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, 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 self defense) Oh, no! (Oh, oh, ooh)
Yeah, I say, I shot the sheriff oh, Lord! (And they say it is a capital offense)
Yeah! (oh, oh, ooh) 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-defense)
Where was the deputy? (Oh, oh, ooh)
I say, I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in self defense, yeah! (Ooh)

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 (Oh, oh, 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, no
I, I (shot the sheriff)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah
So, yeah