Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) Songtext
von Lin‐Manuel Miranda

The Battle of Yorktown
1781
Monsieur Hamilton
Monsieur Lafayette
In command where you belong
How you say, no sweat
We′re finally on the field
We've had quite a run
Immigrants
We get the job done
So what happens if we win?
I go back to France
I bring freedom to my people if I′m given the chance
We'll be with you when you do
Go lead your men
I see you on the other side
'Til we meet again, let′s go!


I am not throwin′ away my shot!
I am not throwin' away my shot!
Hey yo, I′m just like my country, I'm young
Scrappy and hungry
And I′m not throwin' away my shot!
I am not throwin′ away my shot!
'Til the world turns upside down...
The world turns upside down!


I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory
This is where it gets me: on my feet
The enemy ahead of me
If this is the end of me, at least I have a friend with me
Weapon in my hand, a command, and my men with me
Then I remember my Eliza's expecting me...
Not only that, my Eliza′s expecting
We gotta go, gotta get the job done
Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son!
Take the bullets out your gun!
What?
The bullets out your gun!
What?
We move under cover and we move as one
Through the night, we have one shot to live another day
We cannot let a stray gunshot give us away
We will fight up close, seize the moment and stay in it
It′s either that or meet the business end of a bayonet
The code word is 'Rochambeau′ dig me?
Rochambeau!
You have your orders now, go, man, go!

Left! Right! Hold!
Go!
What?
What?
What?

After a week of fighting,
A young man in a red coat stands on a parapet
We lower our guns as he frantically waves a white handkerchief
And just like that, it's over.
We tend to our wounded, we count our dead
Black and white soldiers wonder alike if this really means freedom
Not yet

We negotiate the terms of surrender
I see George Washington smile
We escort their men out of Yorktown
They stagger home single file

Tens of thousands of people flood the streets
There are screams and church bells ringing
And as our fallen foes retreat
I hear the drinking song they′re singing...

The world turned upside down
The world turned upside down
The world turned upside down
The world turned upside down
Down

Down, down, down
Freedom for America, freedom for France!
Down, down, down
Gotta start a new nation
Gotta meet my son

Down, down, down
We won!
We won!
We won!
We won!

The world turned upside down!