I Shot the Sheriff

The Wailers

About I Shot the Sheriff

"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Bob Marley and released in 1973 by Bob Marley and the Wailers.


Year:
1973
4:39
393 
#3

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(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 home town
They're tryin' to track me down
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) oh, no (oh, oh, ooh)
Yeah, I say, I shot the sheriff oh, Lord! (and they say it is a capital offense)
Yeah! (oh, oh, ooh) yeah

Sheriff John Brown always hated me
For what, I don't know
Every time I plant a seed
He said kill it before it grow
He said kill them before they grow, 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? (oh, oh, ooh)
I say, I shot the sheriff
But I swear it was in self defense, yeah (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 (oh, no-oh) oh no
(I shot the sheriff) I did
But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh (oh, oh, ooh)

Reflexes had got 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 shot the deputy, no
I, I (shot the sheriff)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah
So, yeah

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The Wailers

Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Robert Nesta Marley), Peter Tosh (Hubert Winston McIntosh), and Bunny Wailer (Neville Livingston). During 1970 and 1971, Wailer, Marley and Tosh worked with renowned reggae producers Leslie Kong and Lee "Scratch" Perry. They released four albums before signing to Island Records in 1972. Two more albums were created before Tosh and Wailer left the band in 1974, citing grievances over label treatment and ideological differences. Marley carried on with a new line-up, including the I-Threes that put out seven more albums. Marley d… more »

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Written by: Bob Marley

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Creation
"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song that was written by Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley and was originally released by him and his band, The Wailers, in 1973.
Album Release
The song was part of the album "Burnin'", which was the second studio album by The Wailers.
Popularity Status
"I Shot the Sheriff" is considered one of Marley's most iconic songs, reaching global audiences and receiving vast radio airplay.
Cover Versions
The song was also famously covered by American musician Eric Clapton, whose version helped introduce Marley's music to a wider audience.
Chart Performance
Clapton's version of the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974.
Song Theme
The song tells a story of a narrator who shoots the local sheriff, claiming self-defense but is accused of killing the deputy sheriff.
Underlying Meaning
Marley originally wrote the song in response to the unwanted interference of government in his life and the lives of the Jamaican people.
Song Interpretation
Some critics have interpreted "I Shot the Sheriff" as Marley's critique of oppressive institutions, with the Sheriff representing the system in which Marley felt oppressed.
Grammy Hall of Fame
The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.
Iconic Influence
Despite its straightforward lyrics, the song is often seen as an anthem for social and political resistance and has been cited within many discussions about police and racial tension.
Legacy
"I Shot the Sheriff" continues to be covered by musicians globally, proving the timelessness of the song's message.
Cultural Impact
Bob Marley's performance of "I Shot The Sheriff" at the One Love Peace Concert in 1978 is still remembered as one of the most powerful live acts in music history.

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