Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead

Hello again everyone. Its been a while since I put anything together, been too busy, so thought it was time I tried to post something half decent.

I have been trying to play this, was various degrees of success, for some time. There are all sorts of tabs on the Internet, some good and some not so. This is kind of a mixture of all of them, but more importantly gives a pretty accurate strum pattern that will at least make the song recognisable.

This is off the album “The Bends” but there is also a great acoustic version knocking around that's worth getting hold of, if only for Thom Yorke's incredible vocals. They really do make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

For more info about this song check out the thread titled “radiohead fake plastic trees help please” on the Guitar Players Discussion forum on this site.

ChordsNothing too tricky actually – despite some weird sounding names!!
A – x02220
Asus4 X02230
Dmaj9/F# - 2x0220
E6 – 022120 (you will get away with a standard E 022100)
Dsus2 xx0230
Bm11 – x20230


So no barre chords, and if you work out the progression in your head, not much finger movement either

StrumHere's the whole deal – get this right and the song will sound right. Get it wrong, and no one will know what you are playing!

Let's take the first 4 bars of A and tab it so you can see what I am on about and hopefully the rest of this song description will make sense!
A A
E|x--x--0--0--[x--x--0--0--[
B|x--x--2-—2--[x--x--2--2--[
G|x--x--2--2--[x--x--2--2--[
D|2--2--2--2--[2--2--2--2--[
A|0--0--0-----[0--0--0-----[
E|x--x--------[x--x--x-----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A Asus4
E|x--x--0--0--[x--x--0--0--[
B|x--x--2--2--[x--x--3--3--[
G|x--x--2--2--[x--x--2--2--[
D|2--2--2--2--[2--2--2--2--[
A|0--0--0-----[0--0--0-----[
E|x--x--------[x--x--x-----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4


So you form your A chord, and then hit the bass strings (A open and the D fretted at fret 2) with firm downstrokes on the count of 1 and 2 followed by two downstrokes (you can throw an upstrum in between them for more rhythm) on the count of three and four. Take some time to get this pattern into your head. This needs to be played with a nice rhythmic loose feel to it, and do try and get that little upstrum in.

This starts the song and all the verses. For simplicities sake, I will describe the verses first.

So you play this through as tabbed, so that's four bars. Then change your fingering to the Dmaj9/F# - this can be done by either fretting the low E string with your thumb at fret 2 and just taking one finger off you're A chord shape, or keeping your ring and middle finger in place on the B and G strings and moving your first finger up to fret the low E.

You then play the same kind of pattern as before, but use the low E as your bass like this – note that on the 4th bar, shift to E6 as shown. If you aren't quite comfortable doing that, use a normal E – the important thing is to keep the rhythm and the bass going.
Dmaj9/F#
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------2--2-[------2--2-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|------0--0-[------0--0-[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x--x-[
E|2--2--2----[2--2--2--2-[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

E6
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------2--2-[------2--2-[
G|------2--2-[------1--1-[
D|------0--0-[------2--2-[
A|x--x--x--x-[2--2--2--2-[
E|2--2--2--2-[0--0--0--0-[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

You then switch to Dsus2 for two bars like this –
Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Then return to your A pattern for two bars, followed by a further 4 bars of Dsus 2 –

A A
E|x--x--0--0--[x--x--0--0--[
B|x--x--2-—2--[x--x--2--2--[
G|x--x--2--2--[x--x--2--2--[
D|2--2--2--2--[2--2--2--2--[
A|0--0--0-----[0--0--0-----[
E|x--x--------[x--x--x-----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4


This whole cycle is then repeated to form the second half of each verse.

The chorus bit “it wears her out…” is lovely and easy. Keep your fingers in place on the Dsus2, just reach up with whatever finger you have free and fret the A string on fret 2 to get to x20230. This played for 4 bars like this –

Bm11
E|------0--0-[------0--0[
B|------3--3-[------3--3[
G|------2--2-[------2--2[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0---[
A|2--2--2----[2--2--2---[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x---[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Bm11
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|0--0--0--0-[0--0--0--0-[
A|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

And that pretty much gets you the whole song. Now the placement of the lyrics. Hmm…!!! Ha ha. What I am going to do is take you through a whole verse and chorus, its up to you to copy this pattern for the rest of the song – here goes.

Intro
A A
E|x--x--0--0--[x--x--0--0--[
B|x--x--2-—2--[x--x--2--2--[
G|x--x--2--2--[x--x--2--2--[
D|2--2--2--2--[2--2--2--2--[
A|0--0--0-----[0--0--0-----[
E|x--x--------[x--x--x-----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Her..

A A
E|x--x--0--0--[x--x--0--0--[
B|x--x--2-—2--[x--x--3--3--[
G|x--x--2--2--[x--x--2--2--[
D|2--2--2--2--[2--2--2--2--[
A|0--0--0-----[0--0--0-----[
E|x--x--------[x--x--x-----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Green plastic watering can
Dmaj9/F#
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------2--2-[------2--2-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|------0--0-[------0--0-[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
for

E6
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------2--2-[------2--2-[
G|------2--2-[------1--1-[
D|------0--0-[------2----[
A|x--x--x----[2--2--2----[
E|2--2--2----[0--0--0----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Her f' Chinese rubber

Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0--0-[0--0--0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Plant in fake

A A
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Plaaaaa -stic
Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
..earth

Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

(second half of verse one……….)
A A
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
That she

A Asus4
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--3--3-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Bought f' a rubbbeer man

Dmaj9/F#
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------2--2-[------2--2-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|------0----[------0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
In A

E6
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------2--2-[------2--2-[
G|------2--2-[------1--1-[
D|------0--0-[------2----[
A|x--x--x----[2--2--2----[
E|2--2--2----[0--0--0----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Town full of ruuubbber

Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0--0-[0--0-------[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Plants to get

A A
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Riiiiiiiiiiiid of it-
Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
..self

Dsus2
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|2--2--2--2-[2--2--2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0--0-[
A|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
It wears her
Bm11
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Out……
Bm11
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
It wears her

A A
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Out……..
A A
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
It wears her

Bm11
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Out……
Bm11
E|------0--0-[------0--0-[
B|------3--3-[------3--3-[
G|------2--2-[------2--2-[
D|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
A|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
E|x--x--x----[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
It wears her

A A
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Out……..

A A
E|x--x--0--0-[x--x--0--0-[
B|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
G|x--x--2--2-[x--x--2--2-[
D|2--2--2----[2--2--2----[
A|0--0--0----[0--0--0----[
E|x--x-------[x--x--x----[
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Then repeat the whole thing for the second verse and second chorus.

For the “if I could be who you wanted” part at the end, the same Bm11 and A progression is used. It then goes into the chords I have listed on the total song below.

A Asus4 Dmaj9/F#
Her green plastic watering can
E6 Dsus2
For her fake chinese rubberplant
A Dsus2
In fake plastic earth
A Asus4 Dmaj9/F#
That she bought from a rubberman
E6 Dsus2
In a town full of rubber plants
A Dsus2
To get rid of itself

Bm11
It wears her out
A
It wears her out
Bm11
It wears her out
A
It wears her out

A Asus4 Dmaj9/F#
She lives with a broken man
E6 Dsus2
A cracked polysterene man
A Dsus2
Who just crumbles and burns
A Asus4 Dmaj9/F#
He used to do surgery
E6 Dsus2
For girls in the eighties
A Dsus
But gravity always wins and

Bm11
It wears him out (4x)
A
It wears him out
Bm11
It wears him out
A
It wears him out

A Asus4 Dmaj9/F#
She looks like the real thing
E6 Dsus2
She tastes like the real thing
A Dsus2
My fake plastic love
A Asus4 Dmaj9/F#
But I can't help the feeling
E6 Dsus2
I could blow through the ceiling
A Dsus2
If I just turn and run

Bm11
It wears him out
A
It wears him out
Bm11
It wears him out
A
It wears him out

Bm11
If I could be who you wanted
A
If I could be who you wanted
E6 Bm11
All the time
A |
All the time, ah ah ah

E6 |Bm11|Bm11| A |A,E6|Bm11|Bm11| A


Making it more interestingRight so you have the basic model….but after a while (and it might not take long) you'll be fed up with the basic strum pattern. What Thom Yorke does is play the verses pretty much as I have said, but does some really vigorous up and down strumming at the point where the “it wears her out” section ends, before returning to the standard pattern again. You can bung in this vigourous strumming at will whenever there is a gap in the vocal, to break things up.

The other thing you will note is that there is plenty of room to play partial chords – for instance, you don't always need the strum to include the high E string. It makes a nice change to alternate between a full strum and a partial one hitting just 3 strings or so.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this song. Impress your girlfriend with it when she's feeling down. She'll soon be reaching for the Valium (do Radiohead have shares in a Valium company? Ha ha)

All the best

Matt