Chords + Lyrics | I Shot The Sheriff
Chorus 1
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
I shot the sheriff, but I didn’t shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
I shot the sheriff, but I didn’t shoot no deputy, ooh, ooh, oo-ooh.
Verse 1
| Eb Dm7 | Gm7 | Eb Dm7/A | Gm7 |
All around in my hometown, they’re trying to track me down.
| Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 Gm | Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 |
They say they want to bring me in guilty, for the killing of a deputy,
| Eb Dm7 Dm | Gm/D |
for the life of a deputy. But I say.
Instrumental 1
||: G Minor Pentatonic riff :|| 2/4 Gm |
Chorus 2
Oh, now, now. Oh! (I shot the sheriff.) – the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense. Oh, no! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh)
Yeah! I say: I shot the sheriff – Oh, Lord! – And they say it is a capital offense. Yeah! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yeah!
Verse 2
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”.
Instrumental 2 (as instrumental 1)
And so, read it in the news.
Chorus 3
(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 self-defence. (Oo-oh) Yeah!
Verse 3
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.
Instrumental 3 (longer)
||: G Minor Pentatonic riff :|| Gm | Gm |
If I am guilty I will pay.
Chorus 4
(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).
Verse 4
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.
Instrumental 4 (as instrumental 1, no lyrics)
||: G Minor Pentatonic riff :|| 2/4 Gm |
Chorus 5
I – I – I – I shot the sheriff. Lord, I didn’t shot the deputy.
I – I (shot the sheriff). But I didn’t shoot no deputy, yeah! No, yeah.
End
||: Gm | Cm Cm7 Cm Cm7 | Gm7 Gm Gm7 | Gm7 Gm Gm7 :|| x3
| Gm | Cm |
I Shot The Sheriff Chords: Exploring the Minor Key Structure
Let’s explore the chord progressions in the two main sections of I Shot the Sheriff.
Chorus
These are the chorus chords:
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
The chords in brackets indicate variations that are briefly added and then removed. In Roman numerals, Gm is VI, and Cm is II. Since the emphasis remains on Gm, we can say the verse is in Aeolian mode.
The verse chord progression starts on IV, giving the impression of movement. Often, a Dm7/A is played instead of Dm7—check the video below to hear the subtle difference.
Verse
Here are the verse chords:
| Eb (IV) Dm7 (III) | Gm7 (VI) |
||: Eb Dm7/A | Gm7 :|| x3
| Eb Dm7 Dm | Gm/D |
The Eb introduces a Lydian flavour, giving the verse a sense of lift before resolving to Gm, reinforcing the Aeolian feel.
Instrumental
The legendary instrumental section is based on a minor pentatonic riff—compare it to Master Blaster, a song Stevie Wonder wrote as a tribute to Bob Marley.
I’ve written the instrumental section as N.C in the chord chart, as no chords are played. Here’s the full chart for you to use.
I Shot The Sheriff Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
The chord chart above consists of four sections: the chorus (A), verse (B), instrumental section (C), and ending (D).
The most intricate part is the transition after the instrumental section. On the third repeat, there’s a noticeable pause before returning to the chorus.
If you’d like to download the full chart, here’s a PDF: I Shot The Sheriff chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iReal Pro—you can download the file here: I Shot The Sheriff iReal Pro. With the app, you can change the key and adjust the arrangement layout.
Below, you’ll find a preview of the course, where we explore the bass line of the chorus, experiment with different chord voicings, and analyse how the melody and harmony interact.
By working through these elements, you’ll eventually be able to play I Shot The Sheriff in an improvised and dynamic way, blending all these techniques seamlessly.
I Shot The Sheriff TAB | Course Preview
My solo acoustic guitar arrangement of I Shot The Sheriff draws directly from Bob Marley’s original recording.
Great care was taken to incorporate the iconic bass line while maintaining the rhythmic reggae strums, played with subtle variations to create the feel of a band jamming.
I’ve also transcribed several licks from the original recording and carefully integrated them into this arrangement. It was a time-consuming process, but well worth the effort—I learned so much along the way!
Bob Marley’s various recordings of I Shot The Sheriff are rich with musical detail, making them a treasure trove of inspiration.
To start, we combine the bass line with the chords for the chorus. Here’s the TAB for the basic bass line:
As you can see, this is the fundamental groove from the original recording—begin by mastering this.
In the course, we develop the bass line further by adding chords and exploring different ways to phrase it.
You’ll also get play-along TAB loops for all sections, plus an opportunity to play the vocal melody in harmony.
Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: I Shot The Sheriff – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Eric Clapton’s version was more commercially successful
Released in 1973 on the album Burnin’ and as a single, I Shot The Sheriff became one of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ most iconic tracks.
Interestingly, Bob initially wanted to say “I shot the Police,” but to avoid potential “fuzz from the government,” he opted for “sheriff,” believing it would still deliver the intended message.
Just a year after the original release, Eric Clapton covered the song on his legendary 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard. This helped introduce Marley’s music to a much broader audience, as Clapton was an internationally recognised figure at the time.
Clapton’s version performed better commercially, reaching the number-one spot in the U.S., making it Eric’s only U.S. #1 hit to date.
It’s said that Bob once visited Eric’s house, and after leaving, a note was found on the fridge that simply read: I Shot The Sheriff, with the “I” underlined.
I Shot The Sheriff Chords: Continue Learning
To play I Shot The Sheriff on just one guitar, we must first study what the bass is playing on the original recording.
Once this is established, everything else falls into place. After learning the complete song, we also play the vocal melody, in harmony!
Start learning with the full lesson series: I Shot The Sheriff – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
