The title and refrain of this song are a reference to the real-life correspondence between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton that led to their famous duel. Each letter was signed:

I have the honor to be
Your Obdt. S^t

Here, the two are playfully mean with their letters, and the song has a kind of old-fashioned, silly charm. But hey, this was literally the way that these guys wrote themselves into history, so Lin-Manuel Miranda has an excuse to tease his characters a little.

Following Burr’s familiar introduction, the song is performed in ¾ time, making it a minuet or a waltz. As with “Farmer Refuted,” here’s it’s also used to indicate an almost prissy level of formality and contribute to the old-fashioned vibe. So from the modern viewpoint, we get a feeling of two people dancing around each other in a fusty, verbal whirl.

However, waltzing was still pretty new in the early 19th century, and was considered a “shameless, indecent” dance because waltz partners faced each other in a closed position (practically embracing!!!). Thus, from a historical standpoint, there are also hints of scandal and menace here—of circling each other before a fight. Once again, Miranda finds a way to marry musical form with narrative intent.

The circus music quality of the waltz music that kicks in and out throughout this song might be a nod to Dessa’s “Dixon’s Girl,” which was included on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMthology playlist of songs that influenced Hamilton.