Once Bitten Twice Shy Tab by Great White

Once Bitten Twice Shy tab by Great White

Guitar Tab

Tuning: Standard EBGDAE

Difficulty: intermediate

This 80s gem was missing from your archive, so I submitted. -Sven88


This s a very extensive tab that took quite a while to make.

I. Hunter

1. Chords and rhythm

  C5         G5      D5/A     Bb5     Eb5/Bb     F5       G
EA D GBE   EADGBE   EADGBE   EADGBE   EADGBE   EADGBE   EADGBE
81010XXX   355XXX   5577XX   688XXX   6688XX   133XXX   355433

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

  G5/D         D5         Bb7      F5/C
E A D G BE   E A D GBE   EADGBE   EAD G BE
10101212XX   101212XXX   6867XX   881010XX
_________________________________________________________________

2. Song structure and lyrics:

Intro: |C5    |C5    |C5    |C5    |C5    |C5    |

Verse 1:
[C5]Well the times gettin' hard for you little girl
I'm a [G5]hummin' and a strummin' all [D5]over God's world
[C5]You can't remember when you got your last meal
And [G5]you don't know just how a [D5]woman feels

[Bb7]You didn't know what rock 'n' roll was
Un- [Eb/Bb]til you met my drummer on a grey tour bus
[Bb7]I got there in the nick of time
Be- [Eb/Bb]fore he got his hands across your state line

Chorus:
I said [C5]Ah ah ah once bitten twice [F5]shy, babe
[C5]Ah ah ah once bitten twice [F5]shy, babe
[C5]Ah ah ah once bitten twice [F5]shy, babe   [G]

Verse 2:
Now its the [C5]middle of the night on the open road
The [G5]heater don't work and it's [D5]oh-so cold
[C5]You're lookin' tired, you're lookin' kinda beat
The [G5]rhythm of the street sure [D5]knocks you off your feet

[Bb7]You didn't know how rock 'n' roll looked
Un- [Eb/Bb]til you caught your sister with the guys from the group
[Bb7]Half-way home in the parking lot
By the [Eb/Bb]look in her eyes she was givin' what she got

Chorus

Solo:
|C5    |C5    |F5    |F5    | 2x

Well [C5]Woman you're a mess gonna die in your sleep
There's [G5]blood on my amp and my [D5]fenders beat
[C5]Can't keep you home, you're messin' around
My [G5]best friend told me you're the [D5]best lick in town

[Bb7]You didn't know that rock 'n' roll burned
[Eb/Bb]So you bought a candle and you live and you learn
[Bb7]You got the rhythm, you got the speed
[Eb/Bb]Mamma's little baby likes it short and sweet

Chorus plus:
I said [C5]Ah ah ah once bitten twice [F5]shy, babe
[C5]Ah ah ah once bitten twice [F5]shy, babe
[C5]Ah ah ah once bitten twice [F5]shy, babe
[C5]Ah ah ah once bitten twice [F]shy
________________________________________________________________

3. Tabs

There are two rhythm guitars, but I don't have a clue who's who.
So I just call them rhythm guitar 1 (the guitar panned to your right
speaker) and 2 (the guitar panned to your left speaker).

Rhythm guitar 1
===============

Use all downstrokes unless indicated otherwise

Intro:

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A|----------------x-------x---10--|10--10-h12------10------x---10-10|
E|8-------8-------x-------x---8---|8---8-----------8-------x---8--8-|
                                                               d  u
                                                   .             (. = short)
  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|10--10--12------10------12------|10--10--12------10------12------|
E|8---8---8-------8-------8---8---|8---8---8-------8-------8---8---|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|10--10--12------10------12------|10--10--12------13------12--10--|
E|8---8---8-------8-------8---8---|8---8---8-------8-------8---8---|
          .                                .

Verse:
  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|----10--12------10------12------|10--10--12------10------10-----|
E|**--8---8-------8-------8---8---|8---8---8-------8-------8------|
          .                                .
(* The last notes of the previous bar are still ringing here on
   the first half of the first beat. So don't strike the C5-chord
   here. In following verses you do strike the C5-chord here).

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|----7---9-------7-------9-------|
A|5--5---7-------5-------7---0---|5---5---5-------5-------5-------|
E|3--3---3-------3-------3-------|----------------------------3/--|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|10------12------10------12------|10--10--12------10------10-----|
E|8-------8-------8-------8---8---|8---8---8-------8-------8------|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|----------------7-------9-------|
D|--------------------------------|7---7---9-------7-------9---2---|
A|5--5---7-------5-------7-------|5---5---5-------5-------5---0---|
E|3--3---3-------3-------3-------|--------------------------------|
          .               .                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|
A|1---1---1-------1-------1-------|1---1---1-------1-------1---1---|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
          .               .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|
D|1---1---1-------1-------1---1---|1---1---1-------1-------1-------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|----------------------------1---|

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|
A|1---1---1-------1-------1-------|1---1---1-------1-------1-------|
E|--------------------------------|----------------------------1---|
          .               .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|3---3---5-------3-------5-------|
D|1---1---1-------1-------1---1---|1---1---1-------1-------1---1---|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

The Bb- and the Eb-chords are quite a stretch in first position. I've
choosen for this as the low F can only be reached in the first
position. You can also play these chords in the sixth position but
then the distance to the low F is very large.
This would be the alternative:

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +

E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|8---8---10------8-------10------|8---8---10------8-------10------|
E|6---6---6-------6-------6-------|6---6---6-------6-------6---1---|
          .               .                .               .
  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|8---8---10------8-------10------|8---8---10------8-------10------|
A|6---6---6-------6-------6---6---|6---6---6-------6-------6-------|
E|--------------------------------|----------------------------1---|

Chorus:

    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E||---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B||*--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G||---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
D||---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A||*10--10--12------12-p10--10--10--|----10--12------12-p10--10----|
E||-8---8---8-------8-------8---8---|----8---8-------8-------8-----|
            .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|---------------------------------||
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------*||
G|--------------------------------|---------------------------------||
D|--------------------------------|---------------------------------||
A|3---3---5-------5--p3---3---3---|----3---5-------5--p3---3-------*||
E|1---1---1-------1-------1---1---|----1---1-------1-------1--------||
          .                                .

Play these four bars three times but replace the two last bars the
third time by:
  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|----------------------------3-3-|
B|--------------------------------|----------------------------3-3-|
G|--------------------------------|----------------------------4-4-|
D|--------------------------------|----------------------------5-5-|
A|3---3---5-------5--p3---3---3---|----3---5-------5--p3---3---5-5-|
E|1---1---1-------1-------1---1---|----1---1-------1-------1---3-3-|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|3---------------------------3---|--------------------------------|
B|3---------------------------3---|--------------------------------|
G|4---------------------------4---|--- Let the last chord ring ----|
D|5---------------------------5---|------ through this bar --------|
A|5---------------------------5---|--------------------------------|
E|3---------------------------3---|--------------------------------|

Rhythm guitar 2
===============

Use all downstrokes


Intro:

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|--------- REST -----------------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|10------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|8-------------------------------|

    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E||----------------------------------||
B||*--------------------------------*||
G||----------------------------------||
D||-10--10----------10---------------||
A||*10--10--12------10------12------*|| 4x
E||-8---8---8-------8-------8---8----||

Grab the both notes on the tenth position by making a little bar with
your ringfinger.

Verse:

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|----------------------------10/-|
D|10--10----------10--------------|10--10----------10--10------10/-|
A|10--10--12------10------12------|10--10--12------10--10--12--8-/-|
E|8---8---8-------8-------8---8---|8---8---8-------8---8---8---8-/-|


  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|12--12----------12--------------|--------------------------------|
D|12--12--14------12------14------|12--12----------12-------------|
A|10--10--10------10------10--10--|12--12--14------12-------------|
E|10*-10--10------10------10--10--|10--10--10------10---------3/--|
          .                                .
  *make a bar with your indexfinger for the 10th position
   and a bar with your ringfinger for the 12th position

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|----------------------------10/-|
D|----10----------10--------------|10--10----------10--10------10/-|
A|----10--12------10------12------|10--10--12------10--10--12--8-/-|
E|/8--8---8-------8-------8---8---|8---8---8-------8---8---8---8-/-|


  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|12--12----------12--------------|----------------------------6/--|
D|12--12--14------12------14------|12--12----------12---------5/--|
A|10--10--10------10------10--10--|12--12--14------12---------7/--|
E|10--10--10------10------10--10--|10--10--10------10---------5/--|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|7---7-----------7-----------7---|7---7-----------7-----------8---|
D|6---6-----------6-----------6---|6---6-----------6-----------8---|
A|8---8---10------8-------10--8---|8---8---10------8-------10--6---|
E|6---6---6-------6-------6---6---|6---6---6-------6-------6---6---|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8---8-----------8---8-------8---|8---8-----------8---8-------2/--|
D|8---8---10------8---8---10--8---|8---8---10------8---8---10--1/--|
A|6---6---6-------6---6---6---6---|6---6---6-------6---6---6---3/--|
E|6---6---6-------6---6---6---6---|6---6---6-------6---6---6---1/--|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|7---7-----------7-----------7---|7---7-----------7-----------8---|
D|6---6-----------6-----------6---|6---6-----------6-----------8---|
A|8---8---10------8-------10--8---|8---8---10------8-------10--6---|
E|6---6---6-------6-------6---6---|6---6---6-------6-------6---6---|
          .                                .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|8---8-----------8---8-------8---|8---8-------8---8---8-------8---|
D|8---8---10------8---8---10--8---|8---8---10--8---8---8---10--8---|
A|6---6---6-------6---6---6---6---|6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---|
E|6---6---6-------6---6---6---6---|6---6---6---6---6---6---6---6---|
          .                                .

Chorus:

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|----------------------------10--|
D|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x---10--|
A|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x---8---|
E|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----8---8-------8---8---x---8---|
  d   u   d       d   u   d   u        u   d       d   u   d   u
          .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x-------|
D|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x---10--|
A|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----8---8-------8---8---x---10--|
E|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----8---8-------8---8---x---8---|
          .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|-----------------------------10-|
D|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x----10-|
A|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x----8--|
E|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----8---8-------8---8---x----8--|
          .

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|--------------------------------|
D|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|x---8---x---8---x---8---x---10--|
A|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|x---8---x---8---x---8---x---10--|
E|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----------------------------8---|
          .
  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|-----------------------------10-|
D|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x----10-|
A|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x----8--|
E|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----8---8-------8---8---x----8--|
          .
  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x---12-12-|
D|10--10--10------10--10--x---10--|----10--10------10--10--x---12-12-|
A|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----8---8-------8---8---x---10-10-|
E|8---8---8-------8---8---x---8---|----8---8-------8---8---x---10-10-|
          .                                        d   u   d   d  u

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|12--------------------------12--|--- Let the last chord ring ----|
D|12--------------------------12--|------ through this bar --------|
A|10--------------------------10--|--------------------------------|
E|10--------------------------10--|--------------------------------|


Solo:

The backing for the solo is the same as the first eight bars of
the chorus.

Before you start with the solo you'll have to learn an old country-lick
which is used in rock many times (if you don't know it already).
Play the following triad:

E|--8--|             E|-----|  For this   E|-----|
B|--8--| Now it's    B|-----|  lick you   B|-----|
G|--9--| about this  G|--9--|  have to    G|-7b9-|
D|-----| note:       D|-----|  bend the   D|-----|
A|-----|             A|-----|  note up    A|-----|
E|-----|             E|-----|  from the   E|-----|
                               7th pos.

In order to place   E|--8--|   Play the bend with      E|-8---|
this into the       B|--8--|   your ringfinger         B|-8---|
chord you'll        G|-----|  (supported by the        G|-7b9-|
have to place       D|-----|   middle finger and/or    D|-----|
a small bar         A|-----|   the index finger if     A|-----|
with your pinky     E|-----|   necessary)              E|-----|
on the 8th pos.

The full lick Francis plays:
  1   +   2   +
E|8-------8---8---|
B|8-------8---8---|
G|7b9r7---5---5---|
D|----------------|
A|----------------|
E|----------------|

Here's the solo

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|----8---8---8---8---8---8---8---|8-------8---8-------8---8---8---|
B|----8---8---8---8---8---8---8---|8-------8---8-------8---8---8---|
G|--------------------------------|7b9r7---5---5-------5---5---5---|
D|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|8-------8---8-------------------|--------8-------8---8---10b12---|
B|8-------8---8------*8-----------|----8-----------8---8-----------|
G|7b9r7---5---5-------5---5---5---|7/9---------10------------------|
D|--------------------7-----------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
                      .  *keep your lefthandfingers in position while
                          placing the ringfinger on the 7th fret of
                          the D-string

  1     +    2   +   3   +   4   +    1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|10b12r10---8---10--8---8---8---8---|8-------8---8-------8---8---8---|
B|-----------------------8---8---8---|8-------8---8-------8---8---8---|
G|-----------------------------------|7b9r7---5---5-------5---5---5---|
D|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------|

  1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|8-------8---8-------------------|
B|8-------8---8-----------13--15--|
G|7b9r7---5---5------/14----------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

  1     +     2     +   3     +    4   +
E|15----15----15--------15---------15--15---|
B|15b17-15b17-15b17-----15b17r15---13--15---|
G|------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------|
            .                    (.=short)

  1     +   2   +   3   +   4   +
E|15--------15--15-----------------|
B|15b17r15--13--13-----------------|
G|----------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------|

Last updated: July 1, 2025

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About Once Bitten Twice Shy

"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" is a rock song originally recorded by Ian Hunter in 1975, but popularized by Great White in 1989. The catchy chorus and energetic guitar riffs helped propel the song to commercial success, reaching the top 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Despite its popularity, the song has faced criticism for its simplistic lyrics and derivative sound. Overall, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" remains a staple of 80s rock music, showcasing Great White's talent for crafting memorable hooks.

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