R.E.M. – What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

INTRO

D    A G    D    A  G

VERSE 1

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 pegged you an idiot’s dream.
G                       A
 Tunnel vision from the insider’s screen.
D        A          D          G        A    G  A
 I never understood the frequency, uh-huh.
D             A            D               G        A    G  A  D
 You wore our expectations like an armoured suit, uh-huh.

VERSE 2

A                   D                Bm         G           A   D  A  G
 I’d studied you’re cartoons, radio, music, TV, movies, magazines.
A               D              Bm              G          A   D  Bm  E
 Richard said, “withdraw 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    G  A
 You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh.
D        A          D          G        A    G  A  D
 I never understood the frequency, uh-huh.

INSTRUMENTAL [BUCK'S NEW VERSION, NOT FROM THE ORIGINAL RECORD]

   D     A    D   G        A   G A D    A    D    G    A
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----2-23-2-33--2---23-2-3-23------232--232--232--232--232-23-|
G|-2-4--------------24---------2---24---24---24---24---24-------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------| × 1

      G     A      D
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-2---------------3--------------------------------------------|
G|----0-2-4-2--2-4---2------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------| × 1

VERSE 3

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
 Butterfly decal, rear-view 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    G  A
 You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh.
D        A          D          G        A    G  A
 I never understood the frequency, uh-huh.
D             A            D               G        A
 You wore our expectations like an armoured suit, uh-huh.

VERSE 4

G                A
 I couldn’t understand.
D              A             D           G           A
 You said that irony was the shackled of youth, uh-huh.
G                A
 I couldn’t understand.
D           A        D       G           A
 You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh.
G                A
 I couldn’t understand.
D        A           D               G        A    G  A  D
 I never understood, don’t fuck with me, uh-huh.