It’s Quiet Uptown

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Original Broadway Cast of “Hamilton” & Renée Elise Goldsberry

Track 41 on Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Producers

The Hamiltons grieve Philip’s death and slowly begin to put their lives back together in this moving treatise on grief, forgiveness, and by extension, humanity’s terrible… Read More

Sep. 25, 20151 viewer1.2M views

It’s Quiet Uptown Lyrics

[ANGELICA]
There are moments that the words don’t reach
There is suffering too terrible to name
You hold your child as tight as you can
And push away the unimaginable
The moments when you’re in so deep
It feels easier to just swim down

[ANGELICA/ENSEMBLE]
The Hamiltons move uptown
And learn to live with the unimaginable

[HAMILTON]
I spend hours in the garden
I walk alone to the store
And it’s quiet uptown
I never liked the quiet before
I take the children to church on Sunday
A sign of the cross at the door
And I pray
That never used to happen before

[ANGELICA AND WOMEN]
If you see him in the street, walking by
Himself, talking to himself, have pity

[HAMILTON]
Philip, you would like it uptown
It’s quiet uptown

[ANGELICA AND WOMEN]
He is working through the unimaginable

[ALL MEN (EXCEPT HAMILTON)]
His hair has gone grey. He passes every day
They say he walks the length of the city

[HAMILTON]
You knock me out, I fall apart

[COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND ELIZA)]
Can you imagine?

[HAMILTON]
Look at where we are
Look at where we started
I know I don’t deserve you, Eliza
But hear me out. That would be enough

If I could spare his life
If I could trade his life for mine
He’d be standing here right now
And you would smile, and that would be enough
I don’t pretend to know
The challenges we’re facing
I know there’s no replacing what we’ve lost
And you need time
But I’m not afraid
I know who I married
Just let me stay here by your side
That would be enough

[COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND ELIZA)]
If you see him in the street, walking by her
Side, talking by her side, have pity

[HAMILTON]
Eliza, do you like it uptown? It’s quiet uptown

[COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND ELIZA)]
He is trying to do the unimaginable
See them walking in the park, long after dark
Taking in the sights of the city

[HAMILTON]
Look around, look around, Eliza

[COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND ELIZA)]
They are trying to do the unimaginable

[ANGELICA]
There are moments that the words don’t reach
There is a grace too powerful to name
We push away what we can never understand
We push away the unimaginable
They are standing in the garden
Alexander by Eliza’s side
She takes his hand

[ELIZA]
It’s quiet uptown

[COMPANY (EXCEPT HAMILTON AND ELIZA)]
Forgiveness. Can you imagine?
Forgiveness. Can you imagine?
If you see him in the street, walking by her
Side, talking by her side, have pity
They are going through the unimaginable

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About

Genius Annotation

The Hamiltons grieve Philip’s death and slowly begin to put their lives back together in this moving treatise on grief, forgiveness, and by extension, humanity’s terrible and infinite capacity for love.

While the soundtrack was in production, Miranda was working with Oskar Eustis, the producer for The Public Theatre. While this song was in development, Eustis' son passed away, and Miranda sent him and his wife an email giving condolences, and a copy of the first demo of this song. They listened to the demo while grieving, giving the song more emotional connection than it already has.

The introduction to this song (through the first verse) is the final motif of “That Would Be Enough," transposed down. The motif reappears throughout the song.