You better have your tissues ready for this one. “It’s Quiet Uptown”, arguably the most emotional song in the entire musical, occurs after Phillip Hamilton is shot to death. As the song begins, the piano plays a sad tune while Angelica speaks about how painful it must be to lose a child. She explains that when you’re in such a dark place, it feels easier to just shut everyone out and grieve. Hamilton spends most of his time by himself, trying to make peace with this incredible loss. The sound of a violin begins to play in the background, adding to the general feeling of hopelessness that he feels. Despite being someone who could never be satisfied, he finds himself praying to God and grieving in silence. He remarks that Phillip would like it uptown, and sings the lyrics “You knock me out, I fall apart” as a callback to “Dear Theodosia”. At this point, the ensemble comes in, talking about the toll this death has taken on him. They say his hair has gone gray and he talks to himself as he walks in the city.

The next part of the song acts almost as a reprise to “That Would Be Enough” from Act I. Rather than Eliza asking if she will ever be enough for him, Hamilton is asking her if just standing by her side would be enough to help her through this heartbreaking time. He takes the blame for his son’s death, telling her that he would sacrifice himself if it meant bringing Phillip back. A chorus of voices chimes in and mentions that the two of them walk in the park together, using the sights of the city as a distraction from their situation. As they stand in the garden together, Eliza takes Hamilton’s hand and sings “it’s quiet uptown”. Despite everything he has put her through – neglecting the family through his work, having an affair with Maria Reynolds, and being partially responsible for his son’s death – she has chosen to forgive him. The ensemble talks about the level of strength she must have to be able to forgive him, but at the end of the day they just need to be by each other’s side throughout this.

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Despite everything he has put her through – neglecting the family through his work, having an affair with Maria Reynolds, and being partially responsible for his son’s death – she has chosen to forgive him

The mixtape version, performed by Kelly Clarkson, begins with a more modern sound that is similar to synthwave. However, once Kelly starts singing, most of the instrumentation dies down in order to allow her voice to cut through. The first main difference between the original and this version is that, rather than the ensemble echoing the chorus, Kelly does it herself. This does a great job of communicating the inner turmoil one may experience when they lose someone. They may blame themselves or try to rationalize the other person’s decisions in an attempt to piece together what exactly went wrong. During the “That Would Be Enough” portion of the song, Kelly’s voice starts off reasonably low and eventually crescendos into a desperate, passionate plea. It would seem as though she is singing through her tears and projecting emotions of anger, betrayal, and confusion.

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The listener begins to hear the swells of Kelly’s voice as the song transitions into the chorus. The simulated call-and-response between the “ensemble” and Kelly herself acts as an internal argument, something that was not as present in the original version. We see the downward spiral that occurs as she is overcome with grief, blaming herself and shutting people out who just want to help. As the song begins to near its end, the instrumentals become mostly muted and you can hear levity in her voice, implying that she has reached a state of peace or acceptance. While the experience is still painful, she has moved past the initial phase of powerfully vocalized grief and is able to come to terms with the loss in a healthy way. As she sings the last “unimaginable” the piano cuts out completely and the song fades out.