Even in his Youth

Nirvana, B-Side from Smells Like Teen Spirit single.

Not much of a video… just the song with a static background:


~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.

Watch this post's video on Youtube

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