E|E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|| Retard Girl by Hole
E|E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------||
Tabbed by: Scott H.
This was Hole's very first single and their first song ever released, put out by
Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1990. The song was originally recorded in drop-D tuning, but I've
sort of adapted it here. The parentheses in the verse riff are noting the barre, but don't strum these
(i.e., on the first chord, you're only hitting the open low E string while barring the strings below
that on the 2nd fret). Just lay your index finger over these strings
on Riff A, and the rest of the work is done with your middle finger and pinky. This way the song can be
played with just a guitar, as the bass is what really carries the intro/verse melody. The barre on
the 2nd fret kind of works as a harmonic, and is necessary otherwise it won't sound right. Takes
some finger stretching to play, especially with the pinky to hit the D string on the
5th fret. There is a chord progression that is played over this which I've also tabbed. The rest
of the song is basically just power chords.
Tuning: EADGBe
[Intro/Verse]
Guitar 1/bassline
E|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
B|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
G|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
D|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------| x 6
A|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--5--|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
E|--0---0---0---0------|--0---0---0---0---3---------------------------|Guitar 2
E|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------|----------7-------------------------------------------|
D|--2-2-2-2--5-|-2-2-2-2--7-------------------------------------------| x 6
A|--2-2-2-2--5-|-2-2-2-2--5-------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-0-0--3-|-0-0-0-0----------------------------------------------|
Retard girl makes us sick
Let's all poke her with a stick
Well, she walks funny
Kinda like a pig
Gotta hate that retard girl
[Chorus]
Guitars 1 and 2
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
G|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-----------------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-----9--------|
D|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|---9---9------| x 2
A|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-7-------7----|
E|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-----------------|--------------|
See the retard girl walking in the school yard
In the same dress from fourth grade
See the retard girl cross-eyed in the school yard
Looking for the friend she made
[Chorus cont.]
Guitars 1 and 2
E|--------|--------|--------|------------------------------------------|
B|--------|--------|--------|------------------------------------------|
G|--------|--------|--------|-5-5-5-5----------------------------------|
D|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7-7-----------------------| x 1
A|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-3-3-3-3--7-7-7-7-7-----------------------|
E|-0-0-0--|-0-0-0--|-0-0-0--|----------5-5-5-5-5-----------------------|
Retard girl
Retard girl
Retard girl, yeah, don't forget her face
[Verse]
Guitar 1/bassline
E|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
B|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
G|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
D|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------| x 6
A|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--5--|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
E|--0---0---0---0------|--0---0---0---0---3---------------------------|Guitar 2
E|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------|----------7-------------------------------------------|
D|--2-2-2-2--5-|-2-2-2-2--7-------------------------------------------| x 6
A|--2-2-2-2--5-|-2-2-2-2--5-------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-0-0--3-|-0-0-0-0----------------------------------------------|
As shines the moon among the lesser fires
She is sucking dick out in the yard
Well, she walks funny
Kinda like a pig
Gotta hate that retard girl
[Chorus]
Guitars 1 and 2
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
G|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-----------------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-----9--------|
D|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|---9---9------| x 2
A|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-7-------7----|
E|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-----------------|--------------|
See the retard girl do one for me
She don't think like the others do
See the retard girl squirming in the mud
Throw her in the trash can, see what she does
[Chorus cont.]
Guitars 1 and 2
E|--------|--------|--------|------------------------------------------|
B|--------|--------|--------|------------------------------------------|
G|--------|--------|--------|-5-5-5-5----------------------------------|
D|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7-7-----------------------| x 1
A|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-3-3-3-3--7-7-7-7-7-----------------------|
E|-0-0-0--|-0-0-0--|-0-0-0--|----------5-5-5-5-5-----------------------|
Retard girl
Retard girl
Retard girl, yeah, don't forget her face
[Verse]
Guitar 1/bassline
E|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
B|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
G|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
D|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------| x 6
A|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--5--|-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)-(2)--------------------------|
E|--0---0---0---0------|--0---0---0---0---3---------------------------|Guitar 2
E|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------|----------7-------------------------------------------|
D|--2-2-2-2--5-|-2-2-2-2--7-------------------------------------------| x 6
A|--2-2-2-2--5-|-2-2-2-2--5-------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-0-0--3-|-0-0-0-0----------------------------------------------|
And ask her mother, "Why'd you implode?"
Well, her head's so big it just might explode
And she walks funny
Kinda like a pig
Gotta hate, that retard girl
Hit her
[Chorus]
Guitars 1 and 2
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
B|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|
G|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-----------------|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-----9--------|
D|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|---9---9------| x 2
A|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-7-------7----|
E|-----------------|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-----------------|--------------|
See the retard girl staring at the sun
What does she see?
See the retard girl stare at everyone
I hope she doesn't see me
[Chorus cont.]
Guitars 1 and 2
E|--------|--------|--------|------------------------------------------|
B|--------|--------|--------|------------------------------------------|
G|--------|--------|--------|-5-5-5-5----------------------------------|
D|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7-7-----------------------| x 2
A|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-2-0-2b-|-3-3-3-3--7-7-7-7-7-----------------------|
E|-0-0-0--|-0-0-0--|-0-0-0--|----------5-5-5-5-5-----------------------|
Retard girl
Retard girl
The retard girl, yeah, don't forget her face
The retard girl
The retard girl
The retard girl, whoa, whoa, whoa
Don't throw her away
[Outro]
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------------------|
A|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------------------|
E|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------------------|