Say No to This

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Sydney James Harcourt, Leslie Odom, Jr.

About Say No to This

"Say No to This" is the fourth song from Act 2 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. In this song, "Hamilton's eye begins wandering", as he has an affair with Maria Reynolds.


Year:
2015
4:02
23,465 
#40

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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

I hadn't slept in a week
I was weak, I was awake
You 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

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

She said

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

So I offered her a loan, I offered to walk her home, she said

You're too kind, sir

I gave her thirty bucks that I had socked away
She lived a block away, she said

This one's mine, sir

Then I said, well, I should head back home
She turned red, she led me to her bed
Let her legs spread and said

Stay

Hey

Hey

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

Whoa

No, show me how to say no to this

I don't know how to say no to this

In my mind, I'm tryin' to go (go, go, go)

Then her mouth is on mine, and I don't say

No, no (say no to this)
No, no (say no to this)
No, no (say no to this)
No, no (say no to this)

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

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 (fuuuu)

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

I hid the letter and I raced to her place
Screamed how could you in her face, she said

No, sir

Half dressed, apologetic, a mess, she looked pathetic, she cried

Please don't go, sir

So was your whole story a setup

I don't know about any letter (stop crying God dammit, get up)

I didn't know any better (I am ruined)

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, I don't want you)

Whatever you want, if you pay	 

You can stay (Lord, show me how to say no to this)
I don't know how to say no to this
'Cause the situation's helpless

And her body's screaming, hell, yes

No, show me how to say no to this (whoa)
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) yes

Say no to this

(Yes) say no to this (no)

(Yes) say no to this (no)

(Yes) say no to this (no)

Say no to this I don’t say no to this
There is nowhere I can go (go, go, go)
So?

Nobody needs to know

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Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is a Puerto Rican composer, lyricist, playwright, rapper, and actor best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton. He co-wrote the songs for Walt Disney Animation Studios' Moana soundtrack (2016) and co-starred in the film Mary Poppins Returns. Miranda's awards include a Pulitzer Prize, three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a MacArthur Fellowship, three Tony Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Miranda was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2018. Miranda wrote the music and lyrics for the musical In the Heights, which premiered on Broadway in 2008. For this work, he won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Original Score, the show's cast album won the 2009 Grammy Award… more »

34 fans

Written by: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Song Classification
"Say No to This" is a song from the famous Broadway musical "Hamilton," which was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Character Representation
In the musical, the song is sung by the characters Alexander Hamilton, Maria Reynolds, and the ensemble. Hamilton is voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Maria Reynolds by Jasmine Cephas Jones.
Storyline Context
The song narrates one of Hamilton's significant and scandalous points in his life - his extramarital affair with Maria Reynolds.
Historical Connection
The song is based on a real-life affair that Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Treasury Secretary, had with Maria Reynolds.
Style and Musicality
The song is primarily an R&B track with hip-hop elements, reflecting Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical style that fuses traditional theater with modern genres.
Release Date
"Say No to This" was released on September 25th, 2015, as part of the original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton.
Production Team
The song was produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, Questlove, and Black Thought.
Reception
Like the rest of the musical, "Say No To This" received critical acclaim for its storytelling, melody, and innovative fusion of musical styles.
Impact on the Musical
The song sets the stage for many of the later events in the musical and is pivotal in showcasing Hamilton's flaws and vulnerabilities.
Song Placement
"Say No to This" is the fifteenth song in Act Two of Hamilton.
Unique Element
In the song, unlike other traditional Broadway numbers, the protagonist does not resist the temptation but succumbs to it, thus, deviating from a more typical 'overcoming temptation' narrative.

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