Song: The Freshmen
Band: The Verve Pipe
Album: Villains (1996)
Tabbed by: Kyle Cameron (jjcamero@chat.carleton.ca)
The Version of The Freshmen by The Verve Pipe already here is completely right, but I have figured
out what seems to me a much easier way to play it. If you capo the guitar on the 2nd fret, you can
play it in the same key using D, Bm, A, and G. Or you can play it without a capo, and make it easier
for a lower voice to sing it (that's what I do!)
***A " / "means slide. : )
Intro: (Play twice)
D G Bm A G
e-------------4--3----------------------------3-----------------------------------------------------
B----------3--------3-----0-------0--3--0--------------------3--------------------------------0-
G------2---------------2---------------------------------4---------4--------------------0---------
D---0-------------------------------------------------4------4---------------0------0-------0----
A--------------------------------------------------2----------------------0-------------------------
E-------------------------------3-------------------------------------------------3-----------------
Verse: (Twice per verse)
Dsus2 G Bm A G
e-----------------0----------------------------3--------------------------------------------------------
B---------3--------------3---------0--3--0-----------------------3--------------------------------0-
G-----2------2------2-----0-------------------------------4----------4--------------------0---------
D--0----------------------------------------------------4-------4---------------0------0-------0-----
A----------------------------------------------------2----------------------0---------------------------
E--------------------------------3--------------------------------------------------3-------------------
"Pre-chorus": (Four times)
Bm A G
e---------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------------------0---
G--------4------------2--------------0----------
D-----4----4------2-----0-------0-----0-------
A--2-----------0---------------------------------
E------------------------------3------------------
For the Chorus, you can choose either the above Intro progression or the Verse progression, depending on which one you
think sounds better. I personally like the Verse one: the open 'e' is really pretty. Play it two times for the first two
choruses, and then four times for the third and final one.
Bridge A: (Play three times, then go to Bridge B)
F#5 G5 D A
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------3------------2----
G--------------------------------2------------2---2--
D--------4--------------5-----0-----------2-----------
A-----4--------------5-----0-----------0---------------
E--2-------2--2/3--------------------------------------
Bridge B: (Same as Bridge A, but let last A chord ring; I think it sounds better if you mute the high
e string)
F#5 G5 D A
e----------------------------------------x---
B-----------------------------------3---2---
G--------------------------------2------2---
D--------4--------------5-----0--------2---
A-----4--------------5-----0-----------0--
E--2-------2--2/3--------------------------
So! Putting it together, it goes:
Intro
Verse:
When I was young, I knew everything
And she a punk who rarely ever took advice
And now I'm guilt stricken sobbin' with my head on the floor
Stoppin' baby's breath and a shoe full of rice, no... (Yes, those are actually the words. I don't understand them, but I
checked the CD jacket!)
Pre-chorus:
I can't be held responsible
'Cause she was touching her face
I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place
Chorus:
For the life of me, I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and we never compromise
For the life of me, I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen
Between the Chorus and the 2nd verse, play the Intro or the Verse progression ONCE, not twice.
Verse:
My best friend took a week's vacation to forget her
His girl took a week's worth of vallium and slept and now he's
Guilt stricken sobbin' with his head on the floor
Thinks about her now and how he never really wept, he says
Pre-chorus (Words are the same)
Chorus (Words are the same)
Bridge (A then B). Let A chord ring for as long as seems fit.
Verse:
We tried to wash our hands of all of this
We never talk of a lack in relationships
And how we're guilt stricken sobbin' with our heads on the floor
We fell through the ice when we tried not to slip, we'd say
Pre-chorus (Words are the same, but build the volume)
Chorus, played twice. This is where his voice gets all loud and emotional, so build the volume more (if possible), but on
the second "I cannot believe..." drop it back down to quiet again.
After the chorus, while he says "We were merely freshmen... We were only freshmen" play again either the Intro or
the Verse, whichever you prefer (twice), but slow it down on near the Bm of the second time and finish off on the open G
chord, or at least the three or four lower notes. In this case, I play the Intro because it sortof ties the whole song together
(same at the end as the beginning, see?).
Also, there's a little, fun leady thing that I do on the D chord in the last run of the progression, and I'm not sure if I
learned it from the song, or if I made it up, but here it is anyways, because it's fun.
D G Bm A G G G
e-------------4--3-----3/5--3-------------------3--------------------------------------------x-x-x--------------
B----------3--------3-----------------0--3--0--------------------------3---------------------x-x-x--------------
G------2---------------------------------------------------------4-----------4-----------------x-x-x----0---0---
D---0--------------------------------------------------------4-------4----------------2-------x-x-x-----0--0----
A--------------------------------------------------------2--------------------------0-----------x-x-x----2---2---
E----------------------------------3--------------------------------------------------------3---x-x-x----3---3---
Enjoy, and I hope it makes sense!