Helpless (Hamilton 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.

Synopsis

This song focuses on the romance and eventual wedding of Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton. Eliza is introduced to Hamilton by her sister Angelica during a ball held while the Army is stationed in Morristown for the winter in early 1780. They immediately start a correspondence and Hamilton wastes no time in asking Eliza's father Philip Schuyler for his permission to marry his daughter, which is granted. Hamilton shares with Eliza his concerns regarding his orphanhood and lack of wealth and station, but Eliza dismisses them and the song ends on the notes of the Bridal Chorus played at their wedding.

Historical differences

Although the musical ''Hamilton'' is based on true events, Miranda uses dramatic license in retelling the story. Here, the main differences are:

*Eliza was alone in Morristown when she first met Hamilton in early February of 1780, a guest of her paternal aunt Gertrude and Gertrude's husband Dr. John Cochran., chapter "The Lovesick Colonel"
*Angelica had eloped with John Barker Church three years before she first met Hamilton at her sister's wedding in December 1780, when she was already mother of two of her eight children with Church.

Style

''The Huffington Post'' described the song as "equal parts Cole Porter and Ja Rule, a sweet Pop/ R&B tune." Phillipa Soo said that inspirations for the song include Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Etta James. Musical director Alex Lacamoire explained "The Beyoncé reference is 'Stressin'! Blessin'!' sounds like 'Houston rocket!' Countdown"]. We asked the girls to deliver it like that." ''Slate (magazine), Slate'' said the "big R&B love song" drew inspiration from Beyoncé's "Countdown" due to its "half-rapped, half-sung cadences," and added that the lyrics "the boy is mine" is a lyrical reference to a song of the same name by Brandy and Monica. According to ''NPR'', the song also includes a hip hop reference in the form of a lyrical nod to Trina and Mannie Fresh's song "Da Club." ''GCAdvocate'' notes that in " Satisfied," Eliza's "assertive, clever sister Angelica Schuyler raps and remixes "Helpless." The '' LA Times'' said the song had "the flair of Destiny's Child." ''The Man Eater'' also likens Eliza's vocal stylings to "the style of Beyoncé."

Critical reception

GCAdvocate was impressed that "Soo's repetitive 'I dos in the pop song foreshadows their wedding" which occurs at the end of the song. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote that "'Helpless' measures up to the most irresistible pop songs about love at first sight in the way it captures the sheer giddiness and joy of a romantic thunderbolt." The ''Washington Post'' said the song was "a divinely refined girl-group treatment of Hamilton's courtship of Eliza." ''The American Conservative'' said the song is "a gorgeous song where helplessness is a child's terror but also a lover's rapture."

Mixtape version

"Helpless" is performed on '' The Hamilton Mixtape'' by Ashanti and Ja Rule, both of whom Miranda cites as inspirations for the composition of the song. "Ashanti and Ja Rule were in my head when I was writing 'Helpless,'" Miranda told ''Entertainment Weekly''. "It has the structure of an Ashanti-Ja Rule song: two verses, two choruses, a guest rap feature, then back to the chorus and around." Of getting Ashanti and Ja Rule to perform the song for the mixtape, producer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson told the magazine:

"When it came down to figuring out these songs n the ''Mixtape'' I was just like, 'Dude, this is the white elephant in the room: Are you guys really not gonna go after Ja Rule and Ashanti?' You ''wrote'' it for them. You might as well just have them do it.'" When they agreed, Thompson says, "I was happy as hell."

Another version by The Regrettes was released on May 31, 2018.

Certifications

References

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2015 songs
2016 songs
Ashanti (singer) songs
Ja Rule songs
Songs from Hamilton (musical)
Songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda