"Right Hand Man" is the eighth song from Act 1 of the musical ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

'', based on the life of

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

, which premiered on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. The song introduces then-General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

to the musical, and culminates with Hamilton becoming his eponymous "right-hand man".

Synopsis

At the very beginning of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, Alexander Hamilton reiterates his desire (as laid out in "My Shot") to fight in a war in order to rise up from his poor childhood. Aiming to be promoted to a position of command in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

, Hamilton hopes to get the attention of

General George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, who had been appointed commander-in-chief at the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress was a late-18th-century meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress was creating a new country it first named "United Colonies" and in 1 ...

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

then introduces Washington, who discusses his frustration with his forces in the

fight Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

for control of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Hamilton attempts to reverse the tide of the battle by capturing British cannons that were attacking his unit in the Battery. These actions bring Hamilton to the attention of Washington, who decides to recruit an aide-de-camp after retreating from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. Burr applies for this role, but is dismissed in favor of Hamilton, who reluctantly accepts the eponymous role at the song's conclusion. The song contains the lyric, "Now I'm the model of a modern major general", which is adapted from the

Major-General's Song "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" (often referred to as the "Major-General's Song" or "Modern Major-General's Song") is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera ''The Pirates of Penzance''. It has been called the ...

from ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 ...

'' by

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

. The credits of the 2020 film adaptation of Hamilton acknowledge this as the source of the lyric.

Analysis

The song serves to introduce

, a role originated on

by Christopher Jackson. Elizabeth Logan, writing for ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', considered the song to incorporate recurring motifs from the musical, such as "throwing away my shot" - a reference to

My Shot "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. Synopsis In 1776, having just emig ...

. It further sows seeds of discord between Hamilton and Burr due to jealousy, and this becomes important in Act 2 of the musical, where the two

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a Township (New Jersey), township in the North Hudson, New Jersey, northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the North River ...

. The lyric "Now I'm the model of a modern major general" is a reference to

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...

and Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera "

". Lin-Manuel Miranda is known to be an avid fan of The West Wing, and this is one of several West Wing references in the musical. "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" is the first lyric in "Major-General's Song" in The Pirates of Penzance, which Aaron Sorkin references several times throughout season 2 episode 5 "And It's Surely to Their Credit". The phrase "model of a modern major general" appears in The West Wing in season 4 episode 14 "Inauguration: Part I" when President Bartlet speaks of Will Bailey's father. The song receives a reprise later in the musical, when Washington asks Hamilton to assume the role of

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

in the

Cabinet of the United States The Cabinet of the United States is a body consisting of the vice president of the United States and the heads of the executive branch's departments in the federal government of the United States. It is the principal official advisory body to t ...

Critical reception

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...

ranked the song as the 22nd best in the musical, while

The Young Folks "The Young Folks" is a song by Diana Ross and the Supremes, released as the B-side to "No Matter What Sign You Are" in 1969. Written by Allen Story and George Gordy, "The Young Folks" was included on the album ''Cream of the Crop'' (1969). In ad ...

had it ranked 19th.

Vibe.com ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

said that it marked a return to the initial "1990's feel" of the musical.

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 2015 songs Songs from Hamilton (musical)