I Shot the Sheriff
Bob Marely and The Wailers Lyrics
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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
The lyrics to Bob Marley and The Wailers’ song “I Shot the Sheriff” tell the story of a man who is being hunted down for killing a deputy, but he claims to have only shot the sheriff in self-defense. The lyrics suggest that the sheriff was an oppressive figure who hated the singer and would destroy any seed he planted, a metaphor for any attempt by the singer to better himself. The singer then describes how he was aiming to leave town when he was confronted by the sheriff, and in a moment of reflexes, he shot and killed him.
The song is open to interpretation, but it is often seen as a metaphor for the struggle for freedom against oppression. Many believe that the sheriff represents the oppressive force, while the singer represents the oppressed. Bob Marley's message was that sometimes violence is necessary to free oneself from oppression, but this does not mean that one should be violent towards others who are not oppressors.
Line by Line Meaning
I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
The singer admits to shooting the sheriff but not the deputy, and seems to be surprised that people think otherwise.
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
The singer's hometown is after him for the killing of the deputy, even though he didn't do it.
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!
The singer claims he shot the sheriff in self defense, and that doing so was considered a capital offense.
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
The artist suggests there was some bad blood between him and Sheriff John Brown, and that Brown would stop him from growing plants in some way.
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)
The artist complains that the news is spreading about him shooting the sheriff in self defense, but that no one seems to be looking for the real killer, the deputy.
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!
The singer left town and then ran into Sheriff John Brown again, who tried to shoot him. The singer ended up shooting Brown, but accepts that he will face the consequences.
(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)
The singer repeats that he only shot the sheriff, not the deputy, and that he didn't want to harm the deputy.
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
The artist suggests that he acted on reflexes when he shot the sheriff, and that the consequences of his actions were inevitable. He repeats that he didn't shoot the deputy, and concludes with a dismissive 'so, yeah'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bob Marley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MFM_88
If you're listening to this in 2024, hit me 👍
@ahmetoztekin1232
Im.saying hello from cyprus island😊
@darrellmoore8194
From Philippines
@BTWrush
I am listening and performing this Sunday for Bob Marley’s Birthday gig ❤
@Roki.hermawan
😂
@nadiaarthus4125
From Martinique
@jamestyson458
I've been listening to all of Bob Marley's hit songs since I saw Bob Marley One Love. He was very talented. And a great man
@garrithdaly4541
Same
@jessenicolas6900
Talented ? GOD GIFTED !! one love
@Ijayed22
It is only Bob Marley and Michael Jackson that can sit on the same table and enjoy a meal of corn porridge while watching Thriller play on the TV. The two greatest musicians of all time 🙌👑🙌👑🙌
Counting down from 7 days when I can finally watch Bob’s biopic ‘One Love’ on February 14th.