"Wait for It" is the thirteenth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. It speaks of Aaron Burr's undying determination in the face of Hamilton's swift rise to influence and power. Vocally, it covers a baritenor range of Ab2 to Ab4.
Miranda explained that the song's refrain appeared to him essentially in its final state while taking the subway to a friend's party. He sang the melodic refrain into his iPhone, briefly attended the party, then completed the song on his trip home. He has commented that "Wait for It" and "The Room Where It Happens" are "two of the best songs I've ever written in my life and Leslie Odom Jr. got them both". Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr on Broadway. Miranda further explained the out-of-context significance of the song: "I feel like I have been Burr in my life as many times as I have been Hamilton. I think we've all had moments where we've seen friends and colleagues zoom past us, to success, or to marriage, or to homeownership, while we lingered where we were—broke, single, jobless. And you tell yourself, 'Wait for it.