"Helpless" is the tenth song in Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, which tells the story of Alexander Hamilton. The musical first performed on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda created both the music and the words for the song.

Synopsis

This song tells the story of the love and marriage between Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton. Eliza meets Hamilton at a ball in Morristown, where the Army was staying during the winter of early 1780. Her sister, Angelica, introduces them. After meeting, they begin writing letters to each other. Hamilton quickly asks Eliza’s father, Philip Schuyler, for permission to marry her, and he agrees. Hamilton shares his worries about being an orphan and not having much money or high social status, but Eliza reassures him. The song ends with the Bridal Chorus, a musical piece played at their wedding.

Although the musical Hamilton is based on real events, the story includes some changes made for the performance. These changes include:

• Eliza was in Morristown alone in early February 1780, staying with her paternal aunt Gertrude and Gertrude’s husband, Dr. John Cochran.
• Angelica had already married John Barker Church three years before meeting Hamilton at her sister’s wedding in December 1780. At that time, she was already the mother of two of her eight children with Church.

Style

The Huffington Post described the song as "a mix of Cole Porter and Ja Rule, a sweet pop and R&B song." Phillipa Soo stated that the song was inspired by Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Etta James. Musical director Alex Lacamoire explained that the Beyoncé reference comes from the line "Stressin'! Blessin'!," which sounds similar to "Houston rocket!" from Beyoncé's song "Countdown." He said the performers were asked to deliver the line in that style. Slate noted that the "big R&B love song" was influenced by Beyoncé's "Countdown" because of its "half-rapped, half-sung rhythm," and mentioned that the lyrics "the boy is mine" reference the song of the same name by Brandy and Monica. According to NPR, the song also includes a hip hop reference through a lyrical nod to Trina and Mannie Fresh's song "Da Club." GCAdvocate reported that in "Satisfied," Eliza's character, Angelica Schuyler, raps and remixes the song "Helpless." The LA Times said the song has "the style of Destiny's Child." The Man Eater compared Eliza's singing style to "the style of Beyoncé."

Critical reception

GCAdvocate noted that "Soo's repeated use of 'I do' in the pop song hints at their wedding," which appears at the song's conclusion. The Hollywood Reporter stated that "'Helpless' compares favorably to other popular songs about love at first sight by showing the excitement and happiness of sudden, intense love." The Washington Post described the song as "an elegant interpretation of Hamilton's relationship with Eliza by a girl group." The American Conservative remarked that the song is "a beautiful piece where helplessness can feel like a child's fear but also a lover's joy."

Mixtape version

The song "Helpless" on The Hamilton Mixtape is performed by Ashanti and Ja Rule, who Lin-Manuel Miranda names as inspirations for writing the song. Miranda told Entertainment Weekly, "Ashanti and Ja Rule were in my mind when I wrote 'Helpless.' The song follows how Ashanti and Ja Rule usually structure their music: two verses, two choruses, a guest rap, then back to the chorus." About getting Ashanti and Ja Rule to perform the song for the mixtape, producer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson said in an interview:

A different version by The Regrettes was released on May 31, 2018.