My Shot

Last updated

"My Shot"
Song by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anthony Ramos, Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Leslie Odom Jr., and the cast of Hamilton
from the album Hamilton
Released2015
Genre
Length5:33
Songwriter(s)
Audio
"My Shot" on YouTube

"My Shot" is the third song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton , based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

Contents

Synopsis

In 1776, having just emigrated from the island of Nevis to New York City, 19-year-old Alexander Hamilton wows several other young revolutionaries with his verbal skills, speaking about his hopes for the future, his disillusionment with the British, and his desire to be remembered, even if it means dying.

The other revolutionaries, who also rap about their own hopes for and reservations about the future, are:

Despite Burr's warnings, the men continue rapping about the rebellion and encouraging other Americans to rise up with them against the British, while Burr remains silent. The tune is reprised during the songs "Right Hand Man", "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)", [2] and "Non-Stop", [3] while some of the themes and lyrics are revisited in "The World Was Wide Enough". [4] The number contains interpolations of lyrics from the rap songs "Shook Ones (Part II)" by Mobb Deep and "Going Back to Cali" by The Notorious B.I.G. It also contains a lyric from "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught", from South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein. These sources are credited in the credits of the 2020 filmed version of Hamilton.

Analysis

Vibe described the backing as "reminiscent of the '90s". [2] The Los Angeles Times said the song had "Eminem combustion". [5] Vulture said the song was reminiscent of Eminem's "Lose Yourself". [6] TapInto notes that this song becomes ironic by the end of the musical because Hamilton does, indeed, throw away his shot in the fatal duel with Aaron Burr. [7] Deadline notes that "I am not throwing away my shot" becomes Hamilton's mantra. [8]

Critical reception

TapInto deemed it a "ferocious song". [7] The Huffington Post suggested the song would make a good opening number to the musical. [9]

The song was one of many performed at the White House in March 2016. [10]

A parody of the song [11] was performed by Miranda as his opening monologue [12] on the October 8, 2016, episode of Saturday Night Live .

The song was parodied and performed by The Roots during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 's "Football Raps" segment on August 3, 2017.

On March 9, 2021, a group of doctors called "Vax'n 8" released a remix of the song and a video called "My Shot: A COVID Vaccine Adaptation" to inspire people to get vaccinated for COVID-19. [13] [14]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [15] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [16] 2× Platinum2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Mixtape version

"My Shot (Rise Up Remix)"
Song by The Roots featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, and Nate Ruess
from the album The Hamilton Mixtape
Released2016
Genre
Length4:30
Songwriter(s) Lin-Manuel Miranda
Audio
"My Shot (Rise Up Remix)" on YouTube

"My Shot (Rise Up Remix)" is a song recorded by The Roots featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, and Nate Ruess from The Hamilton Mixtape . The song peaked at number 16 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart. [17] It was featured in the credits of the filmed version of the musical on Disney+.

Related Research Articles

"You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lin-Manuel Miranda</span> American songwriter, actor and playwright (born 1980)

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American songwriter, actor, filmmaker and playwright. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals In the Heights (2005) and Hamilton (2015), and the soundtracks for the animated films Moana (2016), Vivo, and Encanto. His numerous accolades include three Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards, five Grammy Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, an Annie Award, a MacArthur Fellowship Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a Pulitzer Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utkarsh Ambudkar</span> American actor (born 1983)

Utkarsh Ambudkar, also known by his stage name UTK the INC, is an American actor, rapper, and singer. He is known for his film roles including Pitch Perfect (2012), Game Over, Man! (2018), Blindspotting (2018), Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019), The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020), Free Guy (2021), Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021), and World's Best (2023). His television roles include The Mindy Project, White Famous, Never Have I Ever, and Ghosts. He recently appeared in the Hulu limited series The Dropout (2022).

<i>Hamilton</i> (musical) 2015 biographical musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hamilton is a sung-and-rapped-through biographical musical with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Based on the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, the musical covers the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution and the political history of the early United States. Composed over a seven-year period from 2008 to 2015, the music draws heavily from hip hop, as well as R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes. It casts non-white actors as the Founding Fathers of the United States and other historical figures. Miranda described Hamilton as about "America then, as told by America now."

"Alexander Hamilton" is the opening number for the 2015 musical Hamilton, a musical biography of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. This song features "alternately rapped and sung exposition".

"The Schuyler Sisters" is the fifth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

"Satisfied" is the eleventh song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. The song is sung by the character Angelica Schuyler, originally performed by Renée Elise Goldsberry.

"Wait for It" is the thirteenth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. It speaks of Aaron Burr's undying determination in the face of Hamilton's swift rise to influence and power. Vocally, it covers a baritenor range of Ab2 to Ab4.

"The Room Where It Happens" is a song from Act 2 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. The musical relates the life of Alexander Hamilton and his relationships with his family and Aaron Burr. The book, music, and lyrics of the musical, including this song, were composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The song describes the Compromise of 1790 from Burr's perspective.

"Say No to This" is the fourth song from Act 2 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. In this song, "Hamilton's eye begins wandering", as he has an affair with Maria Reynolds.

"It's Quiet Uptown" is the eighteenth song from Act 2 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. The song takes place in the second act of the musical, as the characters Alexander Hamilton and his wife Eliza grieve over their son's death.

"Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" is the finale song of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

"Helpless" is the tenth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

"You'll Be Back" is the seventh song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. It is sung by Jonathan Groff in the show's original cast recording. Within the context of the musical, it is performed by King George III lamenting the anti-royal machinations of the rebelling American colonists. It covers a vocal range of D3 to A4 and is written for a tenor voice.

<i>The Hamilton Mixtape</i> 2016 album

The Hamilton Mixtape is a 2016 mixtape album featuring assorted songs from the 2015 Broadway musical Hamilton performed by various artists, as well as some deleted songs from the musical. It was widely well-received by critics.

"The Story of Tonight" is the fourth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

<i>Spamilton</i> Musical parody play

Spamilton: An American Parody is a musical parody of the Broadway show Hamilton. Written by Gerard Alessandrini, creator of the parody revue Forbidden Broadway, Spamilton also parodies several other musicals, including Gypsy, Chicago, The King and I, Assassins, Camelot, The Book of Mormon and Sweeney Todd, and personalities, like Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Carol Channing and Liza Minnelli.

"Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)" is the twentieth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. It recounts the story of the Battle of Yorktown.

"The Reynolds Pamphlet" is the fourteenth song from Act 2 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

<i>Hamilton</i> (2020 film) 2020 American film of the Broadway musical

Hamilton is a 2020 American biographical musical drama film consisting of a live stage recording of the 2015 Broadway musical of the same name, which was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, 5000 Broadway Productions, RadicalMedia, Nevis Productions, and Old 320 Sycamore Pictures, it was directed by Thomas Kail, who also produced the film with Jeffrey Seller and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, who wrote the music, lyrics, and book for the musical, also stars as Treasury Secretary and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, along with the musical's original principal Broadway cast, including Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Christopher Jackson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Jonathan Groff.

References

  1. ↑ [ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "Going H.A.M.: A Track-By-Track Review Of The 'Hamilton' Soundtrack". Vibe. October 20, 2015.
  3. ↑ "I am not throwin' away my shot". Genius. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  4. ↑ Leslie Odom, Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda & Original Broadway Cast of "Hamilton" – The World Was Wide Enough , retrieved February 9, 2021
  5. ↑ Los Angeles Times (November 4, 2015). "Review: 'Hamilton' is a watershed musical that sets a Founding Father's tale to hip-hop - LA Times". Los Angeles Times .
  6. ↑ "Talib Kweli Analyzes Hamilton -- Vulture". Vulture. October 20, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "The Mommy's Review - In the Room Where Hamilton Happens". TAPinto.
  8. ↑ Jeremy Gerard (August 6, 2015). "'Hamilton' Opens On Broadway, Bigger And Better Than Ever: Review - Deadline". Deadline Hollywood .
  9. ↑ "I Have an Opinion on Every Song in "Hamilton"". The Huffington Post. October 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Hamilton cast performs "My Shot" at White House - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  11. ↑ Robbins, Caryn. "Check Out Full Lyrics to Lin-Manuel Miranda's SNL 'My Shot' Remix!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Lin-Manuel Miranda Monologue - SNL". NBC Saturday Night Live's YouTube channel. October 8, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  13. ↑ Capron, Maddie (March 16, 2021). "Doctors remix 'Hamilton' song to celebrate COVID vaccine". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  14. ↑ Seidman, Lila (March 19, 2021). "California doctor remixes 'My Shot' from 'Hamilton' in video to promote COVID-19 vaccine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  15. ↑ "British single certifications – Miranda/Ramos/Diggs/Onaodowan – My Shot". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  16. ↑ "American single certifications – ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST OF HAMILTON – My Shot". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  17. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales: November 11, 2016". Billboard . Retrieved November 30, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.