Lyrics to 'I Shot The Sheriff' by Bob Marley. I shot the sheriff / But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! / I shot the sheriff / But I didn't shoot no deputy. ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff. 2018 TV-14 57m Social & Cultural Docs. In 1976, reggae icon Bob Marley survived an assassination attempt as rival political groups battled in Jamaica. But who exactly was responsible? Watch Now on Netflix.
![Sheriff Sheriff](http://images.45cat.com/eric-clapton-i-shot-the-sheriff-rso-7.jpg)
'I Shot the Sheriff' | |
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Single by Bob Marley and the Wailers | |
from the album Burnin' | |
Released | 1973 |
Format | 12' single |
Recorded | April 1973, Harry J. Studios, Kingston, Jamaica |
Genre | Reggae |
Length | 4:41 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley |
Producer(s) |
'I Shot the Sheriff' is a song written by Bob Marley and released in 1973 by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
- 2Eric Clapton version
- 2.1Chart performance
- 3Warren G version
- 3.1Charts and certifications
![I shot the sheriff clapton I shot the sheriff clapton](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61TB3138SBL._SY355_.jpg)
Bob Marley and the Wailers version[edit]
The narrator claims to have acted in self-defense when the sheriff tried to shoot him. The song was first released in 1973 on The Wailers' album Burnin'. Marley explained his intention as follows: 'I want to say 'I shot the police' but the government would have made a fuss so I said 'I shot the sheriff' instead… but it's the same idea: justice.'[1]
In 1992, with the controversy surrounding the Ice-T song 'Cop Killer', Marley's song was often cited by Ice-T's supporters as evidence of his detractors' hypocrisy, considering that the older song was never similarly criticized despite having much the same theme.[2]
In 2012, Bob Marley's former girlfriend Esther Anderson claimed that the lyrics, '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' are actually about Marley being very opposed to her use of birth control pills; Marley supposedly substituted the word 'doctor' with sheriff.[3]
Eric Clapton version[edit]
'I Shot the Sheriff' | |
---|---|
A-side label of the original 1974 UK vinyl release | |
Single by Eric Clapton | |
from the album 461 Ocean Boulevard | |
Released | 1974 |
Format | 12' single |
Genre | |
Length |
|
Label | RSO |
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley |
Producer(s) | Tom Dowd |
Eric Clapton recorded a cover version that was included on his 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard. His take on the song has a soft rock[4] and reggae sound.[5] It is the most successful version of the song, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2003, Clapton's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[6]
Chart performance[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Chart (1974) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 11 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] | 19 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] | 7 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] | 1 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] | 4 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] | 5 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] | 5 |
New Zealand[14] | 1 |
Norway (VG-lista)[15] | 3 |
South Africa (Springbok)[16] | 9 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[17] | 9 |
US Billboard Hot 100[18] | 1 |
US BillboardHot Soul Singles[18] | 33 |
US Cash Box[19] | 1 |
US Record World[20] | 1 |
Chart (1982) | Peak position |
---|---|
Ireland (IRMA)[21] | 23 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] | 64 |
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1974) | Position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] | 58 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[24] | 11 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] | 50 |
US Billboard Hot 100[26] | 76 |
Certifications[edit]
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[27] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
Warren G version[edit]
'I Shot the Sheriff' | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Warren G | ||||
from the album Take a Look Over Your Shoulder | ||||
Released | 1997 | |||
Format | ||||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 4:10 | |||
Label | Def Jam | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Warren G | |||
Warren G singles chronology | ||||
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'I Shot the Sheriff' was the lead single released from Warren G's second album, Take a Look Over Your Shoulder. Warren replaced Marley's original lyrics with his own, although Clapton's version of the song is sampled and R&B singer Nancy Fletcher sings the original chorus. The song was a hit in several countries. In the US, it peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold by the RIAA on 2 May 1997. It peaked at number two in the UK and at number one in New Zealand.[citation needed]
The official remix was produced by EPMD member Erick Sermon, it is based around EPMD's 'Strictly Business', which also sampled Clapton's version of the song.[citation needed]
Charts and certifications[edit]
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