"THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON"-BY THE WHITE STRIPES
AS HEARD ON THEIR 2003 ALBUM "ELEPHANT"

TRANSCRIBED BY CLAUDE WILLIS

I HAVE INCLUDED 2 DIFFERENT FINGERINGS
OF THE 4 MAIN CHORDS USED IN THE VERSES,
AND CHORUSES.  JUST PICK THE ONE THAT'S
EASIEST FOR YOU TO PLAY.
"PLAY ALONG-WITH THE SONG", AND FOLLOW THE
PLAYING ORDER FOUND BELOW, AND YOU SHOULD BE FINE

 INTRO-1     INTRO-2 / VERSE-1
e----------|-----------------|------------------|
B----------|-----------------|------------------|
G----------|---2--------5----|----4--------7----|
D----------|----2--------5---|-----4--------7---|
A-0-0-0-0--|-0---0----3---3--|--2---2----5---5--|
E----------|-----------------|------------------|
 (PLAY 4X)   (---PLAY 3X---)


ALTERNATE INTRO-2 / VERSE-1
e-----------------|-----------------------------|
B-----------------|-----------------------------|
G-----------------|-----------------------------|
D---7-------10----|----9---------12-------------|
A----7-------10---|-----9----------12-----------|
E-5---5----8---8--|--7---7----10-----10---------|
 (---PLAY 3X----)


"BASS NOTES" PLAYED UNDERNEATH THE VERSE
e---------------------|-------------------------|
B---------------------|-------------------------|
G---------------------|-------------------------|
D---------------------|-------------------------|
A---------------------|-------------------------|
E-5-5-5-5----8-8-8-8--|--7-7-7-7----10-10-10-10-|
 (-----PLAY 3X------)

VERSE-2
e--------------------------------|
B--------------------------------|
G-22-222--55-555--44-444--77-777-|
D-22-222--55-555--44-444--77-777-|
A-00-000--33-333--22-222--55-555-|
E--------------------------------|
 (---PLAY 3X---)

ALTERNATE VERSE-2
e-------------------------------------------|
B-------------------------------------------|
G-------------------------------------------|
D-77-777--1010-101010--99-999--1212--121212-|
A-77-777--1010-101010--99-999--1212--121212-|
E-55-555---8-8--8-8-8--77-777--1010--101010-|
 (-----PLAY 3X------)

CHORUS-1                     ALTERNATE CHORUS-1
e------------------------|--------------------------------|
B------------------------|--------------------------------|
G-2222--5555--4444--7777-|--------------------------------|
D-2222--5555--4444--7777-|-7777--10101010--9999--12121212-|
A-0000--3333--2222--5555-|-7777--10101010--9999--12121212-|
E------------------------|-5555---8-8-8-8--7777--10101010-|
 (-PLAY 3X-)              (---PLAY 3X---)

CHORUS-2      ALTERNATE CHORUS-2
e------------|----------------|
B------------|----------------|
G-2222--5555-|----------------|
D-2222--5555-|-7777--10101010-|
A-0000--3333-|-7777--10101010-|
E------------|-5555---8-8-8-8-|

BRIDGE (W/ "BASS" NOTES)
e-------------------------------|
B-------------------------------|
G-2222-----------5555-----------|
D-2222-----------5555-----------|
A-0000-----------3333-----------|
E------5-5-5-5-5------8-8-8-8-8-|

END RIFF
e-------|
B-------|
G-2222--|
D-2222--|
A-0000--|
E-------|

PLAYING ORDER: (PLAY PARTS 1X UNLESS OTHERWISE MARKED)
-INTRO-1
-INTRO-2 (2X)
-VERSE-1 (3X)
-VERSE-2
-CHORUS-1
-INTRO-1
-INTRO-2
-VERSE-1
-VERSE-2
-CHORUS-2 (X4)
-CHORUS-1
-BRIDGE---(X2)
-CHORUS-2 (X2)
-END RIFF

LYRICS:

1ST VERSE (SUNG OVER VERSE-1 TAB)

WE STARTED LIVIN' IN AN OLD HOUSE
MY MA GAVE BIRTH AND WE WERE CHECKIN' IT OUT
IT WAS A BABY BOY - SO WE BOUGHT HIM A TOY
IT WAS A RAY GUN - AND IT WAS 1981
WE NAMED HIM "BABY" - HE HAD A TOOTHACHE
HE STARTED CRYIN' AND IT SOUNDED LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE
IT DIDN'T LAST LONG - BECAUSE I STOPPED IT
I GRABBED A RAGDOLL-AND STUCK SOME LITTLE PINS IN IT

(VERSE-2 TAB KICKS IN)

NOW WE'RE A FAMILY - AND WE'RE ALL RIGHT NOW
WE GOT SOME MONEY - AND A LITTLE PLACE TO FIGHT NOW
WE DON'T KNOW YOU - AND WE DON'T OWE YOU
AND IF YOU SEE US AROUND - I GOT SOMETHING ELSE TO SHOW YOU

(CHORUS-1 TAB)

2ND VERSE (SUNG OVER VERSE-1 TAB)

NOW IT'S EASY - WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW BETTER
YOU THINK IT'S SLEAZY - THEN PUT IT IN A SHORT LETTER
WE KEEP WARM BUT THERE'S JUST - SOMETHING WRONG WHEN YOU
JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE THE HARDEST LITTLE BUTTON TO BUTTON

(VERSE-2 TAB KICKS IN)

I HAD OPINIONS THAT DIDN'T MATTER
I HAD A BRAIN - THAT FELT LIKE PANCAKE BATTER
I HAD A BACKYARD - WITH NOTHIN' IN IT
JUST A STICK - A DOG - AND A BOX WITH SOMETHING IN IT

CHORUS (SUNG OVER CHORUS-1 TAB)

THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON--UH-OH
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON--UH-OH
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON

CHORUS (SUNG OVER CHORUS-2 TAB)

THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON
THE HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON--UH-OH

-END-