Chords + Lyrics | What’s My Age Again?
Intro
||: D#m/B D#m/F# | D#m/C# D#m :|| x4
Verse 1
||: D#m/B D#m/F# | D#m/C# D#m :||
I took her out, it was a Friday night.
I wore cologne to get the feeling right.
We started making out and she took off my pants.
| D#m/B D#m/F# | D#m/C# | D#m |
But then I turned on the TV and that’s about the time she walked away from me.
Chorus 1
||: F#5 C#5 | D#5 B5 :||
Nobody likes you when you’re twenty-three.
And are still more amused by
TV shows, what the hell is ADD?
| F#5 C#5 | D#5 | C#5 |
My friends say I should act my age. What’s my age again? What’s my age again?
Instrumental 1
| B5 (D#m/B D#m/F#) | B5 (D#m/C# D#m) |
Verse 2
||: B5 F#5 | C#5 D#5 :||
Then later on, on the drive home.
I called her mom, from a payphone.
I said I was the cops and your husband’s in jail.
| B5 F#5 | C#5 | B5 |
The state looks down on sodomy and that’s about the time that bitch hung up on me.
Chorus 2
Nobody likes you when you’re twenty-three.
And are still more amused by
prank phone calls, what the hell is call ID?
My friends say I should act my age. What’s my age again? What’s my age again?
Instrumental 2
||: D#m | D#m/C# | D#m/B | D#m/C# :|| x4
And that’s about the time she walked away from me.
Chorus 3
Nobody likes you when you’re twenty-three.
And you still act like you’re in freshman year.
What the hell is wrong with me?
My friends say I should act my age. (What’s my age again?) That’s about the time she broke up with me.
Chorus 4
No one should take themselves so seriously.
With many years ahead to fall in line.
Why would you wish that on me?
I never wanna act my age. What’s my age again? What’s my age again?
Outro (as chorus)
||: F#5 C#5 | D#5 B5 :|| x3
| F#5 C#5 | D#5 | C#5 | B5 | B5 |
What’s my age again?
What’s My Age Again Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning What’s My Age Again?. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 442Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
The intro and verse feature a clean guitar riff built around D#m/B – D#m/F# – D#m/C# – D#m, outlining a VI chord with a bass line moving through IV – I – V – VI.
In verse 2, this bass line is played as power chords instead. The final line is the same in both verses and follows a similar structure, but extends the last bar and changes the final chord:
||: B5 F#5 | C#5 D#5 :|| x3
| B5 F#5 | C#5 | B5 |
Chorus
The chorus follows the I–V–VI–IV progression—ranked #3 on my list of essential chord progressions, often called “the safe bet for modern hits.” Songs like No Woman No Cry, I’m Yours, I Try, and So Lonely all use this too.
In my intermediate acoustic course, the lessons for I’m Yours break down how different hit songs build melodies over this progression. Had I discovered What’s My Age Again earlier, its vocal melody would have been a perfect addition to that lesson!
Here’s the full chorus progression with Roman numerals:
||: F#5 (I) C#5 (V) | D#5 (VI) B5 (IV) :||
| F#5 (I) C#5 (V) | D#5 (VI) | C#5 (V) |
To get TAB for this and all other sections, keep scrolling down this guitar lesson.
Instrumental
The instrumental sections are variations on the intro. The first one is just two bars, played under a B5, like this:
| B5 (D#m/B D#m/F#) | B5 (D#m/C# D#m) |
The second instrumental section uses a similar progression (without the B5), with each chord lasting a full bar:
||: D#m | D#m/C# | D#m/B | D#m/C# :||
As you can see, What’s My Age Again relies on extremely simple, repetitive chords—a key characteristic of punk.
Here’s a chord chart (in F#).
What’s My Age Again? Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chart as a PDF, or grab the iReal Pro format—maybe you can structure the layout better than I did!
You can also use iReal Pro to change the key to G, making it fit a guitar tuned down a semitone.
What’s My Age Again? | TAB
Let’s look at the TAB for each section of What’s My Age Again?. You need to play this exactly as written, with full conviction, or it won’t work live.
In this style of music, there’s no room for improvisation; it’s all about power. That power comes from every part locking in tightly with the others, so your job is to memorise the riffs and the arrangement.
Intro + Verse 1 + Instrumental
The main riff kicks things off straight away, then carries through the first verse before returning as an instrumental section. Notice it’s not used in verse 2.
Chorus
The chorus has a slight variation. After chorus 1, you play a B5 at the end as the instrumental section starts over it. This also appears on its own during the outro.
To avoid giving you multiple versions of near-identical TAB, I’ve written just one example—simply stop after the C#5 chord for the other choruses.
Verse 2
I love how they skip the main riff here and go straight for power chords. It’s a clever little arrangement trick—it makes the listener want to hear the riff more when it comes back later.
Instrumental 2
The second instrumental section tweaks the riff slightly. These small variations are all you need: familiar, but with a fresh twist.
A less successful band might either repeat too much or overcompensate with something brand new. Great songwriting lies in striking that perfect balance between repetition and variation.
Once you feel confident with this TAB, try playing with just the chord chart along to the backing tracks.
What’s My Age Again? Chords: Continue Learning
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