"Dear Theodosia" is the penultimate song from Act 1 of the musical ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

'', based on the life of

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

, 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 Stre ...

in 2015.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', and the soundtracks for the animated films '' Moana' ...

wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. The song is sung by the character

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805 d ...

, originally performed by

Leslie Odom Jr. Leslie Lloyd Odom Jr. (; born August 6, 1981) is an American actor, singer and songwriter. He made his acting debut on Broadway in 1998 and first gained recognition for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in the musical ''Hamilton'', which earned him ...

, 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."

Synopsis

The song is sung by

and

. They welcome their respective children, Theodosia and

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

, 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 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' acknowledges the coincidence reflected within the song, in which "two orphaned men...contemplate the rewards of fatherhood."

Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...

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".

Analysis

The "parenthood song""Track of the Day: 'Dear Theodosia'"
yahoo.com, January 23, 2016, 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 ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'' 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". 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 ''

'' praised "Dear Theodosia" for being a "heartbreaker". Chris Bodenner of ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'' 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."

Certifications

Covers

"Dear Theodosia" also appears twice on '' The Hamilton Mixtape'', first sung by

Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian Americans, Russian-born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in New York City's Indie music scene, in ...

featuring

Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After playing in several small independent bands throughout the late 80s and into the early 90s, Folds came to prominence as the f ...

, and another version sung by

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...

and

Francis and the Lights Francis and the Lights is an American music project created by Francis Farewell Starlite. The term "and the Lights" refers both to the lights on a stage and pixels on a computer screen. Francis Farewell Starlite (born Abe Morre Katz-Milder, Jun ...

. Spektor and Folds' version peaked at number 38 on the

Hot Rock Songs Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alternati ...

chart, and was performed live as a part of

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930 by cellist Hans Kindler, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The NSO regularly ...

’s DECLASSIFIED: Ben Folds Presents series. On December 30, 2018, a cut reprise of the song covered by

Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including ...

was released as part of the "Hamildrop" project.

References

External links

''Hamilton'' at Internet Broadway Database
{{authority control 2010s ballads 2015 songs Songs from Hamilton (musical) Chance the Rapper songs Ben Folds songs Sara Bareilles songs Regina Spektor songs Francis and the Lights songs Songs about freedom Songs about parenthood