This column goes out to all the theater kids, as we delve into a sound from the smash hit musical Hamilton. Since it burst onto the scene in 2015, the biographical musical has taught us numerous lessons about love, life, friendship, and most importantly, death. Cheerful, right?
Still, the song “History Has Its Eyes On You” in particular urges us to think of the legacy we’re leaving behind. It’s safe to say that the tune is a pretty somber and heavy one, but in true TikTok style, Gen Z-ers have adopted it as the soundtrack to more lighthearted moments. Or, more specifically, the soundtrack to moments that make them want to shrivel up and die due to the sheer cringe of it all.
The sound
@hannibals.sandwich 😔 #marvel ♬ History Has Its Eyes on You – Christopher Jackson & Lin-Manuel Miranda & Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton
The trend involves someone singing: “Even now I lie awake/knowing history has its eyes on me.” As they lip-sync the lyric, TikTokers gaze and caress what is presumably their past selves in the mirror.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, as the thing that’s keeping most of these TikTokers awake at night is deeply cringeworthy secrets from their youth. This includes drawing yaoi of homophobic classmates, writing Hamilton strip club AU fanfiction, cosplaying for your seventh grade dance, and becoming the face of the wolf cut on Pinterest.
The sound has become especially popular with those who ended up becoming a niche internet microcelebrity for a multitude of reasons, including MCU POVs and being the Marxist hucow. But these barely scratch the surface of the wild revelations that are being made under this sound, which has been used 7,312 times.
Where’s it from?
@leathermouths i could make SO many of these
♬ History Has Its Eyes on You – Christopher Jackson & Lin-Manuel Miranda & Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton
This sound comes from the Hamilton song, “History Has Its Eyes On You.” It’s sung by Christopher Jackson, who plays George Washington in the original Broadway production.
In the song, Washington recounts mistakes he made in the French and Indian war which still haunt him, because he knows that the eyes of history will not look kindly upon his mistake. It’s a cautionary tale about how, with one grave mistake, Washington sealed his legacy.
As he sings this song to Hamilton, he warns him not to make the same mistake and to remember that, ultimately, we have no say in how history actually remembers us.
Sound off
@greenlee_oxox They genuinely liked the art too 😭 #fyp ♬ History Has Its Eyes on You – Christopher Jackson & Lin-Manuel Miranda & Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton
This isn’t the first Hamilton song to go viral on TikTok. Last year, “Dear Theodosia,” sung by Leslie Odom Jr and Lin Manuel Miranda started trending.
The song, which encourages listeners to “Look at my son,” celebrates the no thoughts, smooth brain moments of TikTokers’ furry friends.
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