Dear Theodosia

"Dear Theodosia"
Song by Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the cast of Hamilton
from the album Hamilton
Released2015 (2015)
GenreShow tune
Length3:05
Songwriter(s)Lin-Manuel Miranda
Audio
"Dear Theodosia" on YouTube

"Dear Theodosia" is the penultimate 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 Aaron Burr, originally performed by Leslie Odom Jr., and Hamilton, originally performed by Miranda.

History

Miranda wrote this song during a week spent in the Dominican Republic, while they were visiting his wife Vanessa Nadal's ill aunt. During this week, the couple met a small dog that they eventually adopted and named Tobillo ("ankle" in Spanish), and Nadal's aunt died. Miranda has written that this song is "the calm in the storm of our show, and it was the calm in the storm of my life in that moment."[1]

Synopsis

The song is sung by Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. They welcome their respective children, Theodosia and Philip, into the world. The men proclaim that they will fight to make the world better for their children. They vow to give their children a better childhood than their own. The Hollywood Reporter acknowledges the coincidence reflected within the song, in which "two orphaned men...contemplate the rewards of fatherhood."[2] 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".[3]

Analysis

The "parenthood song"[4] 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 during the song "Blow Us All Away".[5] Theodosia Burr Alston was lost at sea during a hurricane off the coast of South Carolina in January 1812, lending a ghastly morbid humor to the song's title.

Critical reception

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praised "Dear Theodosia" for being a "heartbreaker".[2] Chris Bodenner of The Atlantic declared the song the "track of the day" on 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."[6]

Certifications

Certifications for "Dear Theodosia"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[7] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[8] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers

"Dear Theodosia" also appears twice on The Hamilton Mixtape, first sung by Regina Spektor featuring Ben Folds, and another version sung by Chance the Rapper and Francis and the Lights. Spektor and Folds' version peaked at number 38 on the Hot Rock Songs chart,[9] and was performed live as a part of National Symphony Orchestra’s DECLASSIFIED: Ben Folds Presents series.[10]

On December 30, 2018, a cut reprise of the song covered by Sara Bareilles was released as part of the "Hamildrop" project.

References

  1. ^ Miranda, Lin-Manuel; McCarter, Jeremy (2016). Hamilton: The Revolution. New York, NY: Grand Central Publishing. p. 128. ISBN 9781455539741.
  2. ^ a b Rooney, David (August 31, 2015). "Critic's Notebook: Why 'Hamilton' Counts as a Legitimate Game-Changer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  3. ^ Woods, Monesha. "Going H.A.M.: A Track-By-Track Review Of The ‘Hamilton’ Soundtrack" vibe.com, October 20, 2015,
  4. ^ "Track of the Day: 'Dear Theodosia'" yahoo.com, January 23, 2016,
  5. ^ "I Have an Opinion on Every Song in "Hamilton"". HuffPost. 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
  6. ^ Bodenner, Chris (January 23, 2016). "Track of the Day: 'Dear Theodosia'". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "British single certifications – Odom Jr/Miranda – Dear Theodosia". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  8. ^ "American single certifications – Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton – Dear Theodosia". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Hot Rock Songs - December 24, 2016". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  10. ^ Arcand, Rob (2018-12-01). "Watch Ben Folds and Regina Spektor Perform Their Hamilton Mixtape Song "Dear Theodosia" with the National Symphony Orchestra". SPIN. Retrieved 2023-01-18.