-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number Two Pencil - The Radiators
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tabbed by: Kent
Here's an epic Rads song. The tab is a serious approximation. They've changed
how they've played it throughout the years, so I offer just a small amount of the
possible variations. I'm listening to a show from 2005 for this version. It
doesn't matter much what voicings you play the chords in. If I write it out
explicitly, it's just a suggestion. There are two guitars, and the Rads play so
dirty, can't really tell anyway. Enjoy.
That signature opening bass riff:
G|---------------------|
D|---------3--3--5-3---|
A|------5------------5-|
E|-3-------------------| X whatever, until the rest of the band feels like playing
SECTION 1.)
First jam is obviously to:
G G G G
C C G G
D C G G
Then at least one guitar plays this riff. Other helps out a little, maybe in
another octave, or just messes around.
e|-------------------------|
B|-------------------------|
G|-------3b----------------|
D|---3-5----5---3-5---3-5b-|
A|-5----------5-----5------|
E|-------------------------| a bunch of times
Then play it up an octave
e|-------6b----------------|
B|---6-8----8---6-8---6-8b-|
G|-7----------7-----7------|
D|-------------------------|
A|-------------------------|
E|-------------------------| and repeat this
The last time it's:
e|-------6b---------------------------8v-------------------------------------|
B|---6-8----8---6-8---6-8/10v----8-10-----10v---8v---------------------------|
G|-7----------7-----7----------9---------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
SECTION 2.)
Then you got this riff for verses and a bunch more jamming. You have to listen
to the song for the rhythm. Sometimes there's the slide up, as indicated, but
sometimes the A is quickly strummed while muted. At the end of the verses, the
C chord has a syncopated strumming pattern.
e|----(5)-----(5)-------------------------(5)-----(5)------------------------|
B|-4/5-5-x-4/5-5-x-5b------------------4/5-5-x-4/5-5-x-5b--------------------|
G|-5/6-6-x-5/6-6-x-5b------------------5/6-6-x-5/6-6-x-5b--------------------|
D|----(7)-----(7)-(5)---------------------(7)-----(7)-(5)--------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
repeat
(when you come back to this part, after a bridge, they arpeggiate it a little)
this is the only semi-tricky riff in the song I guess, only because of its
speed. the lead throws in this quick lick in between the rhythm's.
(you can still pull off both if you're playing alone)
e|--------------------10p7--7------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------10-10p7-7------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------9-9p7-5b------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
"All wigged out, I'm a raver and a rover
I can't help it, I can't help it when she bends over
You do my thing, I'll do yours
I can't help it, I can't help it when she opens the door"
Bridge. This is an approximation. It's a pretty sloppy part.
e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|-1------------7/9-|
D|-2------5-7-9-7/9-|
A|-2------5-7-9-5/7-|
E|-0------3-5-7-----| 3x. On the last one, hold the E chord for a measure.
The second guitar could be doing something like this for the bridge:
e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|--------------7h9-|
D|----------7-9-----|
A|-7------10--------|
E|------------------| or an octave up
"She drops her number two pencil
Goes to pick it up, then she bends over"
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/t/the_radiators/number_two_pencil_tab.html ]
This riff is played by the lead before heading back into the verse riff and
soloing:
e|-----8\------------8\-------------8\-------------8\------------------------|
B|-----8\-5b---------8\-5b----------8\-5b----------8\-5b---------------------|
G|--------5b------------5b-7b!---------5b-------------5b-7b!-----------------|
D|-----------7v---------------------------7v---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-5\------------5\-------------5\------------5\-----------------------------|
that last note there could be whatever best leads into the solo
Back to the verse after soloing
"All wigged out, I'm a raver and a rover
I can't help it, I can't help it when she bends over
You do my thing, I'll do yours
I can't help it, I can't help it when she opens the door"
Bridge
"She drops her number two pencil
Goes to pick it up, then she bends over"
Then verse chords to:
"I can't help it!"
over and over
Then you got this transition riff:
e|-----------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------|
G|----------7h9v-----------------9-7--7----|
D|-------7-9------------------------10-----|
A|-7---10--------------------7---------10v-|
E|-----------------------------------------| 2 times
sounds like the other guitar is an octave higher
SECTION 3.)
Then the harmony is kind of weird. Just 2-3 chords for all the next parts, but
the rhythm keeps changing slightly. Starts out jamming to:
e|--------------------|
B|-----10--9--10-10p9-|
G|-9---9---9--9--9--9-|
D|-9---11--9--11-11p9-|
A|-7------------------|
E|--------------------| repeat
changes a bit:
e|----------------------|
B|-----12--10--12-10/12-|
G|-9---10--9---11--9/11-|
D|-9---13--11--13-11/13-|
A|-7--------------------|
E|----------------------|
gets a little bit louder now
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-9--------10-------9--------10-------9-----10------------------------------|
G|-9--------9--------9--------9--------9-----9-------------------------------|
D|-9--------11-------9--------11-------9-----11------------------------------|
A|-7--------12-------7--------12-------7-----12------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
1 e & u 2 e & u 3 e & u 4 e & u
This is next, for awhile:
e|--------------------------------------------------------7-5-----------------|
B|---9---10-------------------------------9---10----------7-5-----------------|
G|--9---9----6-times--------8-9-10-11----9---9---12-times-8-6--------8-9-10-11|
D|-9--11-------------9-11-12------------9--11-------------9-7-9-11-12---------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------9-7-----------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------7-5-----------------|
and this whole thing itself gets repeated basically until the end, with lyrics,
or just jamming. the B and A chords can be played as arpeggios of
(x-14-13-11-10-x) and (x-12-11-9-10-x) respectively. the ascending riff (like
most of the rest of the song, can be played an octave up)
"I was searchin' with a big old search light
Through the riot of the day and the night
Sometimes I wonder just what I been through
And how could I find someone like you
Under the covers with a little old red radio
I hear a song about a place I long to go
On lover's island neath a sky so new and blue
And could I come to find someone like you"
Yamming.
"I was stranded in a long lost driveway
When a smile came floating through the gate
Then I saw you, you were out in the day light too
And now I come to love someone like you"
The outro is basically just a descending E major scale without the second, however
you want to pull it off. For example:
e|-----------------------------0---------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------0---------------------------------------------|
G|-9---8---6-------------------1---------------------------------------------|
D|-x---x---x---9---7---6-------2---------------------------------------------|
A|-7---6---4---x---x---x-------2---------------------------------------------|
E|-------------7---5---4-------0---------------------------------------------|
Now you can play Number Two Pencil, by The Radiators, with your friends.
************************************
| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
| b Bend
| pb Pre-bend
| br Bend release
| pbr Pre-bend release
| brb Bend release bend
************************************
