“Guns And Ships”, another from the musical, Hamilton. Reading the words, I can hear the song in my head, some of the lyric so swiftly delivered, even with the words in front of me I can’t keep up the pace. So GOOD.

[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….”

By Lin-Manuel Miranda