ho
wever he wants
The Virgini
ans emerge wit
h the nation’s
capital and h
ere’s the pièc
e de résistanc
e:
[Chorus]
No one else
was in the ro
om where it ha
ppened
The room where
it happened,
the room where
it happened
No one else
was in the ro
om where it ha
ppened
The room where
it happened,
the room where
it happened
No one really
knows how the
game is played
The art of the
trade, how th
e sausage gets
made
We just ass
ume that it ha
ppens
But no one
else is in the
room where it
happens.
[Verse 2]
[Burr] Thomas
claims— [Jeffe
rson] Alexande
r was on Washi
ngton’s doorst
ep one day in
distress and d
isarray
[Burr]Thomas c
laims— [Jeff]
Alexander said
— [Ham] I’ve n
owhere else to
turn!
[Jeff] And bas
ically begged
me to join the
fray
[Burr] Thomas
claims— [Jeff]
I approached
Madison and sa
id—
“I know you ha
te him, but le
t’s hear what
he has to say.
”
[Burr] Thomas
claims— [Jeff]
Well, I arran
ged the meetin
g. I arranged
the menu, the
venue, the sea
ting
[Chorus]
[Burr] But! No
one else was
in the room wh
ere it happene
d
The room where
it happened,
the room where
it happened
No one else wa
s in the room
where it happe
ned,
the room where
it happened,
the room where
it happened
No one really
knows how the
parties get to
yes,
the pieces tha
t are sacrific
ed in every ga
me of chess
We just assume
that it happe
ns, but no one
else is in th
e room where i
t happens.
[Verse 3]
[Burr] Meanwhi
le, Madison is
grappling wit
h the fact
that not every
issue can be
settled by com
mittee
Meanwhile, con
gress is fight
ing over where
to put the ca
(
pital-
[company screams incoherently] it isn't pretty
Then Jefferson
approaches wi
th a dinner an
d invite
and Madison re
sponds with Vi
rginian insigh
t:
[Madison] Mayb
e we can solve
one problem w
ith another
and win a vict
ory for the So
utherners, in
other words—
(No Chord)
[Jeff] Oh-ho! [Mad] A quid pro quo [Jeff]I suppose
[Mad] Wouldn’t you like to work a little closer to home?
[Jeff] Actually, I would [Mad] Well, I propose the Potomac
[Jeff] And you’ll provide him his votes? [Mad] Well, we’ll see how it goes
[Jeff] Let’s go!
[Chorus]
[Burr] No! —on
e else was in
the room where
it happened
The room where
it happened,
the room where
it happened
No one else
was in the ro
om where it ha
ppened
The room where
it happened,
the room where
it happened
[Burr] My God!
In God we tru
st, but we’ll
never really k
now what got d
iscussed
Click-boom the
n it happened,
#
and no o
ne else was in
the room wher
e it happened
[Bridge]
[Company] Alex
ander Hamilton
!
[Burr]What did
they say to y
ou to get you
to sell New Yo
rk City down t
he river?
[Company] Alex
ander Hamilton
!
[Burr] Did Was
hington know a
bout the dinne
r?
Was there presidential pressure to deliver?
N.C.
[Company] Alexander Hamilton!
[Burr] Or did
you know, even
then, it does
n’t matter whe
re you put the
U.S. Capital?
[Ham] Cuz we’l
l have the ban
ks, we’re in t
he same spot [
Burr] You got
more than you
gave!
N.C.
[Ham] And I wanted what I got
When you got s
kin in the gam
e, you stay in
the game
But you don’t
get a win unle
ss you play in
the game
Oh, you get lo
ve for it. You
get hate for
it
You get nothing if you wait for it, wait for it, wait!
God help and
forgive me
I wanna build
something that
’s gonna outli
ve me
[Everyone] Wha
t do you want,
Burr? What do
you want, Bur
r?
If you stand f
or nothing Bur
r, then what d
o you fall for
?
[Chorus]
[Burr] I w
anna be in the
room where it
happens, the
room where it
happens
I wanna be in
the room where
it happens, t
he room where
it happens
(x5, build in a crescendo, on third return repeat go to regular chorus)
[Comp] T
he art of the
compromise—
[Burr] Hol
d your nose an
d close your e
yes
[Comp] W
e want our lea
ders to save t
he day—
[Burr] But
we don’t get
a say in what
they trade awa
y
[Comp] W
e dream of a b
rand new start
—
[Burr] But
we dream in t
he dark for th
e most part
[Burr] Dark
as a tomb whe
re it happens
I've got to be
in the room w
here it happen
s
[Company, while Burr riffs overtop]
I've got to
be...
I've got to b
e... The room
where it happ
ens
I've got to b
e... The room
where it happ
ens
I've got to b
e... I've gott
a be... In the
room
Click-boom!