Skip to content
FreeGuitarTabs

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

R.E.M.
Version1TuningE2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 (low to high)
TuningE2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 (low to high) Download chord source (.txt)
90

Practice playback uses estimated timing for this text arrangement.

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
{tuning: Standard (EADGBE)}
{section: Intro}
| D A | G | D A | G | (the "A" chord is just played once)
I'd studied your cartoons, radio, music, tv, movies, magazines
Richard said, "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy"
{section: Chords over solo}
{section: Solo}
{sot} (grad. release)
e-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
B-----------------------------|--------------7-----------------|{eot}
{sot}G---7b-----(7)----(7)------6--|--6--4--7---------4---4--4--4---|
D-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
A-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
E-----------------------------|--------------------------------|{eot}
{sot} (grad. bend)
e------------------------|--------------------------------|
B------------------------|--------------------------------|
G---4------7b---(7)--4---|--7b------------------7---------|
D-------7----------------|-------------------------7--7---|
A------------------------|--------------------------------|
E------------------------|--------------------------------|{eot}
{sot}e---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|
B------------------7--|----------------|---7---------|------------------------|
G------4---4---7------|--4---7h6---7---|----------4--|-9b----(9)--7-----------|
D--7------------------|----------------|-------------|---------------9--(9)\7-|
A---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|
E---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|{eot}
{sot}e------------------------|-------------|
B------------------------|------8b-----|
G------------------------|------7b-----|
D--5------------7b--(7)--|-------------|
A------------------------|-------------|
E------------------------|-------------|{eot}
"What's the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
Butterfly decal, rearview mirror, dogging the scene
End on D.
Fill 1:
{sot}e------------------|
B------------------|{eot}
{sot}G----9b---(9)------|
D--------------7---|
A------------------|
E------------------|{eot}
Fill 2:
{sot}e-----------------|
B-----------------|
G-----------------|
D------5h4--------|
A-------------7---|
E-----------------|{eot}
Rhythm Fill 1:
{sot} w/ amp tremolo
e-------------------------|
B-------------------------|
G-----2-------------------|
D-----2-------------------|
A-----0-------------------|
E-------------------------|{eot}

Source: Songsterr · Rights holder? Request removal.

Readable chord sheet for What's the Frequency, Kenneth? by R.E.M.

Tuning: E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 (low to high)

{tuning: Standard (EADGBE)}
{section: Intro}
| D  A | G | D  A | G |  (the "A" chord is just played once)

[A]"What's the [D]frequency, [Bm]Kenneth?" is your [G]Benzedrine, uh-[A]huh     [D]         [A]             [G]
[A]I was [D]brain-dead, [Bm]locked out,[G] numb, not up to[A] speed    [D]            [Bm]                  [E]
[G]I thought I'd pegged you an [A]idiot's dream
[G]Tunnel vision from the [A]outsider's screen
[D]I never [A]understood [D]the fre[G]quency, uh[A]-huh   [A]        [G]             [A]
[D]You wore our [A]expectations like an [D]armored [G]suit, uh-[A]huh  [A]       [G]            [A]                 [D]

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 smile like the cartoon, [A]tooth for a tooth
[G]You said that irony was the [A]shackles of youth
[D]You wore a [A]shirt of [D]violent [G]green, uh-[A]huh    [A]         [G]              [A]
[D]I never [A]understood [D]the fre[G]quency, uh-[A]huh    [A]         [G]              [A]

{section: Chords over solo}
[Bm]    [A]
                   [A]   [A]   [G]   [A]

{section: Solo}
{sot}    (grad. release)
e-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
B-----------------------------|--------------7-----------------|{eot}
{sot}G---7b-----(7)----(7)------6--|--6--4--7---------4---4--4--4---|
D-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
A-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
E-----------------------------|--------------------------------|{eot}

{sot}                            (grad. bend)
e------------------------|--------------------------------|
B------------------------|--------------------------------|
G---4------7b---(7)--4---|--7b------------------7---------|
D-------7----------------|-------------------------7--7---|
A------------------------|--------------------------------|
E------------------------|--------------------------------|{eot}

{sot}e---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|
B------------------7--|----------------|---7---------|------------------------|
G------4---4---7------|--4---7h6---7---|----------4--|-9b----(9)--7-----------|
D--7------------------|----------------|-------------|---------------9--(9)\7-|
A---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|
E---------------------|----------------|-------------|------------------------|{eot}

{sot}e------------------------|-------------|
B------------------------|------8b-----|
G------------------------|------7b-----|
D--5------------7b--(7)--|-------------|
A------------------------|-------------|
E------------------------|-------------|{eot}

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]You smile like the cartoon, [A]tooth for a tooth
[G]You said that irony was the [A]shackles of youth
[D]You wore a [A]shirt of [D]violent [G]green, uh-[A]huh       [A]            [G]                 [A]
[D]I never [A]understood [D]the fre[G]quency, uh-[A]huh        [A]             [G]                  [A]
[D]You wore our [A]expectations like an [D]armored [G]suit, uh-[A]huh     [A]
[G]I couldn't [A]understand
[D]You said that [A]irony was the [D]shackles of [G]youth, uh-[A]huh      [A]
[G]I couldn't [A]understand
[D]You wore a [A]shirt of [D]violent [G]green, uh-[A]huh       [A]
[G]I couldn't [A]understand
[D]I never [A]understood,[D] don't f[G]uck with m[A]e, uh-huh  [A]       [G]            [A]

End on D.

Fill 1:

{sot}e------------------|
B------------------|{eot}
{sot}G----9b---(9)------|
D--------------7---|
A------------------|
E------------------|{eot}

Fill 2:

{sot}e-----------------|
B-----------------|
G-----------------|
D------5h4--------|
A-------------7---|
E-----------------|{eot}

Rhythm Fill 1:

{sot}      w/ amp tremolo
e-------------------------|
B-------------------------|
G-----2-------------------|
D-----2-------------------|
A-----0-------------------|
E-------------------------|{eot}

The chord source is shown as supplied because its ChordPro syntax could not be parsed.

More songs by R.E.M.

Browse more →