"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. ^_^