Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt have added a show tune to the soundtrack of the Parkland, Florida student’s gun-control campaign.
The new song is called “Found Tonight,” and is a mashup of Hamilton’s “The Story of Tonight” and the song “You Will Be Found” from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. It was written and performed by Miranda and Platt, and arranged by Tony-winning orchestrator, Alex Lacamoire, the song was written to benefit the March 24th “March for Our Lives,” organized by Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety activist group and by the survivors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
The song debuted on all major streaming sites on Monday morning.
Rolling Stone reported a statement in which the ever-progressive Miranda said, “In the wake of Parkland, I was awestruck by the strength and leadership of the students and their ability to speak truth to power… This song is my way of helping to raise funds and awareness for their efforts, and to say Thank You.” Well, what else can be expected from a highly-sensitive soul who sees kids embroiled in tragedy? Instead of trying to be rational or encourage proper discussion about Second Amendment rights, he is just adding the to the overall emotional appeal of the entire situation.
Platt felt the same way, of course, asserting that, “Better gun control is something that all Americans should be passionate about.” He added that he was inspired “to see young people standing up for what is probably the most important cause right now in this country, and demanding action.” Of course, lost in all this is the Parkland shooter himself. An individual planned and executed the attack. He pulled the trigger. But it’s easier to blame inanimate objects or political opponents.
The song’s themes are all about the youth’s fight for freedom against an oppressive world without hope. The lyrics include, “We may not yet have reached our glory, but I will gladly join the fight, and when our children tell their story, they’ll tell the story of tonight. They’ll tell the story of tonight.” Those are rousing lyrics in theory. But, when it becomes apparent that the song encourages the reduction of Americans’ essential freedoms, it becomes a little bizarre.
Of course, many on social media fawned over the sappy no-guns song, many of them not shutting up about having to hold back tears because it was so moving. The face of Parkland activism herself, Emma Gonzales, gushed on twitter, saying, “I just listened to it and I can’t stop crying. I’m gonna listen to this forever. Holy heck!”
Using a Tony-winning musical number sure is a clever and heartfelt (read: manipulative and twisted) way to make this gun-reform cause feel like it was born in the spirit of 76’. Well, Miranda, at least your use of dramatic irony is on point.
