Whats The Frequency Kenneth Chords

by R.E.M.
131,346 views, added to favorites 7,753 times
Difficulty: beginner
Capo: no capo
Author Henryschecker [a] 61.
2 contributors total, last edit on Jun 14, 2021
We have an official Whats The Frequency Kenneth tab made by UG professional guitarists.
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Chords

D
A
G
Bm
E

Strumming

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[Intro]
| D  A | G | D  A | G |
(the "A" chord is just played once)
 
 
[Verse]
A                      D                 Bm   G         A       D   A   G
"What's the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
A     D           Bm         G               A         D       Bm    E
I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed
 
 
[Pre-Chorus]
G                           A
I thought I'd pegged you an idiot's dream
G                      A
Tunnel vision from the outsider's screen
 
 
[Chorus]
D       A          D      G         A      A    G    A
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
D            A                    D       G        A    A    G    A    D
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
 
 
[Verse 2]
A                D                Bm         G           A         D  A *Fill1  G
I'd studied your cartoons, radio, music, tv, movies, magazines
A       D                    Bm                 G          A    D  Bm *Fill2  E
Richard said, "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy"
 
 
[Pre-Chorus]
G                         A
A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
G                           A
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
 
 
[Chorus]
D          A        D       G         A      A    G    A
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
D       A          D      G          A      A    G    A    D
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
 
 
[Chords over solo]
Bm    A   (x3)
A   A   G   A   D
 
 
[Solo]
     (grad. release)
e|-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------|--------------7-----------------|
G|---7b-----(7)----(7)------6--|--6--4--7---------4---4--4--4---|
D|-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
 
                             (grad. bend)
e|------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|---4------7b---(7)--4---|--7b------------------7---------|
D|-------7----------------|-------------------------7--7---|
A|------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|------------------------|--------------------------------|
 
 
e|---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|
B|------------------7--|----------------|---7---------|------------------------|
G|------4---4---7------|--4---7h6---7---|----------4--|-9b----(9)--7-----------|
D|--7------------------|----------------|-------------|---------------9--(9)\7-|
A|---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|
E|---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|
 
 
e|------------------------|-------------|
B|------------------------|------8b-----|
G|------------------------|------7b-----|
D|--5------------7b--(7)--|-------------|
A|------------------------|-------------|
E|------------------------|-------------|
 
[Verse 3]
A           D          Bm                G              A   D  A  *Fill1   G
"What's the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
A         D      Bm               G           A         D    Bm  *Fill2   E
Butterfly decal, rearview mirror, dogging the scene
 
 
[Pre-Chorus]
G                           A
You smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
G                           A
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
 
 
[Chorus]
D          A        D       G         A         A    G    A
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
D       A          D      G          A          A    G    A
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
D            A                    D       G        A       A
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
G          A
I couldn't understand
D             A             D           G         A        A
You said that irony was the shackles of youth, uh-huh
G          A
I couldn't understand
D          A        D       G         A         A
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
G          A
I couldn't understand
D       A          D       G         A          A    G    A
I never understood, don't fuck with me, uh-huh
 
[Ending]
D
 
 
[Fill 1]
e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|----9b---(9)------|
D|--------------7---|
A|------------------|
E|------------------|
 
[Fill 2]
e|-----------------|
B|-----------------|
G|-----------------|
D|------5h4--------|
A|-------------7---|
E|-----------------|
 
[Rhythm Fill 1]
       w/ amp tremolo
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-----2-------------------|
D|-----2-------------------|
A|-----0-------------------|
E|-------------------------|
 
 
 
************************************
 
| (n)  Ghost note
| b    Bend
| h    Hammer-on
 
************************************
X
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Whats The Frequency Kenneth – R.E.M.
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17 comments
Henryschecker
can't believe this has as many views as it does. thank you so much for the positive responses
+17
nicked2101
Great tab. Absolutely nails it.
+1
laundryroom0125
this is a FANTASTIC write up. thank you so much for all of the time and effort you so graciously put into it. five stars!!!
+1