Dear Theodosia
| "Dear Theodosia" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda, & the Cast of Hamilton from the album Hamilton | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Writer(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda | |||
| Composer(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Hamilton track listing | ||||
| ||||
"Dear Theodosia" is a song in Act I from the stage musical Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. The music and lyrics were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Synopsis
The song is sung by Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. They welcome their respective children, Theodosia and Philip, into the world. They vow to give their children a better childhood than their own. The Hollywood Reporter acknowledges the subtle irony of this song, in which "two orphaned men...contemplate the rewards of fatherhood."[1] Vibe added that this "fatherly ballad...gives the dads a chance to reflect on their childhoods whilst contemplating how to be better with their own kids".[2]
Analysis
The "parenthood song"[3] has a lyrical reference to "blow us all away", in the metaphorical sense of overwhelmingly impressing their parents by their future successes. However, The Huffington Post notes that this lyrical motif will reappear later on in the musical in a more literal context when young Phillip is literally blown away by a gun in a duel.[4]
Critical reception
The Huffington Post wrote that "If John Legend covered this heartbreaker, I'm sure it would hit top ten."[4] The Hollywood Reporter deemed it a "heartbreaker".[1] Yahoo.com declared this the "track of the day" for January 3, 2016, due to a recommendation by a reader who said "I love the way this song tenderly expresses the humbling experience of parenthood shared by two men—both quite roughened to the ways of the world and otherwise vehemently opposed. The common ground of our humanity. Ahh ...".[3]
References
- 1 2 Rooney, David. "Why 'Hamilton' Counts as a Legitimate Game Changer" "Hollywood Reporter, August 31, 2015
- ↑ Woods, Monesha. "Going H.A.M.: A Track-By-Track Review Of The ‘Hamilton’ Soundtrack" vibe.com, October 20, 2015
- 1 2 "Track of the Day: 'Dear Theodosia'" yahoo.com, January 23, 2016
- 1 2 Logan, Elizabeth. "I Have an Opinion on Every Song in 'Hamilton'" Huffington Post, October 1, 2015