I Shot The Sheriff by The Wailers

Genre: Pop

Length: 4:41

Released: 2001

Bob Marley here tells a story from the point of view of a narrator who admits to having killed the local sheriff, and claims to be falsely accused of having killed the deputy . This song was first released in 1973 on The Wailers' album Burnin'. Marley explained his intention as follows: I want to say ‘I shot the police’ but the government would have made a fuss so I said ‘I shot the sheriff’ instead… but it’s the same idea: justice." In an alternate interpretation, a 1975 1 minute 52 secon...

I Shot The Sheriff lyrics

I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy
Oh, no, oh
I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy
Ooh, ooh, ooh (yeah)
All around in my hometown
They tryin' to track me down, yeah
They say they want to bring me in guilty
For the killing of a deputy, for the life of a deputy
But I say, oh, now, now
Oh, I shot the sheriff (the sheriff), but I swear it was in self defense (no, no)
Ooh, ooh, ooh (yeah)
I said, I shot the sheriff (oh Lord)
And they say it is a capital offense (oh now, yeah)
Ooh, ooh, ooh (yeah)
(Hear this)
Sheriff John Brown always hated me
For what? I don't know
Every time I plant a seed
He said, "Kill it before it grows"
He said, "Kill them before they grow"
And so, and so
Read it in the news
I shot the sheriff (oh Lord), but I swear it was in self defense
Where was the deputy? (Ooh, ooh, ooh) ( Ooh, ooh, ooh))
I said I shot the sheriff but I swear it was in self defense
Yeah (ooh) ( ooh))
Freedom came my way one day
And I started out of town, yeah
All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Brown
Aiming to shoot me down
So I shot, I shot, I shot him down
And I say, if I am guilty I will pay
I shot the sheriff (but I say) but I didn't shoot no deputy
I didn't shoot no deputy, no (oh, no, oh)
I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy
Ooh, ooh, ooh (yeah)
Reflexes had the better of me
And what is to be must be
Every day the bucket a-go-a well
One day the bottom a-go drop out
One day the bottom a-go drop out
I say
I, I, I, I shot the sheriff, Lord, I didn't shoot the deputy, no
Yeah, I, I, shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah
So yeah