Bob Marley & the Wailers
I Shot The Sheriff
Burnin' (1973)

   Gm                 Cm                       Gm
  (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

E♭   Dm          Gm
All around in my hometown
They're 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

          /g  f  d  c b♭ /d  c  b♭  g
But I say                             oh now now, oh

  (I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense) oh Lord (ooh ooh ooh)
  I said (I shot the sheriff) oh Lord (and they say it is a capital offense)

Sheriff John Brown always hated me                         (w/ Cm des fois)
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, but I swear it was in self-defense)
  Where was the deputy? (ooh ooh ooh) I said

  (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)

  (I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy, ooh ooh ooh) oh 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, but I didn't shot the deputy, yeah
  I, I (shot the sheriff) but I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah, so, yeah

Gm  Cm  Gm  x 3  w/ orgue  (drum)

...fade out


( live: en F♯m, ds riff: b♭ c d
  Clapton: E♭ -> E♭7, no deputy -> the deputy, ooh -> f f g )