~Title: Even In His Youth
Artist: Nirvana; lyrics and music by Kurt Cobain.
Recording: 2nd track on the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" CD single. Also known
as "Smells Like a Teenage Single". Previously unreleased.
Tab: 1.0 by Peter Jay Salzman psalzman@stars.sfsu.edu
Beat: Allegro, about 144 bpm.
Sound: Not Cobain's standard sound, which is why this tune is interesting.
Very distorted with the mids turned up super duper (ie 10) and
lows turned up also. A very muddy distortion with lots of
harmonics giving it an almost pipe organ sound. A very Marshall
sound, but in the OPPOSITE sense of Hendrix who had the treble
turned high.
Intro: Feedback on 12 fret, 1st string (high E).
The following riff is the vamp and verse. For those who want to do it
just like the recording, vamp the 2 measures 2 times, then drums enter
on the third time. Vocals enter on the fifth repeat.
C G G# G C G G# G
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|---5--------------->>s>>--->>s>>---|---5--------------->>s>>--->>s>>--.|
|---5-----------5---5---6---6---3---|---5-----------5---5---6---6---3--.|
|---3-----------5---5---6---6---5---|---3-----------5---5---6---6---5---|
+---------------3---3---4---4---5---|---------------3---3---4---4---5---+
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
On the 5th repeat of the above riff, continue the riff and start vocals
as shown:
1 2 3 4
C G G# G
------------------------------------------
Ev en in his
youth. Ev en in his
youth. Ev en in his
youth he was noth ing.
Kept his bo dy
clean. Kept his bo dy
clean. Kept his bo dy
clean going no where.
Da dy was a
shamed. Da dy was a
shamed. Da dy was a
shamed he was some thing.
Strippedhimof his
name. Strippedhimof his
name. Familynamewassomething.
Chorus: all power chords. repeat 1st measure 4 times. after playing
the 2nd measure (the B) go back to start of the song. go through the
whole thing twice.
E C G D B
+-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------+
|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|-----------5---------------7------.|----------------------------------------|
|---2-------5-------5-------7------.|---9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9------|
|---2-------3-------5-------5-------|---9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9------|
+---0---------------3---------------|---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7------+
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
chorus (1st time around): chorus (2nd time around):
1st line is truly incomprehensible. 1st line incomprehensible
I've got nothing left to prove I've got nothing left to prove
If I die far away If I die far away
Hope I don't come back again. Hope I don't come back the same.
After the chorus is done the 2nd time, go back and play the verse part.
The song fades from here while Kurt just sang "even his youth even in
his youth even in his youth even in his youth". If you can't fade
gracefully (I'm not good at it myself), chop it off at the C.