In the Heights is more than a movie—if you ask us, it's a parade of nonstop exuberance. Out now in theaters and on HBO Max, The Lin-Manuel Miranda-created musical is set over the course of three sweltering days in Washington Heights.
There's no song that screams "summer" more than "96,000," which plays early in the musical and sets up the action. The sequence was filmed over two days at Highbridge Pool, a real public pool in upper Manhattan, and features 500 extras.
Like Miranda's other hit show Hamilton, In the Heights is characterized by its fast-paced, hip-hop-infused songs. Listening to an ensemble number like "96,000," you may long for a pause button to parse the lyrics and appreciate their clever turns.
At the start of the song, Usnavi (played by Anthony Ramos) learns that his bodega sold the winning ticket to a $96,000 jackpot. "The song is about all of these people wondering what they would do if they were the winners of that amount," Miranda explained in a video from the 2008 cast recording.
In doing so, the characters reveal their true ambitions. Vanessa, who feels her path is being stifled in Washington Heights, dreams of moving downtown and becoming a fashion designer. Usnavi wants to have a simpler life in the Dominican Republic. Sonny is politically minded, aiming to improve conditions in the barrio. Benny would go to business school.
But what you're hearing in the movie musical is slightly different than the version featured on the Broadway cast recording, released in 2008. The original lyrics contain a reference to former President Donald Trump. Benny sings, "I'll be a businessman, richer than Nina's daddy! / Donald Trump and I on the links, and he's my caddy!" In the version you'll hear in the movie, Trump has been altered to Tiger Woods.
Speaking to Variety, Miranda explained why the reference was removed from the new version. "When I wrote it, he was an avatar for the Monopoly man," he said of Trump in an interview with Variety. "He was just, like, a famous rich person. Then when time moves on and he becomes the stain on American democracy, you change the lyric. Time made a fool of that lyric, and so we changed it."
In a separate interview with Variety, the film's screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes also commented on the lyrics. "When that lyric was written, it was in a teasing way because of what Donald Trump represented in that time," Hudes said. "It got to a point where teasing didn't quite cover it. There was so much harm and damage done to the communities that we were trying to uplift in this movie. In the spirit of the movie, his name doesn't have a place in a teasing way."
This is one of a few alterations. For example, the movie incorporated a new plot line about undocumented immigrants not found in the original. But the biggest change is found in the transition from stage to screen. The Broadway rendition of "96,000" wasn't filmed in an actual pool on a summer day—but was no less electric. To see for yourself, check out the below recording from the show, first broadcast on PBS.
And, without further ado, here are the lyrics to the film adaptation's version of "96,000."
"96,000" Lyrics, per Genius
[USNAVI]
Ninety-six thousand!
[SONNY/BENNY]
Damn!
[USNAVI]
Ninety-six thousand!
[SONNY]
Dollars? Holler!
[USNAVI]
Ninety-six thousand!
[GRAFFITI PETE, spoken]
That's a lotta spray cans
[USNAVI]
Ninety-six thousand!
[BENNY]
Yo,
If I won the lotto tomorrow
Well, I know I wouldn't bother goin' on no spendin' spree
I pick a business school and pay the entrance fee!
Then maybe if you're lucky, you'll stay friends with me!
I'll be a businessman, richer than Nina's daddy!
Tiger Woods and I on the links, and he's my caddy!
My money's makin' money, I'm goin' from po' to mo' dough!
Keep the bling, I want the brass ring, like Frodo!
[USNAVI]
Oh no, here goes Mr. Braggadocio
Next thing you know, you're lying like Pinocchio—
[BENNY]
Yo, if you're scared of the bull, stay out the rodeo!
[GRAFFITI PETE]
Yo, I got more flows than Obi-Wan Kenobio
[USNAVI]
Ooh, you bеtter stop rappin', you not ready
It's gonna get hot and hеavy
And you already sweaty—
[GRAFFITI PETE]
Yo-yo-yo! Yo!
[USNAVI]
Yo, yo! I'm sorry is that an answer?
Shut up, go home and pull ya damn pants up!
As for you, Mr. Frodo of the Shire—
[BENNY]
What?
[USNAVI]
96 G's ain't enough to retire
[BENNY]
C'mon, I'll have enough to knock your ass off its axis!
[USNAVI]
You'll have a knapsack full of jack after taxes
[SONNY]
Ninety-six thousand!
[WOMAN, spoken]
Ay, alabanza!
[SONNY & NEIGHBORS]
Ninety-six thousand!
[WOMAN, spoken]
No me diga!
[SONNY & NEIGHBORS]
Ninety-six thousand!
[MAN, spoken]
I never win shit!
[SONNY]
Ninety-six thousand!
[BENNY]
For real, though, imagine how it would feel goin' real slow
Down the highway of life with no regrets
And no breakin' your neck for respect or a paycheck
For real, though, I'll take a break from the wheel and we'll throw
The biggest block party, everybody here
A weekend when we can breathe, take it easy
[NEIGHBORS]
Yo! Ma, it's me, check my tickets!
[CARLA]
Check one two three
What would you do with ninety-six G's—
[DANIELA]
Who me?
[CARLA]
I mean if it's just between you and me—
[DANIELA]
Esa pregunta es tricky!
[CARLA/CUCA]
I know!
[DANIELA]
With ninety-six G's
I'd start my life with a brand new lease
Atlantic City with a Malibu Breeze
[CARLA]
And a brand new weave!
[CUCA]
Or maybe just bleach...
[VANESSA]
Y'all are freaks.
[USNAVI, spoken]
Yo, I'm just sayin'...
(sung)
It's silly when we get into these crazy hypotheticals
You really want some bread? Then go ahead create a set of goals
And cross them off the list as you pursue 'em
And with those ninety-six, I know precisely what I'm doin'
[VANESSA]
What'chu doin'?
[USNAVI]
What'm I doin? What'm I doin?
It takes half of that cash just to save my ass from financial ruin
Sonny can keep the coffee brewin'
I'll spend a few on you
'Cause the only room with a view is a room with you in it
And I could give Abuela Claudia the rest of it
Just fly me down to Puerto Plata, I'll make the best of it!
You really love this business?
[SONNY]
No
[USNAVI]
Tough, Merry Christmas
You're now the youngest tycoon in Washington Hiznits!
[SONNY]
Yo!
With ninety-six thousand, I'd finally fix housin'
Give the barrio computers and wireless web browsin'
Your kids are livin' without a good edjumication
Change the station, teach 'em about gentrification
The rent is escalatin'
[NEIGHBORS]
What?!
[SONNY]
The rich are penetratin'
[NEIGHBORS]
What?!
[SONNY]
We pay our corporations when we should be demonstratin'
[NEIGHBORS]
What?!
[SONNY]
What about immigration?
[NEIGHBORS]
What?!
[SONNY]
Politicians be hatin'
[NEIGHBORS]
What?!
[SONNY]
Racism in this nation's gone from latent to blatant
[NEIGHBORS]
Oooooh!
[SONNY]
I'll cash my ticket and picket, invest in protest
Never lose my focus till the city takes notice
And you know this man! I'll never sleep
Because the ghetto has a million promises for me to keep!
[NEIGHBORS]
Woo!
[VANESSA, spoken]
You're so cute
[SONNY, spoken]
I was just thinking off the top of my head
[USNAVI, spoken]
Ninety-six K: Go.
[VANESSA]
If I win the lottery, you'll never see me again
[USNAVI]
Damn, we only jokin', stay broke then
[VANESSA]
I'll be downtown
Get a nice studio, get out of the barrio
[VANESSA]
If I
win the
lottery
You'll wonder where
I've been
[BENNY, accompanying VANESSA]
For real, though
Imagine how it would feel goin' real slow,
Down the highway of life with no regrets,
And no breakin' your neck for respect or a paycheck—
[VANESSA, accompanying BENNY]
I'll be downtown,
See you around,
If I win the lottery,
You won't see a lot of me!
I'll be downtown,
See you around!
[WOMEN]
Why-oh!
[VANESSA]
Around!
[WOMEN]
Why-oh!
[BENNY]
For real though,
I'll take a break from the wheel
And we'll throw,
The biggest block party
Everybody here,
A weekend when we can breathe, take it easy,
For real though,
imagine how it would feel
Goin' real slow,
Down the highway of life with no regrets
And no breakin' your neck
for respect or a paycheck,
For real though,
I'll take a break from the wheel
And we'll throw
the biggest block party
everybody here,
A weekend when we can breathe,
take it easy
[USNAVI, with BENNY and VANESSA]
Yo, it's silly when we get into these crazy hypotheticals,
You really want some bread?
Then go ahead create a set of goals,
And cross 'em off the list as you pursue 'em,
And with those ninety-six I know precisely what I'm doin'
Yo, it's silly when we get into these crazy hypotheticals,
You really want some bread?
Then go ahead create a set of goals,
And cross 'em off the list as you pursue 'em,
And with those ninety-six I know precisely what I'm doin'
Yo, it's silly when we get into these crazy hypotheticals,
You really want some bread?
Then go ahead create a set of goals,
And cross 'em off the list as you pursue 'em,
And with those ninety-six I know precisely what I'm doin'
[ENSEMBLE]
Ninety-six
thousand
[CARLA]
No me diga!
[ENSEMBLE]
Ninety-six
thousand
[DAN/CAR/SN]
No me diga!
[ENSEMBLE]
Ninety-six
thousand
[DANIELA/CARLA/CUCA with ALL]
No me diga!
[COMMUNITY]
Why-oh!
[CARLA]
Check, one, two, three!
[ALL MEN]
And with the dollah dollah
[VANESSA]
With ninety-six G's
[ALL MEN]
We get to hollah hollah
[VANNESA]
Between you and me
[ALL MEN]
We rock the hot Impala
[COMMUNITY]
Why-oh!
[ALL]
With ninety-six G's
[MEN]
We movin' on tomorrah
[WOMEN]
A brand new lease
[MEN]
We rock beyond mañana
[WOMEN]
A Malibu Breeze…
[MEN]
We drop the mama drama
We stop at the Bahamas!
We drink piña coladas!
Poppin' lockin' up the block
Drop it like it's hot!
[VANESSA]
I'll be downtown!
[USNAVI/BENNY/SONNY]
We could pay off the debts we
owe!
[VANESSA/CARLA/DANIELA]
We could tell everyone we
know!
[USNAVI]
I could get on a plane and go!
[USNAVI/BENNY/SONNY]
We be swimmin' in dough, Yo!
[USNAVI/BENNY/SONNY/ VANESSA/GRAFFITI PETE/MEN]
No tip-toein' We'll get the dough 'n'
[WOMEN/MEN]
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
Who-oaa!
[ALL]
Once we get goin'
We're never gonna
Stop tip-toein'
We'll get the dough an'
Once we get goin'
We're never gonna—
[SONNY/PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/CARLA/VANESSA]
Ninety-six
thousand
Ninety-six
thousand
Ninety-six
thousand
Ninty-six
Thousand
Ninety six
Thousand
Ninety-six
Thousand
Ninety-six
Thousand
[WOMEN]
No more
Tip-toein'
We'll get the
Dough an'
Once we
Get goin'
Let the world
Know an'
Ninety-six
Thousand
Ninety-six
Thousand
[USNAVI/BENNY/
GRAFFITI PETE]
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
[MEN]
Why-oh!
Why-oh!
Why-oh!
Why-oh!
[COMPANY]
We'll get the dough 'n'
Once we get goin'
We're never gonna stop!
