Chords + Lyrics | Teenage Dirtbag
Intro
||: E5 B5 | E5 Asus2 :||
Verse 1
||: E5 B5 | E5 Asus2 :||
Her name is Noelle, I have a dream about her.
She rings my bell, I got gym class in half an hour.
Oh, how she rocks, in Keds and tube socks.
Bridge 1
||: C#m Asus2 | B5 :||
But she doesn’t know who I am.
And she doesn’t give a damn about me.
Chorus 1
||: E5 A5 | B5 C#5 G#5 :||
‘Cause I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby.
Yeah, I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby.
| E5 A5 | B5 C#5 G#5 | E5 A5 | B5 C#5 G#5 |2/4 A5 B5 |
Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me. Oo-o-o-oo-o-oh.
Instrumental 1
||: E5 B5 | E5 Asus2 :||
Verse 2
Her boyfriend’s a dick and he brings a gun to school.
And he’d simply kick, my ass if he knew the truth.
He lives on my block and he drives an IROC.
Bridge 2
But he doesn’t know who I am.
And he doesn’t give a damn about me.
Chorus 2
‘Cause I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby.
Yeah, I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby.
Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me. Oo-o-o-oo-o-oh.
Chorus tag 1
||: E Asus2 | E Asus2 | E Asus2 | C#5 G#5 A5 B5 :||
Oh yeah, dirtbag. No, she doesn’t know what she’s missing.
Oh yeah, dirtbag. No, she doesn’t know what she’s missing.
Instrumental 2
| E5 B5 | E5 Asus2 |
Verse 3
Man, I feel like mold, it’s prom night and I am lonely.
Lo and behold, she’s walking over to me.
This must be fake, my lip starts to shake.
Bridge 3
How does she know who I am?
And why does she give a damn about me?
Chorus 3 (Breakdown)
I’ve got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby.
Come with me Friday, don’t say maybe
I’m just a teenage dirtbag baby like you. Oo-o-oo-oh
Chorus tag 2
Oh yeah, dirtbag. No, she doesn’t know what she’s missing.
Oh yeah, dirtbag. No, she doesn’t know what she’s.
Outro
| E B5 | E5 Asus2 | E B5 | E5 (A) | (G# F# G# F#) | E |
Missing, ah oh, oh.
Teenage Dirtbag Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
I used AI to create the two backing tracks above. The second one has no vocals, neither features chords, giving you space to practise along with the chord chart.
In some countries, the first backing track (with vocals) is blocked due to copyright restrictions.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Teenage Dirtbag uses simple chords and progressions to create a memorable hook. Let’s break down each section and see how ideas are cleverly recycled.
IVerse
The intro, verse, and instrumental sections all follow an I – V – I – IV progression, played with power chords and a sus2, like this:
||: E5 (I) B5 (V) | E5 (I) Asus2 (IV) :||
Bridge
The bridge starts on chord VI, then moves to IV – V, like this:
| C#m (VI) Asus2 (IV) | B5 (V) |
Chorus
The chorus returns to chord I and introduces a turnaround riff:
| E5 (I) A5 (IV) | B5 (V) C#5 (VI) G#5 (III) |
Turnaround
This turnaround includes a 2/4 bar:
| E5 A5 | B5 C#5 G#5 | 2/4 A5 B5 |
Chorus Tag
The chorus tag finally uses the full triad for the E chord:
||: E (I) Asus2 (IV) :|| x3
| C#5 (VI) G#5 (III) A5 (IV) B5 (V) |
Outro
The outro slows things down and is essential to memorise:
| E B5 | E5 Asus2 | E B5 | E5 (A G#) | (F# G# F#) E |
Since Teenage Dirtbag was recorded with an acoustic guitar running through amps, the same part works just as well solo on an acoustic or in a full band with an electric—an unusual feature!
There’s TAB for all sections if you follow this link: Teenage Dirtbag – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve memorised the TAB, this chord chart is all you need for a gig or rehearsal.
Teenage Dirtbag Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
If you’d like to download my chart, here’s a PDF: Teenage Dirtbag chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro. You can download the file here: Teenage Dirtbag iReal Pro.
With this file and the iReal Pro app, you can change the key—although, in my experience, this song is always played in the original key.
Teenage Dirtbag TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB for all sections, below is a preview of what that look like, this is the intro, instrumental and verse.
Notice the top open strings that appear just before each chord. It’s so simple but that’s what makes Teenage Dirtbag‘s riff. The chords are just I – V – I – IV, which we’ve heard a million times.
This may be the best example of how to create something unique using familiarity with a twist.
How a 1980s Murder Shaped This 2000s Classic
Released in 2000, Teenage Dirtbag was the lead single from Wheatus’ debut album and became an overnight sensation. Recorded in Brendan B. Brown’s mother’s basement, only the mixing and mastering were done in a professional studio.
The song performed exceptionally well in the charts, reaching #1 in Australia, Austria, and Belgium. It also secured a top 10 spot in ten other countries, including the U.K. (#2) and the U.S. (#7).
Brendan’s inspiration for the song came from his experience as a 10-year-old, walking around in AC/DC T-shirts and feeling like a little rebel. Around the same time, a teenager committed a murder as part of a satanic ritual—also while wearing an AC/DC T-shirt. As a result, people around Brendan unfairly viewed him with suspicion, even though he was just a regular kid. This experience led to the defining lyric: “I’m just a teenage dirtbag!”
I met the band in 2003 when they were touring the U.K. At the time, Teenage Dirtbag was so popular they played it three times at every gig. Their message to fans was particularly bitter, repeatedly warning: “Never sign a major record deal!”
Despite never replicating the success of their massive hit, Wheatus continues to perform Teenage Dirtbag at gigs—and more than two decades later, so do countless party bands.
Teenage Dirtbag Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
