Say No to This

[BURR] There’s nothing like summer in the city Someone under stress meets someone looking pretty There’s trouble in the air, you can smell it And Alexander’s by himself. I’ll let him tell it [HAMILTON] I hadn’t slept in a week I was weak, I was awake You've never seen a bastard orphan More in need of a break Longing for Angelica Missing my wife That’s when Miss Maria Reynolds walked into my life, she said: [MARIA] I know you are a man of honor I’m so sorry to bother you at home But I don’t know where to go, and I came here all alone… [HAMILTON] She said: [MARIA] My husband’s doin’ me wrong Beatin’ me, cheatin’ me, mistreatin’ me... Suddenly, he’s up and gone I don’t have the means to go on [HAMILTON] So I offered her a loan, I offered to walk her home, she said: [MARIA] You’re too kind, sir [HAMILTON] I gave her thirty bucks that I had socked away She lived a block away, she said: [MARIA] This one’s mine, sir [HAMILTON] Then I said, “Well, I should head back home,” She turned red, she led me to her bed Let her legs spread and said: [MARIA] Stay? [HAMILTON] Hey… [MARIA] Hey… [HAMILTON] That’s when I began to pray: Lord, show me how to Say no to this I don’t know how to Say no to this But my God, she looks so helpless And her body’s saying, “Hell, yes” [MARIA] Woah... [HAMILTON] No, show me how to [HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE] Say no to this [HAMILTON] I don’t know how to [HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE] Say no to this [HAMILTON] In my mind, I’m tryin’ to go [ENSEMBLE] Go! Go! Go! [HAMILTON] Then her mouth is on mine, and I don’t say… [ENSEMBLE] No! No! Say no to this! No! No! Say no to this! No! No! Say no to this! No! No! Say no to this! [HAMILTON] I wish I could say that was the last time I said that last time. It became a pastime A month into this endeavor, I received a letter From a Mr. James Reynolds, even better, it said: [JAMES] Dear Sir, I hope this letter finds you in good health And in a prosperous enough position to put wealth In the pockets of people like me: down on their luck You see, that was my wife who you decided to [HAMILTON] Fuuuu— [JAMES] Uh-oh! You made the wrong sucker a cuckold So time to pay the piper for the pants you unbuckled And hey, you can keep seein’ my whore wife If the price is right; if not I’m telling your wife [HAMILTON] I hid the letter and I raced to her place Screamed “How could you?!” in her face She said: [MARIA] No, sir! [HAMILTON] Half dressed, apologetic. A mess, she looked Pathetic, she cried: [MARIA] Please don’t go, sir! [HAMILTON] So was your whole story a setup? [MARIA] I don’t know about any letter! [HAMILTON] Stop crying Goddamnit, get up! [MARIA] I didn’t know any better [HAMILTON] I am ruined... [MARIA & HAMILTON] Please don’t leave me with him helpless (I am helpless—how could I do this?) Just give him what he wants and you can have me I don’t want you Whatever you want (I don’t want you) [MARIA, HAMILTON, & ENSEMBLE] If you pay (I don’t…) You can stay Lord, show me how to Say no to this (Say no to this!) Tonight (I don’t know how to) (Say no to this!) Say no to this 'Cause the situation’s helpless (Helpless) And her body’s screaming, “Hell, yes” (Woah!) How can you (No, show me how to) (Say no to this!) Say no to this? (Say no to this) (Say no to this!) How can I say no to this? There is nowhere I can go (Go! Go! Go!) When her body’s on mine, I do not say… (No!) [HAMILTON, MARIA, & ENSEMBLE] Yes (Yes!) Say no to this! No! Yes (Yes!) Say no to this! No! Yes (Yes!) Say no to this! No! Yes (Yes!) Say no to this! Say no to this… I don’t say no to this (Don’t say no to this) There is nowhere I can go Go, go, go... [JAMES] So? [HAMILTON] Nobody needs to know