I Shot The Sheriff | Chords + Lyrics
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
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
Oh, now, now. Oh! (I shot the sheriff.) – the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense. Oh, no! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh)
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
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
| Eb Dm7 | Gm7 | Eb Dm7/A | Gm7 |
Sheriff John Brown always hated me, for what, I don’t know.
| Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 Gm | Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 |
Every time I plant a seed, he said kill it before it grow.
| Eb Dm7 Dm | Gm/D |
He said kill them before they grow.
Instrumental 2
||: G Minor Pentatonic riff :|| 2/4 Gm |
And so, read it in the news.
Chorus 3
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
(I shot the sheriff.) Oh, Lord! But I swear it was in self-defense, where was the deputy? (Oo-oo-oh).
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
I say: I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense. (Oo-oh) Yeah!
Verse 3
| Eb Dm7 | Gm7 | Eb Dm7/A | Gm7 |
Freedom came my way one day, and I started out of town, yeah.
| Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 Gm | Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 |
All of a sudden I saw sheriff John Brown, aiming to shoot me down.
| Eb Dm7 Dm | Gm/D |
So I shot – I shot – I shot him down and I say.
Instrumental 3
||: G Minor Pentatonic riff :|| Gm | Gm |
If I am guilty I will pay.
Chorus 4
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
(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!
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
(I shot the sheriff) I did! But I didn’t shoot no deputy. Oh! (Oo-oo-ooh).
Verse 4
| Eb Dm7 | Gm7 | Eb Dm7/A | Gm7 |
Reflexes had got the better of me, and what is to be must be.
| Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 Gm | Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 |
Every day the bucket a-go a well, one day the bottom a-go drop out,
| Eb Dm7 Dm | Gm/D |
one day the bottom a-go drop out, I say.
Instrumental 4
||: G Minor Pentatonic riff :|| 2/4 Gm |
Chorus 5
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
I – I – I – I shot the sheriff. Lord, I didn’t shot the deputy.
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
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’s chords and progressions
My one acoustic guitar arrangement of I Shot The Sheriff is inspired by the original Bob Marley recording.
Great care had to be taken to fit that legendary bass line in, paired with the reggae strums, played in a varied way so it sounds like a band jamming.
I’ve also transcribed several licks from the original recording and managed to fit these into this one acoustic guitar arrangement, it took a long time but was well worth it, I feel like I learned so much!
The various recordings Bob made of this fantastic song are a treasure with so much music in them.
After three hours of video lessons(!), we play the chorus and verse vocal melody, the bass line, and then a developed chorus melody. Check the video above to see this.
The chords and progression for this classic are super simple, it is a case of “what you do with it that matters”. The chorus chords are just VI – II, like this in the key of Gm.
| Gm | Cm (Cm7) | Gm7 (Gm) | Gm7 (Gm) |
As you can see, I’ve written a different chord in brackets, which means you play it and then go back to the other chord a few times.
The verse chord progression starts on chord IV, making us feel as we move on. Often, we play a Dm7/A instead of Dm7, check the video to hear the subtle difference it makes. Here are the verse chords:
| Eb Dm7 | Gm7 | Eb Dm7/A | Gm7 |
| Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 Gm | Eb Dm7/A | Gm Gm7 |
| Eb Dm7 Dm | Gm/D |
The legendary instrumental section is a minor pentatonic riff. Compare it to Stevie Wonder‘s Master Blaster, a tune inspired by Bob Marley.
Here’s a link to the complete lesson series (members only): I Shot The Sheriff 8 step-by-step guitar lessons with TAB.
Become a member today and get unlimited access to all step-by-step guitar courses, TAB for the songbook, the Self-Eliminating Practice Routine, and the eBook Spytunes Method.
Eric Clapton’s version of I Shot The Sheriff was more popular!
Released in 1973 on the album Burnin’ and also as a single, I Shot The Sheriff is one of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ signature songs.
Originally, Bob wanted to say “I shot the Police” but to avoid “fuzz from the government”, he decided that using sheriff would still get the message across.
Only a year after the original release, Eric Clapton released a cover version, included in his sensational album 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974). This helped to spread the song and must have introduced Marley to a wider audience as Clapton at this time was known worldwide.
Clapton’s version chartered better than the original, reaching the number-one spot in the U.S. To this day making it Eric’s only U.S. #1.
Apparently, Bob once came over to Eric’s house. After he’d left, a note was found on the fridge door saying: I Shot The Sheriff, with the I being underlined.
I Shot The Sheriff chords | Related pages
Advanced Acoustic
The advanced acoustic tunes use big chord extensions and sometimes, unique and complex chords that incorporate open strings.
Study these in-depth and you will gain a complete understanding of the guitar fretboard, including how to build any scale, arpeggio, or chord.
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Eric Clapton
As well as a member of bands like Derek & The Dominos, The Yardbirds, and Cream, Eric Clapton has successfully played sessions for more stars than any other guitar player.
His long career earned him three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
Eric Clapton on the web
Bob Marley
Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, guitarist, and activist. Few artists have had such widespread recognition.
As the most widely known performer of reggae music, Bob Marley is also regarded by many as a prophet of the Rastafarian religion.
Bob Marley on the web
Reggae & Ska
Originating from Jamaica as Reggae & Ska, these musical styles were largely made popular once records started to appear in the U.K.
Learn tunes from Bob Marley, Madness, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Afroman, 10cc, Men At Work, The Police, and many more.
