Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Jasmine Cephas Jones
Vocals
Leslie Odom, Jr.
Vocals
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Vocals
Sydney James Harcourt
Vocals
Original Broadway Cast of "Hamilton"
Vocals
Robin Macatangay
Guitar
Richard Hammond
Bass
Anja Wood
Cello
Alex Lacamoire
Conductor
Andres Forero
Drums
Laura Sherman
Harp
Benny Reiner
Keyboards
Kurt Crowley
Keyboards
Erin Mayland
Violin
Jeremy King
Assistant Programming
Jonathan Dinklage
Orchestra Leader
Mario Gotoh
Viola
Nevin Steinberg
Sound Effects
Randy Cohen
Synthesizer
Scott Wasserman
Programming
Taylor Williams
Synthesizer Programming
Will Wells
Sampler
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Composer
Jason Robert Brown
Composer
Ron Chernow
Based on the Work of
Alex Lacamoire
Orchestrator
Emily Grishman
Copyist
Katharine Edmonds
Copyist
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Producer
Alex Lacamoire
Producer
Tom Coyne
Mastering Engineer
Tim Latham
Mixing Engineer
Ahmir Thompson
Producer
Bill Sherman
Producer
Tariq Trotter
Producer
Craig Kallman
Associate Producer
Derik Lee
Recording Engineer
Ebonie Smith
Assistant Engineer
Nevin Steinberg
Sound Design
Riggs Morales
Associate Producer
Ron Robinson
Assistant Engineer
Sean Patrick Flahaven
Associate Producer
Thomas Kail
Associate Producer
Tyler Hartman
Assistant Engineer
Lyrics
[Intro]
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
[Verse 1]
I hadn't slept in a week, I was weak, I was awake
You've 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
[Verse 2]
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
[Verse 3]
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
[Verse 4]
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
[Chorus]
Lord, show me how to say no to this
I don't know how to say no to this
But my God, she looked 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
[Refrain]
No, no, say no to this
No, no, say no to this
No, no, say no to this
No, no, say no to this
[Verse 5]
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
[Verse 6]
"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
Fu-
[Verse 7]
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"
[Verse 8]
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
[Bridge]
So was your whole story a setup?
I don't know about any letter
Stop crying, goddammit, 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
[Chorus]
Lord, show me how to say no to this
I don't know how to say no to this
I
'Cause the situation's helpless
Helpless
And her body's screaming, "Hell, yes"
Whoa
No, show me how to say no to this
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
[Refrain]
(No) Yes
Say no to this
(No) Yes
Say no to this
(No) Yes
Say no to this
(No) Yes
Say no to this (Yes)
[Outro]
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
Written by: Jason Robert Brown, Lin-Manuel Miranda