"The Freshman" : The Verve Pipe's Number One Hit Single

When I think of the band Verve Pipe, the first thing that comes to mind is their biggest hit to date. It is a melancholy little tune entitled "The Freshman." This song seemed to finally let Verve Pipe have a shot in the spotlight. It skyrocketed into a number one modern rock hit and a top ten pop hit. Because of the song's success, the band's album which the single was released from ( The Villains ) became a Top 40 album, thus sending it into gold status.

When I first heard "The Freshman" I wasn't impressed. Everyone I knew was going crazy over the song, but I didn't see what the big deal was. To me it seemed like an over dramatic depressed four minutes and twenty eight seconds of wasted listening time.

Recently, after many years I have stumbled across this song again. The song has a different affect on me now that I've actually given it a fair chance and listened to it in its entirety. Back when the song was released, I was merely a freshman myself, and didn't give the song the fair shake that is deserved/deserves.

The Freshman

"The Freshman" was written in 1991 before Verve Pipe had even been created. Lead singer Brian Vander Ark was watching a movie titled The Freshman (starring Matthew Broderick and Marlon Brando). At that point, Ark decided that everyone is a freshman at one point in their life. Therefore, a hit song was born.

"The Freshman" starts out with slow and steady bass and acoustic guitars followed by an impeccably played lead guitar riff. Ark then comes in, and his voice sounds absolutely beautiful. The lyrics are soft and genuine, and tell a story of time when Ark was younger and thought he knew everything.

The song as I mentioned, is more like the telling of a story and actually quite a sad story at that. A while before the song was written, seems as if Ark and his girlfriend got themselves into a predicament. This is something that Ark doesn't especially feel too proud of ( Now I'm guilt stricken/Sobbing with my head on the floor). The way the lyrics pan out, one could take this to have a variety of different meanings.

As the song progresses though, the true meaning comes to surface, but yet it still a bit hard to figure out ( Stop a baby's breath/and a shoe full of rice ). What Ark is basically trying to tell us is that an abortion would also stop a wedding that he is not ready for. Yet Ark also emphasizes that he cannot be held responsible for the consequences ( I can't be held responsible/She was touching her face/I won't be held responsible/She fell in love in the first place ).

Now on the surface it seems as if Ark is a little self centered and shuns any of the responsibility. But as the song continues, Ark expresses that they were both really just young "freshmen" ( For the life of me, I cannot believe/ We'd ever die for these sins/ We were merely Freshmen ).

The second verse is not to be taken literally, as Ark himself says that most parts are not true and just used for poetic license (to make the song more interesting). He talks of his best friend vacationing while his girl (who happens to be Ark's girl too) takes a weeks worth of valium and never waking up. Really, I believe Ark was trying to bring his friend into the picture since they all were friends and shared the same guilt ( Now he's guilt stricken/Sobbing with his head on the floor ).

After the incident, the couple didn't speak too much ( We tried to wash our hands of all of this/We never talk of our lacking relationship ). Even though song ends sadly, there are rumors that the two eventually came back together and were married.

Final Thoughts

To many that have never heard this song, it may seem a bit too extreme and depressing to be worth listening to. But Ark puts so much emotion into what is obviously a true story that the song just kind of draws people in. On the surface, if you are just hearing the song and not listening, then it may not seem like much of anything but someone sadly whining. But if you really listen and appreciate Ark's singing, lyrics, and efforts then it becomes easy to see why so many fell in love with this song years ago. I will give this song 4/5 stars, because although not perfect, Ark made it as close to perfect as possible.

Additional Information on Verve Pipe

- Verve Pipe was formed in 1992, in Lansing, Michigan

- Also in 1992, the band released their first album entitled I've Suffered a Head Injury , followed by Pop Smear in 1993.

- In 1995, the band signed with RCA, and a year later released The Villains album.

- Even though The Freshman was originally released on I've suffered a Head Injury , a different version was re-released in 1997.

- In 2001, the band released yet another album entitled Underneath .