Soundgarden – Shes A Politician (Guitar Tab)
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Chords
She's A Politician first saw a release on the Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas EP in 1992. Released after
1991's Badmotorfinger, it was obviously recorded around the same time, though I cannot say whether it's an
album outtake or from another session (it also wasn't part of the Stuart Hallerman recordings). In 1996, it
appeared as a B-side on the Burden In My Hand single off Down On The Upside. The 2014 compilation Echo Of
Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path, as well as Badmotorfinger's 2016 25th anniversary re-issue
both released this again. The latter also features it's demo, which doesn't differ structurally from this
studio version.
Short and sweet, this not only sits right between the Badmotorfinger and Superunknown eras sonically with
it's heavily layered chorus and bridge, but also is a throwback to the earliest Soundgarden of the 80s,
giving a nod to hardcore in the verses. You may count those as 2/4 or 4/4 doubled in speed. The rest of the
song could be counted in 4/4. The tuning is standard EADGbe. For most of the song, there are two guitars
playing the same riffs, just with different ornaments. They then split up into a rhythm and a lead part for
the bridge. A third guitar then joins for the solo.
Demo version: https://youtu.be/KWRykyPZMjU
See my video lesson: https://youtu.be/czCtxko_szA
[0:00 DRUM FILL]
[0:01 INTRO/CHORUS 2 guitars] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
B5 F5 D5 Emaj G5 C5 e|----------0-0------------------------------------------| |------| |-----| b|--------3-0-0------------------------------------------| |------| |-----| G|--4-----2-1-1----5-5-----------------------------------| |------| |-----| D|--4--3--0-2-2--5-5-5-----------------------------------| |------| |-----| A|--2--3----2-2--5-3-3----------0------------------------| |------| |--0--| E|-----1----0-0--3------0-2-1-0---2--0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2qb-0-| |--2/--| |-----|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
E5 A5 e|--------------------------------------------| |------| |-----| b|--3-----------------------------------------| |------| |-----| G|--2-------2-2-5-----------------------------| |------| |-----| D|--0--3--2-2-2-5-5-5----------0--------------| |------| |-----| A|-----3--2-0-0-3-5-5--0-2-1-0---2--0-2-0-2-0-| |--2/--| |--2--| E|-----1--0-------3-3-------------------------| |------| |-----|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|-----------------------| |------| |-------| b|-----------------------| |------| |-------| G|-----------------------| |------| |-------| D|-----------------------| |------| |-------| A|-----------------------| |------| |-------| E|-0-2qb-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-0-| |--2/--| |--2qb--|
[0:17 VERSE 2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
D5 E5 e|------------------------| |---------| |------| b|------------------------| |---------| |------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |------| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--9/--| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |------| E|------------------------| |--3/10\--| |------| d u d u
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |----------| |---------| b|------------------------| |----------| |---------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |----------| |--9-\4/--| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |----------| |---------| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |----------| |---------| E|------------------------| |--3-/12\--| |---------|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |----------| |------| b|------------------------| |----------| |------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |----------| |------| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |----------| |--9/--| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |----------| |------| E|------------------------| |--3-/10\--| |------|
[2 guit]
e|------------------------| b|------------------------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| E|------------------------|
[0:29 PRE-CHORUS 2 guit]
e|---------------------------------------| b|---------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------| A|---------0-----------------------------| E|-0-2-1-0---2--0-2-0-2-0-2-0-0-2qb-0-2/-|
[0:33 VERSE 2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |---------| |-----| b|------------------------| |---------| |-----| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |-----| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--x--| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |--x--| E|------------------------| |--3/12\--| |-----|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |---------| |--------| b|------------------------| |---------| |--------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--7/-\--| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--------| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |--------| E|------------------------| |--3/10\--| |--------|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |---------| |------| b|------------------------| |---------| |------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--4/--| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |------| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |------| E|------------------------| |--3-/9\--| |------|
[2 guit]
e|------------------------| b|------------------------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| E|------------------------|
[0:45 PRE-CHORUS 2 guit]
e|------------------------------------------------| b|------------------------------------------------| G|-----------------------------------4------------| D|---------0-------------------------4------------| A|-0-2-1-0---2--0-2-0-2-0-2-0-0-2--0-2------/11-\-| E|------------------------------------------------|
[0:52 CHORUS 2 guitars] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|----------0-0----------------------------------------| |------| |-------| b|--------3-0-0----------------------------------------| |------| |-------| G|--4-----2-1-1----5-5---------------------------------| |------| |-------| D|--4--3--0-2-2--5-5-5---------------------------------| |------| |-------| A|--2--3----2-2--5-3-3----------0----------------------| |------| |-------| E|-----1----0-0--3------0-2-1-0---2--0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-| |--2/--| |--2-p0-|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|--------------------------------------------| |------| |-------| b|--3-----------------------------------------| |------| |-------| G|--2-------2-2-5-----------------------------| |------| |-------| D|--0--3--2-2-2-5-5-5----------0--------------| |------| |-------| A|-----3--2-0-0-3-5-5--0-2-1-0---2--0-2-0-2-0-| |--2/--| |--2qb--| E|-----1--0-------3-3-------------------------| |------| |-------|
[1:06 BRIDGE guit 1 rhythm]
x3 x1 x3 x1
e|-------------------------| |---------------------------| |-----------------------| |-------------------|
b|-------------------------| |---------------------------| |-----------------------| |-------------------|
G|-------------------------| |---------------------------| |-----------------------| |-------------------|
D|-------------------------| |---------------------------| |-----------------------| |-------------------|
A|-------------------------| |---------------------------| |-----------------------| |-------------------|
E|-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-0-2p0-| |-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2qb-0-2qbp0-| |-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-2p0-| |-0-2-0-2-0-2-0-12\-|
-----------PM---------- ------PM---
[simult. guit 2 lead]
x2 x1
e|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
b|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
G|-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-2-4qb-2-| |-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-|
D|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
x1 x4
e|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
b|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
G|-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-2-4qb-2-| |-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-4qb-2-|
D|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------| |---------------------------------| [1:14 simult. guit 3 solo]
e|-----------------------------12----------------------|
b|--------------12qb-12-10-12hb--12pb-r-v-10-----------|
G|-(-14~-)-11-14----------------------------11-9-11~---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|
fade in
e|-------------------------------12wb-12v-~----|
b|-------10qb-v-~--10-10-12hb-13hb-------------|
G|---9-11--------------------------------------|
D|-11------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------|
1:24 1:26
e|----x---17hb--12-14-17-14-12------------------14h17-14-14h17-14-17p14---14h17-14-|
b|---x--------------------------14-17p14-14--14/------------------------17---------|
G|--x-------------------------16----------------TREMTREMTREMTREMTREMTREMTREMTREMTR-|
D|-x-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
1:28
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-17-16-14-17p14--------------------------17hb-r-17-14-17----14h16p14-16wb--16-17p-14.-14-|
G|---------------16-14-16p14--14--hb-r-(14)---------------16hb-----------------------------|
D|--------------------------16-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
fade out[1:31 VERSE/OUTRO 2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |---------| |------| b|------------------------| |---------| |------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |------| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--9/--| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |------| E|------------------------| |--3/12\--| |------|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |---------| |----------| b|------------------------| |---------| |----------| G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--7\-/12--| D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |----------| A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |----------| E|------------------------| |--3/13\--| |----------|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
e|------------------------| |---------| |------|
b|------------------------| |---------| |------|
G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--9\--|
D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |------|
A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |------|
E|------------------------| |--3/10\--| |------|
[2 guit] [1st guit] [2nd guit]
D5 E5
/A /B
e|------------------------| |---------| |-------|
b|------------------------| |---------| |-------|
G|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |--9\4--|
D|-7-/9--7-/9--7-/9--7-/9-| |---------| |-------|
A|-5-/7--5-/7--5-/7--5-/7-| |---------| |-------|
E|-------------------5-/7-| |--7\2----| |-------| Tab legend:
qb quarter step bend
hb half step bend
wb whole step bend
r release bend
pb pre-bend
/ slide up
\ slide down
h hammer on
p pull off
d strum down
u strum up
x muted stroke
PM palm muting
TR tremolo picking