Sit Down, John
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| "Sit Down, John" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Written | 1964 |
| Published | 1969 |
| Songwriter | Sherman Edwards |
| 1972 film recording | |
| "Sit Down, John" on YouTube | |
"Sit Down, John" (originally published as "For God's Sake, John, Sit Down") is the opening number, written by Sherman Edwards for the musical 1776, a dramatization of the debate over and signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. In the song, John Adams urges the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence from Great Britain, but the delegates to the Congress repeatedly call on him to sit down. Adams, played by William Daniels in the 1969 original Broadway production and the 1972 film version, introduces the musical's irreverent tone toward the founding fathers. "Sit Down, John" influenced the composition of Hamilton, a 2015 musical in which Adams does not appear but in which he is discussed.
Synopsis
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The musical begins with Adams giving a speech alone on stage criticizing the Congress for its unwillingness to vote for the colonies' independence from Great Britain. The curtain then rises to reveal the Congress, who sing "Sit down, John!" In the number, Adams rises, arguing for the delegates to the Congress to vote for independence, while the delegates, distracted by the summer heat in Philadelphia and annoyed by Adams, repeatedly call on him to "Sit down, John!"[1] This is interspersed with calls to open a window in the Pennsylvania State House to provide ventilation during the oppressive heat, which eventually elicits replies that the window is closed because there are too many flies in Philadelphia.
Analysis
[edit]The song—described by Dan Dietz as a 10-minute operetta number in the style of Mozart[2]—introduces Adams as a "ludicrous" foil to the more romantically portrayed Thomas Jefferson and contributed to Adams' portrayal in history as somewhat comical and crotchety.[3] One scholar interprets the refrain of "Sit down, John!" as a sign of Congressional delegates' panic when considering the full implications of a declaration of independence.[4]
Peter Stone, who wrote the book for 1776, said later that "[t]he minute you heard ['Sit Down, John'], you knew ... that John Adams and the others were not going to be treated as gods or cardboard characters, chopping down cherry trees and flying kites with strings and keys on them. It had this very affectionate familiarity; it wasn't reverential."[5]
Influence
[edit]The tone of the song influenced Lin-Manuel Miranda in the writing of Hamilton. "To begin an opening number with everyone telling another guy to shut up—what better way to pull these people that we see on statues and on our currency off of the pedestal? It's an extraordinary opening number," Miranda said.[1] Adams does not appear as a character in Hamilton, but he is discussed.[6] Miranda echoes the refrain of "Sit Down, John" in the Hamilton song "The Adams Administration", in which Alexander Hamilton raps "Sit down, John, you fat motherfu–".[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Weinstock, Matt (July 4, 2021). "Lin-Manuel Miranda and William Daniels Talk Hamilton, 1776, Mr. Feeny, and More". Playbill. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Dietz, Dan (2014). The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 504. ISBN 9798216262923. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ Allen, Brooke (2011). "John Adams: Innocent Sage". The Hudson Review. 64 (2). Hudson Review, Inc.: 259. ISSN 0018-702X. JSTOR 41300651. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Pozorski, Aimee (Spring 2009). "American Pastoral and the Traumatic Ideals of Democracy". Philip Roth Studies. 5 (1): 88. doi:10.5703/philrothstud.5.1.75. JSTOR 10.5703/philrothstud.5.1.75. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ Kantor, Michael; Maslon, Laurence (2004). Broadway: The American Musical. New York: Bulfinch Press. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ Tran, Diep (September 29, 2022). "Why the Broadway musical '1776' is the original 'Hamilton'". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- ↑ Ivy, Kade (2022). "Dramatizing the American Revolution on the Way to Hamilton". In Northrop, Chloe (ed.). The Hamilton Phenomenon. Wilmington, Delaware: Vernon Press. p. 16. ISBN 9781648894220. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
