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| "Non-Stop" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Hamilton album cover.jpg | ||||
| Song by Lin-Manuel Miranda Leslie Odom, Jr. Philipa Soo Renée Elise Goldsberry & the Cast of Hamilton | ||||
| from the album Hamilton | ||||
| Language | English | |||
| Released | 2015 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 6:25 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda | |||
| Composer(s) | Alex Lacamoire | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda | |||
| Lin-Manuel Miranda Leslie Odom, Jr. Philipa Soo Renée Elise Goldsberry & the Cast of Hamilton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Non-Stop" is the twenty-third and last song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, sung mainly by the characters Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and Angelica Schuyler, originally performed by Lin Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., and Renée Elise Goldsberry. The musical premiered on Broadway in August 2015.
Background
[edit]As described by Vibe, Non-Stop "chronicles Hamilton’s life from war’s end to his promotion to Secretary of the Treasury". The song also features many characters, including Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Angelica Schulyer, Eliza Hamilton, and George Washington.
Synopsis
[edit]"Non-Stop" begins "after the war" when Hamilton "[goes] back to New York".[1] In the opening scene, Hamilton and Burr are taking part in the nation's first murder trail, involving Levi Weeks. While still being highly regarded when he practices law, Hamilton is abrasive and quick with his words, while Burr acts more calm and sensible. The song then jumps to Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention, where he "goes and proposes his own form of government."[1] Some regard Hamilton as a genius, while others are appalled by his rashness.
Following this, we see Hamilton asking Burr to help him in writing the "New U.S. Constitution", "a series of essays, anonymously published, defending the document to the public".[1] Burr refuses, fearing that no one will read it and that it will fail. Meanwhile, Angelica Schuyler (Hamilton's sister in law), with whom Hamilton has a close relationship, leaves to London, asking him to promise to write.
Hamilton goes on to enlist the help of James Madison and John Jay in writing the "Federalist Papers". The men initially planned to write 25 essays, but in the end, wrote 85, 5 of which were written by John Jay, 29 by James Madison, and the other 51 being written by Hamilton. George Washington asks Hamilton to be his "right hand man",[1] and Hamilton "gets testy with Washington"[2] by asking him whether he should be Secretary of State or Treasury, ending up being Secretary of Treasury. Proceeding this, we see the side of the story from Hamilton's wife, Eliza Hamilton. Hamilton chooses his career over family life, while Eliza wonders his family "is not enough" for Hamilton.[1] As described by the Huffington Post, Hamilton "peaces out on Eliza" and although he loves his family, "his career is as important to him as ever."[2] Ultimately Hamilton decides that he will "not throw away [his] shot".[1]
Style
[edit]According to Vibe, Non-Stop has "instrumental that Bob Marley would probably be proud of".[3] "The music swings from melodic piano to synth to record-scratch to a samba-reggae funkiness to an inspiring crescendo."[2]. Also, Non-Stop "revisits all of the major lines and themes from the previous songs" [2], including Eliza's dialogues in "That Would be Enough" and "Helpless", in addition to lines from "Satisfied", "My Shot", "History has Its Eyes on You", and "The Schuyler Sisters."
Analysis
[edit]Non-Stop is the last song of the first act, tying everything together. Ultimately, Non-Stop sums up Hamilton's rise to power and becoming the Secretary of Treasury; how he is severely focused on his work securing his legacy; and how his choices slowly weaken the bonds between him and his family.
Critical reception
[edit]Non-Stop has been highly ranked by critics. The Huffington Post calls the song "Non-Stop excellent".[2] Broadway.com ranked Non-Stop the 8th best song in Hamilton, according to fans.[4] The Sassy Reader ranked Non-Stop as second-best song because "it has so much different stuff", including "Plot importance", the feud between Hamilton and Burr, and the "perfect moment at the end when you have a mega mashup and the planets align."[5] Buzzfeed placed Non-Stop 4th because "god it is good" and it has "everything you could want from a song".[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Lin-Manuel Miranda (Ft. Christopher Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda, Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton, Phillipa Soo & Renée Elise Goldsberry) – Non-Stop, retrieved 2017-02-17
- ^ a b c d e Logan, Elizabeth (2015-10-01). "I Have an Opinion on Every Song in "Hamilton"". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
- ^ "Going H.A.M.: A Track-By-Track Review Of The 'Hamilton' Soundtrack". Vibe. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
- ^ "The Fans Have Spoken! The Top 10 Hamilton Songs You Raised A Glass to on the Fourth". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
- ^ Potter, Vivy (2016-04-18). "Hamilton Cast Recording, Songs Ranked". The Sassy Reader. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
- ^ "Community Post: A Ranking Of Every Song In Hamilton". BuzzFeed Community. Retrieved 2017-02-20.