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, ooooh, yeah
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, but I say
I shot the sheriff (shot the sheriff)
But I swear it was in
I say, I shot the sheriff, Oh, Lord
And they say it is a capital
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
I shot the sheriff (oh Lord)
But I swear it was in self defense,
I shot the sheriff
But I swear it was in self defense, yeah (ooooooh)
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
I shot the sheriff (but I say)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, (I
I shot the sheriff (I did)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh (ooh, ooh, ooooh) 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
Lord, I didn't shot the deputy, no, yeah
I, I (shot the sheriff)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah, no, yeah