I Shot The Sheriff
Eric Clapton feat. Yvonne Elliman Lyrics
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I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
All around in my home town
They're trying 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
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
I shot the sheriff, and they say it is a capital offense
Sheriff John Brown always hated me
For what I don't know
Every time that I plant a seed
He said, "Kill it before it grows"
He said, "Kill it before it grows", I say
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
Freedom came my way one day
And I started out of town
All of a sudden I see sheriff John Brown
Aiming to shoot me down
So I shot, I shot him down, I say
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
Reflexes got the better of me
And what is to be must be
Every day the bucket goes to the well
But one day the bottom will drop out
Yes, one day the bottom will drop out, but I say
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy, oh no
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy, oh no
The song "I Shot The Sheriff" by Eric Clapton was originally written and recorded by Bob Marley in 1973. The song is about a man who admits to shooting the sheriff but denies shooting the deputy, claiming he acted in self-defense. The first verse of the song sets up this narrative, as the singer explains that people are trying to track him down for killing a deputy, but he insists that he only shot the sheriff. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, with the singer reiterating his innocence.
The second verse provides some context for the singer's actions. He explains that the sheriff always hated him, but he doesn't know why. He also reveals that the sheriff would try to prevent him from growing "seeds," which could be taken metaphorically to refer to ideas or actual plants. The chorus is repeated again.
In the third verse, the singer describes how he manages to escape the town and is then pursued by the sheriff. He shoots the sheriff in self-defense, but again insists that he did not shoot the deputy. The final verse brings the song to a close by asserting that the singer knows he will face consequences for his actions, but he has no regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
I'm taking responsibility for killing the sheriff, but I'm not responsible for the deputy's death
All around in my home town
Everywhere I go in my hometown
They're trying to track me down
People are trying to find and capture me
They say they want to bring me in guilty
They plan to charge me with a crime
For the killing of a deputy
They're accusing me of murdering a deputy
For the life of a deputy, but I say
They believe I killed a deputy, but I have a different story
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
I'm claiming that I killed the sheriff to protect myself from harm
And they say it is a capital offense
They're claiming that killing the sheriff is a serious crime
Sheriff John Brown always hated me
The sheriff had a personal problem with me
For what I don't know
I'm not sure why the sheriff had such a strong dislike for me
Every time that I plant a seed
Whenever I tried to start something new
He said, 'Kill it before it grows'
The sheriff would try to prevent me from succeeding
Freedom came my way one day
I finally had a chance to escape from my troubles
And I started out of town
I left my hometown behind
All of a sudden I see sheriff John Brown
To my surprise, I encountered the sheriff on my way out of town
Aiming to shoot me down
He had his weapon pointed at me
So I shot, I shot him down, I say
I acted out of self-preservation and shot the sheriff
Reflexes got the better of me
I acted on instinct rather than conscious thought
And what is to be must be
I feel that I had no other choice but to use force to defend myself
Every day the bucket goes to the well
This is a metaphor for the routine of life
But one day the bottom will drop out
Eventually, things will change dramatically
Yes, one day the bottom will drop out, but I say
I know things won't always be like this, but for now, I stand by my actions
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy, oh no
I'm repeating that I didn't kill the deputy, just the sheriff
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bob Marley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind