"Retard Girl" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, written by vocalist and guitarist Courtney Love, and released as the band's début single in April 1990 by Sympathy for the Record Industry. Recorded in March 1990, the single was produced by Love's then-husband, James Moreland. Drawing on the influence of no wave and noise rock bands of the time, the song features distorted guitars, heavy bass, and unpolished, aggressive vocals from Love.

The lyrics narrate a girl being bullied on a school playground, also making direct references to Horace's Odes, particularly the Latin verse "velut inter ignis luna minors", which is also inscribed on the back of the single's cover art. The song was written by Love after a group of men allegedly tried to gang rape her while she was working at a Jumbo's Clown Room in Los Angeles.

Love is known to have written "Retard Girl" prior to, or within the first few weeks of, Hole's formation as the song was performed at Hole's second live performance in 1989.

The first and only known studio version of "Retard Girl" was recorded at the band's first studio session on March 17, 1990, at Rudy's Rising Star in Los Angeles. The band was given $500, by Sympathy For The Record Industry's president Long Gone John, to record the session, which was initially meant to only include the song, however others were recorded alongside it, including "Turpentine", "Phonebill Song" and "Johnnie's in the Bathroom." "Retard Girl" along with the latter songs were released in full form on The First Session EP in 1997. The session was produced by Love's then-husband, James Moreland, with additional production by lead guitarist Eric Erlandson.

Musically, the song was performed in Drop D tuning and follows a simple structure; opening with a bass line, progressing to distorted guitars and featuring aggressive vocals. The composition highlights the band's initial no wave and punk rock-influenced sound, inspired by the likes of Sonic Youth.

...
Wikipedia