Song: "Girl Afraid"
Artist: The Smiths
Album: 'Hatful of Hollow' (1984)

Full credit for this tab goes to YouTuber 'modfather1965', I'm writing this tab from his instructional
video on the song (link to the first video of his "Girl Afraid" lesson series is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSgjFlh4T0I) - and I've also looked at videos of how Johnny Marr played it
live and taken from there aswell. Hope you find this tab helpful!

NOTE: This tab isn't 100% accurate on the song, this tab has been made so you get the general gist of what
melodies are played when, but you'll have to listen to the song for the right rhythm and speed - and I've
noted at parts where I was unsure exactly what he played, but I believe this tab is as close as possible.

This tab is ONLY for the main guitar in the song, this doesn't include the overdubbed guitar parts in the
song.

Johnny Marr played this song with his guitar tuned up a whole tone (F#, B, E, A, C#, F#) - but you can play
it in standard tuning and simply put a capo on the 2nd fret. So this tab is relative to whether you're in
that particular tuning, or if you're playing with a capo on.

I'm tabbing this song in order of the song - so you know where each part goes at what time - but again I'd
advise you to keep listening to the song along with it so you get the full picture on it.

-----

Fast part played at the very beginning:

F#|----------------------3---0---------------------------------------------|
C#|------3-----1---------------1-------------------------------------------|
A |----0---------------2---0-----2-0--[goes straight into the main riff>]--|
E |--0-------2-------3-----------------------------------------------------|
B |--------0-----0h1-------------------------------------------------------|
F#|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Main riff: (easiest way to play this - keep your fingers in the 'D minor' position and use your ring finger
to do the hammer on and pull off on the 5th string) - this is constantly played throughout the instrumental
passages of the song - along with the 3 guitar fills, which I'll explain where they go.

|----1-------------1----------|
|----3-----------3---3--------|
|----2---------2--------------|
|--0---------0----------------|
|------0h3p0-----------0h3p0--|
|-----------------------------|

Fill 1: in the song Marr plays the main riff once and immediately follows up with the first fill
- if you listen to the song and then play this fill, it may sound slightly different to the
studio version - but often Marr played this variation live.

You can palm mute your way into the quick transition at the start (as shown in 'modfather1965's video) if
it's too fast for you.

|------3-----0-------------0--------|
|------3-----1---------------1------|
|----4-----0-----------2-0-----2-0--|
|--5-----2-----------3--------------|
|--------------0h1-1----------------|
|-----------------------------------|

-
Main riff: x3
-

Fill 2: x1

|----1-----0---1-----1-----0---1----|
|------1-----1---1-----1-----1---1--|
|--------0---------------0----------|
|--3---------------3----------------|
|-----------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|

-
Main riff: x3
-
Fill 2
-
Main riff: x1
-
Fill 1
-
Main riff: x1
-

Fill 3: now for the (don't worry) final riff - you don't have to follow this exactly, as long as your fingers
are kept in the Am7 position, you can play the other strings while picking at the main melody (as shown for
example in the bracketed notes).

|----------3------0-------------|
|------1---------(1)---1-0------|
|------0-----(0)-----0-----2-0--|
|----2---2----2-----------------|
|--0----------------------------|
|-------------------------------|

-
Main riff: x1
-
Fill 1
-
Main riff: x1
-

Straight after the last main riff the verse parts kick in, there are numerous parts to the verse so I'll
split them up to make life easier.

Verse part 1: "Girl afraid, where do his intentions lay?"

|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------1-----1--------8-----3-------1-----1--------8-----3--|
|--------0-----0--------9-----4-------0-----0--------9-----4--|
|--------2-----2-------10-----5-------2-----2-------10-----5--|
|--0-0-0---0-0---0-0-0----0-0---0-0-0---0-0---0-0-0----0-0----|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|

Verse part 2: "Or does, he even have any?" (~ = let chord ring)

|--0~-2~---------2-0-----------2----|
|--1~-3~-----2-------0-----2-----2--|
|--2~-2~---2---2---------2---2------|
|--3~-4~-4-------------2------------|
|-----2~----------------------------|
|-----------------------------------|

Verse part 3: (played 4 times)

"never really looks at me
I give him, every opportunity
In the room downstairs, he sat and stared
In the room downstairs, he sat and stared"

the wicked fast bit - this one is a hard one to get sounding 100% like the recording, but this
is my variation of it, and (to me) it sounds right, but feel free to play around with it if it doesn't
completely satisfy.

|--------2-----3-2-----3-5-------(2)-------------0----|
|----------3---5---3---5-7--------3----5-3-----2---2--|
|--4-4-4-----4-------4-----4-4-4-----4-----4-4-4------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------|

Verse part 4: "make that, mistake again"

Goes immediately back into the main riff.

|--------3------8--8--8--8--8--8--8--|
|----3-----3----8--8--8--8--8--8--8--|
|------4-----4--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--|
|--5-----------10-10-10-10-10-10-10--|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|

-
Main riff: x2
-
Fill 2 ("I'll never maaaaaaaaake")
-
Main riff: x3 ("that mistake again")
-
Fill 2
-
Main riff: x1
-
Fill 1
-
Main riff: x1
-
Fill 3
-
Main riff: x1
-
Fill 2
-
Main riff: x1
-
Verse 2 (played exactly the same as verse 1)
-

After the final verse part has been played, Marr simply hits the 'D Minor' chord and lets it ring out:

|--1~--|
|--3~--|
|--2~--|
|--0~--|
|------|
|------|

-----

Tab by BenTheCheeseMan.