🤘 About the Song
“Teenage Dirtbag” is the sound of teenage awkwardness turned into triumph.
Wheatus frontman Brendan B. Brown wrote it as an ode to every misfit, metalhead, and kid who ever got picked last but still knew the lyrics to every Iron Maiden song.
It’s equal parts goofy, heartfelt, and cathartic — the ultimate underdog anthem.
And on ukulele? It becomes hilariously perfect.
That gritty alt-rock energy somehow gets cuter but still lands the punch — a small instrument shouting, “Her name is Noelle!” at the top of its lungs.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll keep it in G major, bright and easy to sing.
You’ll need G, C, D, and Em.
Verse progression: [G] – [C] – [D] – [C]
Chorus: [G] – [C] – [D] – [Em] – [C] – [D]
Bridge: [Em] – [C] – [G] – [D]
Strumming pattern: classic pop-rock down–down–up–up–down–up at around 100 bpm.
You can switch to strong all-downstrokes in the chorus for that “garage band” drive.
Try palm-muting lightly during verses — it makes the chorus burst even harder when you open up.
Tempo should feel bouncy, like a teen pacing their bedroom plotting emotional revenge.
Singing tip: Don’t overthink it. It’s supposed to sound like an honest kid trying way too hard — that’s the charm.
Let your voice crack. Belt the chorus. Smile on “I’ve got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby.”
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- Brendan B. Brown wrote it about growing up on Long Island, inspired by a real high school shooting in 1984 that shaped his outlook on teenage alienation.
- It was originally banned by some U.S. radio stations because of the word “gun.”
- It charted modestly in the U.S. but became a cult phenomenon in the UK, Australia, and Ireland.
- Its enduring power led to the “#TeenageDirtbagChallenge” on TikTok decades later.
- Wheatus still tour with this as their closer — and everyone still yells the chorus.
🌈 Final Word
“Teenage Dirtbag” on ukulele is a beautiful contradiction — awkward and confident, funny and heartfelt.
It’s everything you wanted to say in high school but didn’t have the guts (or a small wooden instrument) to shout.
Play it loud, grin your way through it, and remember: we were all dirtbags once.
