Melodi: Bob Marley 1973 - Tekst: Bob Marley 1973
I shot the sherif!
but I did not shoot the deputy.
I shot the sherif!
but I did not shoot the deputy.
All around in my hometown
they're trying to track me down.
They say they want to bring me in guilty
for the killing of the deputy, for the life of a deputy.
Sheriff John Brown always hated me
for what I do not know.
Every time I plant a seed
he said, kill it before it grow.
I shot the sherif!
but I swear it was in self-defence.
I shot the sherif!
but I swear it was in self-defence.
Freedom came my way one day
and I started out of town.
All of a sudden I saw Sheriff John Brown
aiming to shoot me down, so I shot - I shot him down.
I shot the sherif!
but I did not shoot the deputy.
I shot the sherif!
but I did not shoot the deputy.
Reflexes got the better of me
and what is to be must beo
Ev'ry day the bucket go a well,
one day the bottom will drop out.
I shot the sherif!
but I did not shoot the deputy.
I shot the sherif!
but I did not shoot the deputy.
Bob Marley er det største navn indenfor reggaemusikken. Reggae stammer fra Jamaica, men har siden 1960'erne påvirket populær-musikken verden over. Reggaetekster er ofte kontroversielle og oprørske. I denne sang er det den lille mands oprør mod øvrigheden og systemet, der gør sig gældende.
Sangen blev dog 'verdenskendt', længe før Bob Marley gjorde. Den blev Eric Claptons første 'No. 1 Single' i USA, hvor den udkom den 14.9.1974 og fik en guldplade 5 dage efter!