Bob Marley – I Shot the Sheriff
Guitar chords and lyrics of I Shot the Sheriff by Bob Marley
Published 1973
Original key Gm
The lyrics and chords of the songs contained on the site are property of their respective authors. Law no. 159 of 22 May 1993 allows its use only for didactic, study and research activities. Authors can request their removal at any time.
The chords interpretation is the result of my individual work.
Capo third fret
Em
I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
But I didn’t shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
Em
I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
But I didn’t shoot no deputy. Ooh, ooh, oo-ooh.
C Bm7 Em
All around in my home town,
. C Bm7 Em
They’re tryin’ to track me down;
C Bm7 Em
They say they want to bring me in guilty,
. C Bm7 Em
For the killing of a deputy,
. C Bm7 Em
For the life of a deputy. But I say…
Em
I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
But I swear it was in self-defence. (Oh, no! Yeah!)
. Am
I say; I shot the sheriff, oh Lord!
. Em
And they say it is a capital offence. Yeah!
C Bm7 Em
Sheriff John Brown always hated me,
. C Bm7 Em
For what… I don’t know.
. C Bm7 Em
Every time I plant a seed,
. C Bm7 Em
He said kill it before it grow,
. C Bm7 Em
He said kill them before they grow. And so, and so…
(Read it in the news!)
Em
I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
But I swear it was in self-defence. I say;
Em
I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
But I swear it was in self-defence. (Yeah!)
C Bm7 Em
Freedom came my way one day,
. C Bm7 Em
And I started, out of town, yeah!
C Bm7 Em
All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Brown,
C Bm7 Em
Aiming to shoot me down,
. C Bm7 Em
So I shot, I shot, I shot him down. And I say…
(If I am guilty, I will pay)…
Em
I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
But I didn’t shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
Em
I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
But I didn’t shoot no deputy. Ooh, ooh, oo-ooh.
[Verse 4]
. C Bm7 Em
Reflexes had the better of me,
. C Bm7 Em
And what is to be must be.
. C Bm7 Em
Every day, the bucket a-go a-well,
C Bm7 Em
One day the bottom a-go drop out,
C Bm7 Em
One day the bottom a-go drop out.
(I say)…
Em
I-I-I, I shot the sheriff,
Am Em
Lord, I didn’t shot the deputy. No!
Em
I-I…(shot the sheriff),
Am Em
But I didn’t shoot no deputy. Yeah! So, yeah!