Forever December by Tabithas Secret guitar tab (text):

"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. ^_^