28-11-2012, 12:11
#450 - Wailers - I Shot The Sheriff - 1973
running recap for me - 3's=26, 2's=18, 1's=7
this one - **
from the album: Burnin'
Written by Bob Marley
Produced by Chris Blackwell
Chart action:
the players:
Peter Tosh - Guitar, Vocals, keyboards
Bob Marley - Guitar, Vocals
Bunny Wailer - Percussion, Vocals
Aston "Family Man" Barrett - Bass, Guitar
Carlton "Carlie" Barrett - drums
Earl Lindo - Keyboards
I confess, I prefer the Clapton version. Of course this man deserves all the credit. Bob claims he wanted
to say I shot the police, but thought it would be more government friendly with the sheriff. Didn't think
Bob really cared what the government thought, but there ya go. Turns out Bob was right. Years later when a
group called Body Count realeased a song called Cop Killer, there was much controversy over the lyrics.
The song is from the Wailers fourth album, the last before Peter Tosh split, and the groups name was
changed to Bob Marley & The Wailers. Assume this was released as a single, but I can't see that it charted
anywhere.
[video=youtube;nrnZSLwfzVs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrnZSLwfzVs[/video]
Lyrics
(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, oo-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 selfdefence.)
Oh, no! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yeah!
I say: I shot the sheriff - Oh, Lord! -
(And they say it is a capital offence.)
Yeah! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) 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-defence.)
Where was the deputy? (Oo-oo-oh)
I say: I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in selfdefence. (Oo-oh) Yeah!
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! (Oo-oo-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. Yeah!
I - I (shot the sheriff) -
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah! No, yeah!
running recap for me - 3's=26, 2's=18, 1's=7
this one - **
from the album: Burnin'
Written by Bob Marley
Produced by Chris Blackwell
Chart action:
the players:
Peter Tosh - Guitar, Vocals, keyboards
Bob Marley - Guitar, Vocals
Bunny Wailer - Percussion, Vocals
Aston "Family Man" Barrett - Bass, Guitar
Carlton "Carlie" Barrett - drums
Earl Lindo - Keyboards
I confess, I prefer the Clapton version. Of course this man deserves all the credit. Bob claims he wanted
to say I shot the police, but thought it would be more government friendly with the sheriff. Didn't think
Bob really cared what the government thought, but there ya go. Turns out Bob was right. Years later when a
group called Body Count realeased a song called Cop Killer, there was much controversy over the lyrics.
The song is from the Wailers fourth album, the last before Peter Tosh split, and the groups name was
changed to Bob Marley & The Wailers. Assume this was released as a single, but I can't see that it charted
anywhere.
[video=youtube;nrnZSLwfzVs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrnZSLwfzVs[/video]
Lyrics
(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, oo-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 selfdefence.)
Oh, no! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yeah!
I say: I shot the sheriff - Oh, Lord! -
(And they say it is a capital offence.)
Yeah! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) 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-defence.)
Where was the deputy? (Oo-oo-oh)
I say: I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in selfdefence. (Oo-oh) Yeah!
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! (Oo-oo-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. Yeah!
I - I (shot the sheriff) -
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah! No, yeah!