"Forever December" by Tabitha's Secret Lyrics by : Rob Thomas Music by : Jay Stanley, John Goff, Brian Yale & Rob Thomas Transcription by Jay V Notes: While there are two recorded versions of the song on the CD "Don't Play With Matches,"and they are very similar, I chose to transcribe the 1996 edition, which is my favorite of the two. The rhythm figures are pretty much identical. Only slight differences can be noted, as well as another layered guitar. Following this transcription I mention a few differences I've noticed. Intro: Am C e -------0---------|---------0-------|-------0---------|---------0-------| B -----------1---1-|-----1-----1---1-|-----------1---1-|-----1-----1---0-| G -----2-------2---|---2---2-----2---|-----0-------0---|---0---0-----0---| D ---2-------------|-----------------|---2-------------|-----------------| A -0---------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------| E -----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G5* F e -------3---------|---------3-------|-------1---------|---------1h3---0-| B -----------3---3-|-----3-----3---3-|-----------1---1-|-----1-----------| G -----0-------0---|---0---0-----0---|-----2-------2---|---2---2-----2---| D ---0-------------|-----------------|---3-------------|-----------------| A -----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E -3---------------|-----------------|-1---------------|-----------------| Verse: (intro riff) I reach within my isolation I harbor it, I honor it You say you'd like to see me closer Of course you would, you have no choice Pre-Chorus: C G5* e -------0---------|---------0-------|-------3---------|---------3-------| B -----------1---1-|-----1-----1---0-|-----------3---3-|-----3-----3---3-| G -----0-------0---|---0---0-----0---|-----0-------0---|---0---0-----0---| D ---2-------------|-----------------|---0-------------|-----------------| A -3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E -----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------| Am F e -------0---------|---------0-------|-------1---------|---------1h3---0-| B -----------1---1-|-----1-----1---0-|-----------1---1-|-----1-----------| G -----2-------0---|---0---0-----0---|-----2-------2---|---2---2-----2---| D ---2-------------|-----------------|---3-------------|-----------------| A -0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E -----------------|-----------------|-1---------------|-----------------| And I cry cause the weather has gotten to me And I laugh at the people that I can't be all their lives Silly pictures Chorus: C G Gsus4 Hey now now now, hey now hey baby F G Gsus4 Baby's gotten older, baby's gotten older Verse: (simile) You build the wall I'll build the fountain We'll wrestle it, we'll conquer it I think we'll live to see the mountain Of course we will, we have no choice Pre-Chorus: (simile) And I cry cause the weather has gotten to me And I laugh at the people that I can't be all their lives Silly pictures Chorus: (simile) Hey now now now, hey now hey baby Baby's gotten older, baby's gotten older Hey now now now, hey now hey baby The tide is turning, don't turn me away Bridge: e -----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B -----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| G -----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| D -----------------|---3-------3---3-|-----------------|---5-------5---5-| A -----------------|---3-------3---3-|-----------------|---5-------5---5-| E -1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-| F5 And it wont take long, we both knew this G5 Well I wasn't quite prepared F5 G5 For my center of dying, the heart of your pain F5 All my words get lost and I can't speak G5 Got my head stripped down well I get weak F5 And the words fall out like forever December G5 But soon it won't matter cause she won't mean nothing Instrumental: (solo based on Intro chords, play twice) Pre-Chorus: And I cry cause the weather has gotten to me And I laugh at the people that I can't be all their lives Pretty pictures Chorus: Hey now now now, hey now hey baby (she don't mean nothing) Baby's gotten older, baby's gotten older (she don't mean nothing) Hey now now now, hey now hey baby (she don't mean nothing) The tide is turning, turning us away (she don't mean nothing) (repeat and fade) --------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Original December vs. New December *** 1. The first chorus is as follows -- and play the rhythm figure twice instead of once. Hey now now now, hey now hey baby Baby's getting older Hey now now now, hey now hey baby The tide is turning, turning us away The original December still has baby getting older -- by the way in every instance of the chorus. By the time the new December was recorded, baby had already gotten older I guess. ^_^ 2. The bridge is shorter but still uses the same chord changes and rhythm figure. F5 And I can remember G5 Forever December F5 G5 The center of dying, the heart of the pain F5 G5 The rose in the bottle, the thorns in the bottom F5 G5 The stars surround me, the cold astounds me 3. The finale, after the instrumental kind of goes like the following. The |-6-| just denotes a six-bar rest for the vocals while the chorus plays instrumental. Pre-Chorus: And I cry cause the weather has gotten to me And I laugh at the people that I can't be all their lives Pretty pictures Chorus: |-6-| Baby's getting older And then we just repeat the following while fading out. Hey now now now, hey now hey baby Baby's getting older, baby's getting older Hey now now now, hey now hey baby The tide is turning, turning us away And, since until the New December, she means something, the lines, "She don't mean nothing," aren't echoed throughout the final chorus. If you transcribe the original version of Forever December, please send a copy to m.jason@bboard.com. That would be cool. ^_^