The Freshmen

"The Freshmen" is an alternative rock song by The Verve Pipe that was featured on their 1996 album Villains. It was released as the album's third single on March 31, 1997. The song peaked at #5 in the United States.

Song meaning
Brian Vander Ark wrote the song in 1991 about the guilt he felt from his ex-girlfriend having an abortion. This is shown in the first verse with the line "stopped a baby's breath and a shoe full of rice." His girlfriend had an abortion, and they never got married.

The song was written after watching the film The Freshman starring Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick. In an interview, Vander Ark says, "At some point in our lives, we're all freshmen. We are all at that point when we think we know everything but we don't know shit".

The girl in the song - Vander Ark's girlfriend at the time - is real. The feelings of guilt affected their circle of friends profoundly, and damaged their relationships. However, although it is hinted at in the song, the girl did not actually commit suicide. Vander Ark admitted this was poetic license.