What's the frequency, Kenneth? Chords
by REM
What's the frequency, Kenneth? by REM is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of A. It uses the chords D, A, G, Bm and E. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
Intro: | D A | G | D A | G | (the "A" chord is just played once)
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
G A
I thought I'd pegged you an idiot's dream
G A
Tunnel vision from the outsider's screen
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
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"
G A
A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
G A
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
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
Chords over solo: Bm A (x3)
A A G A
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|------------------------|------------|-
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
G A
You smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
G A
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
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
End on {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|-------------------------