How does a bas tard, or phan, son of a whore and a Scots man, dropped in the mid dle of a for got ten spot in the Car ib be an by prov i dence, im pov er ished, in squal or, grow up to be a he ro and a schol ar?

The ten dol lar found ing fa ther with out a fa ther got a lot far ther by work ing a lot hard er, by be ing a lot smart er, by be ing a self start er, by four teen, they placed him in charge of a trad ing char ter.

And ev ’ry day while slaves were be ing slaugh tered and cart ed a way a cross the waves, he strug gled and kept his guard up.

In side, he was long ing for some thing to be a part of, the broth er was read y to beg, steal, bor row or bar ter.

Then a hur ri cane came, and dev as ta tion reigned, our man saw his fu ture drip, drip ping down the drain, put a pen cil to his tem ple, con nect ed it to his brain, and he wrote his first re frain, a tes ta ment to his pain.

Well, the (Bm)word got a round, they said, “This kid is in sane, man.” Took up a col lec tion just to send him to the main land.

“Get your ed u ca tion, don’t for get from whence you came, and the world is gon na know your name.

What’s your name, man?

(Bm)Al ex an der Ham il ton.

My name is (F#)Al ex an der Ham il ton.

And there’s a (G)mil lion things I have n’t done, but just you (D)wait, just you wait...

When he was (Bm)ten his fa ther split, full of it, debt rid den, two years lat er, see Al ex and his moth er bed rid den, half (G)dead sit tin’ in their own sick, the scent thick, and Al ex got bet ter but his moth er went quick.

(Bm)Moved in with a cous in, the cous in com mit ted su i cide.

(F#)Left him with noth in’ but ru ined pride, some thing new in side, a (G)voice say in’, “You got ta fend for your self.” He start ed (D)re treat in’ and read in’ ev ’ry (F#)trea tise on the shelf.

There (Bm)would a been noth in’ left to do for some one less as tute, he would a been (F#)dead or des ti tute with out a cent of res ti tu tion, start ed work in’, clerk in’ for his late moth er’s land lord, trad in’ sug ar cane and rum and all the things he can’t af ford.

Scam min’ for ev er y book he can get his hands on, plan nin’ for the fu ture, see him now as he stands on the bow of a ship head ed for a new land.

In New York you can be a new man.

In (Bm)New York, you can be a new man.

In (G7)New York you can be a new man.

In (Em9)New York you can be a new man.

In (F#7)New York!

New York!

Just you wait!

(Bm)Al ex an der Ham il ton,

we are (G7)wait ing in the wings for you.

You could (Em9)nev er back down, you nev er learned to take your ti (h)ime!

Oh, (Bm)Al ex an der Ham il ton,

when A (G7)mer i ca sings for you,

will they (Em)know what you o ver came?

Will they (Bm)know you re wrote the (Em)game?

The world

will nev er be the same, oh...

The (Bm)ship is in the har bor now, (Bm)see if you can spot him.

An oth er im mi grant, com (Em7)in’ up from the bot tom, his en e mies de stroyed his rep, A mer i ca for got him...

We fought with him.

Me?

I died for him.

Me?

I trust ed him.

Me?

I loved him.

And me?

I’m the damn fool that shot him.

There’s a (Em)mil lion things I have n’t done, but just you (F#)wait!

What’s your name, man?

Al ex an der Ham il ton!