"The Room Where It Happens (Off-Broadway)" is the 6th song from Act 2 and the 30th song overall in the Off-Broadway production of Hamilton.
Lyrics[]
[BURR]
Ah, Mister Secretary
[HAMILTON]
Mister Burr, sir
[BURR]
Did ya hear the news about good old General Mercer?
[HAMILTON]
No
[BURR]
You know Clermont Street?
[HAMILTON]
Yeah
[BURR]
They renamed it after him. The Mercer legacy is secure
[HAMILTON]
Sure
[BURR]
And all he had to do was die
[HAMILTON]
That’s a lot less work
[BURR]
We oughta give it a try
[HAMILTON]
Ha
[BURR]
Now how’re you gonna get your debt plan through?
[HAMILTON]
I guess I’m gonna finally have to listen to you
[BURR]
Really?
[HAMILTON]
“Talk less. Smile more.”
[BURR]
Ha
[HAMILTON]
Do whatever it takes to get my plan on the Congress floor
[BURR]
Madison and Jefferson are merciless.
[HAMILTON]
Well, hate the sin, love the sinner
[MADISON]
Hamilton!
[HAMILTON]
I’m sorry Burr, I’ve gotta go
[BURR]
But—
[HAMILTON]
Decisions are happening over dinner
[BURR]
Two Virginians and an immigrant walk into a bar
[BURR & ENSEMBLE]
Diametrically opposed, foes
[BURR]
They emerge with a compromise, having opened doors that were
[BURR & ENSEMBLE]
Previously closed
[ENSEMBLE]
Bros
[BURR]
The immigrant emerges with unprecedented financial power
A system he can shape however he wants
The Virginians emerge with the nation’s capital
And here’s the pièce de résistance:
[BURR] | [ENSEMBLE] |
[BURR & COMPANY]
Thomas claims—
[JEFFERSON]
Alexander was on Washington’s doorstep one day
In distress ‘n disarray
[BURR & COMPANY]
Thomas claims—
[JEFFERSON]
Alexander said—
[HAMILTON]
I’ve nowhere else to turn!
[JEFFERSON]
And basically begged me to join the fray
[BURR & COMPANY]
Thomas claims—
[JEFFERSON]
I approached Madison and said:
“I know you hate him, but let’s hear what he has to say.”
[BURR & COMPANY]
Thomas claims—
[JEFFERSON]
Well, I arranged the meeting
I arranged the menu, the venue, the seating
[BURR]
But!
No one else was in—
[BURR & COMPANY]
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
[BURR]
No one else was in—
[BURR & COMPANY]
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
[BURR] | [COMPANY] |
[BURR & COMPANY]
Meanwhile—
[BURR]
Madison is grappling with the fact that not ev’ry issue can be settled by committee
[COMPANY]
Meanwhile—
[BURR]
Congress is fighting over where to put the capital—
Company screams in chaos
[BURR]
It isn’t pretty
Then Jefferson approaches with a dinner and invite
And Madison responds with Virginian insight:
[MADISON]
Maybe we can solve one problem with another and win a victory for the Southerners, in other words—
[JEFFERSON]
Oh-ho!
[MADISON]
A quid pro quo
[JEFFERSON]
I suppose
[MADISON]
Wouldn’t you like to work a little closer to home?
[JEFFERSON]
Actually, I would
[MADISON]
Well, I propose the Potomac
[JEFFERSON]
And you’ll provide him his votes?
[MADISON]
Well, we’ll see how it goes
[JEFFERSON]
Let’s go
[BURR]
No!
[COMPANY]
—one else was in
The room where it happened
[BURR & COMPANY]
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
No one else was in
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
[BURR]
My God!
[BURR & COMPANY]
In God we trust
But we’ll never really know what got discussed
Click-boom, then it happened
[BURR]
And no one else was in the room where it happened
[COMPANY]
Alexander Hamilton!
[BURR]
What did they say to you to get you to sell New York City down the river?
[COMPANY]
Alexander Hamilton!
[BURR]
Did Washington know about the dinner?
Was there Presidential pressure to deliver?
[COMPANY]
Alexander Hamilton!
[BURR]
Or did you know, even then, it doesn’t matter
Where you put the U.S. Capital?
[HAMILTON]
Cuz we’ll have the banks
New York is undiminished
[BURR]
You got more than you gave
[HAMILTON]
Checkmate, game finished
[BURR]
I
Wanna be in
The room where it happens
The room where it happens
I...
Wanna be in
The room where it happens
The room where it happens
[BURR] | [COMPANY] |
[COMPANY]
The art of the compromise:
[BURR]
Hold your nose and close your eyes
[COMPANY]
We want our leaders to save the day—
[BURR]
But we don’t get a say in what they trade away
[COMPANY]
We dream of a brand new start—
[BURR]
Yeah but we dream in the dark for the most part
[BURR & COMPANY]
Dark as a tomb where it happens
[BURR] | [COMPANY] |