Girlfriend In A Coma The Smiths backing track and tabs

Tunning: Standard (E A D G B e)

Song: Girlfriend in A Coma
Artist: The Smiths
Tabbed by: Matt Taylor

I've seen a few versions of this on the net, all close, but not quite right. This is
a great song, I had to try to fix it. I love how Marr's happy little guitar part
with Morrissey's disturbing lyrics. Here's how I play it which I think is fairly spot on:

There are basically two parts, the verse chord progeression:

G Gmaj7 C D
e|---3-3------3-3-3----0-0------2-2-2h3-----------------------------|
B|---3-3------3-3-3----1-1------3-3-3-------------------------------|
G|---0-0------3-3-3----0-0------2-2-2-------------------------------|
D|---0-0------4-4-4----2-2------0-0-0-------------------------------|
A|---2-2------5-5-5----3-3------0-0-0-------------------------------|
E|---3-3------3-3-3----x-x------x-x-x-------------------------------|

Paly around with the rhythm, I throw in open strings between chords and hammer-ons here
there just to mix it up. Also, that Gmaj7 can be played several ways, try differet
to see which suits you best.

Throughout the verses, Marr throws in a little lead something like this:

e|-----------------------------|
B|-----------------------------|
G|--9-9-7-7-10-10-9-7------7---|
D|--------------------9h10-----|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|

e|-------------------------------------|
B|--12-12-10-10-13-13-12-10-------10---|
G|--------------------------11h12------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

And the Chorus (Do you really think...):

Em Em7 C Cadd9
e|----0-0-0----3-3----0-0-0----3-3----------------------------------|
B|----0-0-0----3-3----1-1-1----3-3----------------------------------|
G|----0-0-0----0-0----0-0-0----0-0----------------------------------|
D|----2-2-2----2-2----2-2-2----2-2----------------------------------|
A|----2-2-2----2-2----3-3-3----3-3----------------------------------|
E|----0-0-0----0-0----x-x-x----x-x----------------------------------|

Tunning: Standard (E A D G B e)

Capo on 5 (A-D-G-C-E-A)

[Intro] (repeat x4)
e|-3-3-3-3-3-2---2-3--2-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-3-3-3-3-3-3---3-3--3-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-2-2-2-2-2-2---2-2--2-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

[Verse]
e|-2----------5----5\--------------------0----2--------0--------3----3--2---|
B|-3----------7----7\--------3--2-----3----------3--------2-----------------|
G|-2-------------------------------2----------------2--------2--------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-0----------0-------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----2----3----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

[Chorus]
(strum, repeat x2)
e|-2----------0----x------------0-------------------------------------------|
B|-3----------2----3------------2-------------------------------------------|
G|-4----------2----0------------2-------------------------------------------|
D|-4----------2----0------------2-------------------------------------------|
A|-2----------0----2------------0-------------------------------------------|
E|-2----------0----3------------0-------------------------------------------|

e|-------2-----0-----------------2-----0--------0---------------------------|
B|----3-----3-----3--2--3-----3-----3-----3--2------------------------------|
G|-4-----------------------0------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

************************************

| \ Slide down
| x Dead note

************************************

Tunning: Standard (E A D G B e)

So I couldn't find any tabs that were even remotely correct for this song so I figured
it out and here it is..

Capo: 5th fret

Standard tuning

Intro:

Listen to the song for timing. This is only the amount of times you play it.

E|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
A|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
D|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
G|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
B|-x-x-3-x-x-3-3-x-x-3-x-3-x-x-3-3-x-x-3-x-3-|
e|-x-x-2-x-x-3-2-x-x-2-x-2-x-x-3-2-x-x-2-x-2-| x2

Verses:

Guitar 1:

This part is only played while Morissey is singing. The first chord is a downward strum,
let it ring and then the chord that slides down is an up stroke.

E|------------------------|
A|-0~---------------------|
D|-0~-7^-x-7^s5-5^-x-5^-x-|
G|-2~-6^-x-6^s4-4^-x-4^-x-|
B|-3~-5^-x-5^s3-3^-x-3^-x-|
e|-2~-5^-x-5^s3-3^-x-3^-x-|

Guitar 2:

This might look confusing at first but listen very carefully to the song to see where to
play the notes.

E|-----------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------|
D|-0---------------------------------------|
G|---2---------2-----------------2---------|
B|-------3---2-------0--------2-----3------|
e|-----2---0------3----3-2-0-----------0---|

Chorus:

Guitar 1:

E|--------------33333-------|
A|-22222---000--22222---000-|
D|-44444---222--00000---222-|
G|-44444---222--00000---222-|
B|-33333---222--00000---222-|
e|--------------22222-------|

Guitar 2:

Play this a few times.

E|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
G|-4-----------------------0------------------------|
B|----3-----3-----3--2--3-----3-----3-----3--2--3---|
e|-------2-----0-----------------2-----0------------|

And that's it! The ending chord is just a D major.

Any questions, comments, additional tabbing or corrections leave them below.

Thank you!