^Video is up above for y'all to watch along 😊

Summary of the song: The letters passed before the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

Right off the bat, the music is very, very, very intense. Although the actual production doesn't have it (it does, but it is very faint), the soundtrack has a sound of a door slam after Aaron starts speaking. All of the other ones that has this motif (Alexander Hamilton, A Winter's Ball, Guns and Ships, What'd I Miss, and The Adams Administration) has the door squeak, but never the door slam. The door squeak without the doorslam represents a door opening and having it stay open, which means that it is open to all possibilities, or something positive. Having the door slam, however, represents the door shutting, closing out all positive possibilities, with things starting to go downhill. And guess what comes after this song? The Hamilton-Burr duel.

[BURR]
How does Hamilton
An arrogant
Immigrant, orphan
Bastard, whoreson

WHORE 👏🏻 SON 👏🏻. HE SAID WHORE. SON. NOW THAT IS AN INSULT.

A lot of people don't really grasp on to it at first, including me, but at the very beginning of a show, and several time others, Aaron calls Alexander "son of a whore." I noticed on several Hamilton watches Hamilton books, the author has Alexander take that as an offense, but in my opinion, he shouldn't. The term "son of a whore" is more commonly used as a straight up fact, not an insult. However, if you call someone a "whoreson," then that is considered an insult, even though they have the same meaning.

Somehow endorse
Thomas Jefferson, his enemy
A man he's despised since the beginning

*ahem*

"There are approximately 1,010,300 words in the English language, but I could never string enough words together to properly express how much I want to hit you with a chair."

~Alexander Hamilton to Thomas Jefferson.

This has got to be one of my favorite quotes from him, not gonna lie.

Just to keep me from winning?

The lighting in the background shifts slowly from a golden-red color to a blood-red hue. Pretty dramatic (in a good way), if you ask me.

Also, did you guys notice Chris/Washington in the background? Hint: he's on the second floor.

I wanna be in the room where it happens—

[BURR AND COMPANY]
The room where it happens
The room where it happens

[BURR]
You've kept me from—

[BURR AND COMPANY]
The room where it happens

Timestamp: 0:28

Same position format as, you guessed it, The Room Where It Happens.

[BURR]
For the last time

Dear Alexander:

Timestamp: 0:48

Ariana (aka the Bullet) gives Aaron a quill, in which he writes the letters leading to the Hamilton-Burr duel.

I am slow to anger
But I toe the line
As I reckon with the effects
Of your life on mine
I look back on where I failed
And in every place I checked
The only common thread has been your disrespect

I feel like this line shows how intertwined Aaron's and Alexander's life are. Honestly, I kinda feel like this is like Harry Potter: neither can live while the other survives. Kinda dark, honestly, and I really like Aaron and Alexander, so I'm not gonna compare that prophecy with them two.

Also, why is Leslie's voice so GOOD?!?!

Now you call me "amoral,"

Amoral means unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something. It basically means having no opinions.

A "dangerous disgrace,"
If you've got something to say
Name a time and place
Face to face

Okay, here it is. At first, Aaron only wants to sort things out with Alexander. There's nothing here that concerns with a duel. But Alexander, being the idiot that he is, refuses to talk things out, and wires up Aaron to the point where Alexander is basically asking for the duel. No hate towards Alexander, but, you know, he's an idiot.

I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant
A dot Burr

Actual signature sign off from the actual letters leading up to the duel between Aaron and Alexander. Look it up. I found this out at school (I finished all my work and was bored af), and when I saw the actual letters, I nearly screamed out loud.

[HAMILTON]
Mr. Vice President:

As soon as Alexander start to sing, or, well, rap, the tempo starts to quicken. Shows how non-stop he really is.

I am not the reason no one trusts you

Alexander's multitasking here. He's currently reading Aaron's letter, but at the same time saying what his own letter would be to send to Aaron.

No one knows what you believe

Timestamp: 1:20

More Lin hand movements™.

Seriously, the man moves his hands around a lot.

I will not equivocate on my opinion
I have always worn it on my sleeve
Even if I said what you think I said
You would need to cite a more specific grievance
Here's an itemized list of thirty years of disagreements

True, although the count is a bit off. They met in 1776, and Alexander died in 1804, which sums up to around 28 years of disagreements rather than 30, although I can't really blame Lin for rounding it up. 28 doesn't really fit into the rhythm, while 30 works perfectly.

[BURR]
Sweet Jesus

A possible reference to the Congressional custodian Andrew McNair from the musical 1776. "Sweet Jesus" serves as a catchphrase for McNair.

Also, I much prefer Leslie tone of voice here rather than the studio recording. It really adds character.

[HAMILTON]
Hey, I have not been shy

When he says "a list of 30 (28) years of disagreements," he'll give you a list. Love how the ensemble takes a sheet of paper and pile them up on Aaron.

I am just a guy in the public eye
Tryin' to do my best for our republic
I don't wanna fight
But I won't apologize for doing what's right

Timestamp: 1:43

*chuckles* I love that little dance there.

And that little taunt after that-!

Carleigh is a fricking icon.

She's literally asking Aaron to "wait for it" before giving him the paper-

And there's Thayne in the corner, looking at Carleigh like, "Are you serious?"

I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant
A dot Ham

[BURR]
Careful how you proceed, good man
Intemperate indeed, good man

Intemperate means having/showing a lack of self-control. Aaron is basically calling Alexander hot-headed.

Another pointer from Genius.com, here, but a contributor pointed out that "intemperate indeed" could be heard/seen as "in temper and in deed," which could be served as a warning to Alexander to keep his actions and emotions in place.

Answer for the accusations I lay at your feet or
Prepare to bleed, good man

Alrighty, Aaron is getting impatient here. "Prepare to bleed" is literally pointing at a duel.

[HAMILTON]
Burr, your grievance is legitimate
I stand by what I said, every bit of it
You stand only for yourself
It's what you do
I can't apologize because it's true

Timestamp: 2:09

The light that Aaron and Alexander is standing in is a blue hue, until Aaron finally snapped before the color turns into a golden color. The quiet boy snapped.

[BURR]
Then stand, Alexander
Weehawken. Dawn
Guns. Drawn

Maybe it's just me and my Cancerian self, but I can really hear the pain in his voice as he said that line. He doesn't want to go through with the duel.

[HAMILTON]
You're on

I've said this once, and I'll say it again: hesitation. Aaron's words, "Weehawken. Dawn. Guns. Drawn," is spoken alongside with the beat of the drum. Alexander's words, "You're on," is spoken in between of the drumming. On the Off-Broadway version, he answers to Aaron's offer to duel almost immediately. Here, however, Alexander says it after missing a beat, hesitating.

Another contributor on Genius.com pointed out that the hesitation into agreeing with the duel might serve as a character development for Alexander. In act one, Alexander angrily shouts at Washington, saying, "I am more than willing to die!" Here, he hesitates, showing he has more experience with life and death, and knows that if he accepts, his life is on the line. The flaw is, he took it.

*sigh* Alex, you are such an idiot.

[BURR AND HAMILTON]
I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant

[HAMILTON]
A dot Ham

The note goes down...

[BURR]
A dot Burr

...and his note goes up. Alexander's note going down shows his downfall, and Aaron's note going up gives the impression that he has the winning shot in the duel.

Leslie sings the last few notes with a softer attitude. This shows his hesitation to the duel, even if he was the one who offered it.

Also the note-passing. Jon Rua and the other guy who I don't know that name of (I think it's Sydney Harcourt? I'm not 100% sure) passes the (possible) last letters between Aaron and Alexander, confirming that the duel is to take place soon (July 11th of 1804).

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Okay, I think that's it for now, folks! Honestly, this took me way longer than it should've.

Please let me know if there's anything that I might've missed. And if you want to outsmart me, you are free to do so :D