CHORUS:

Em                 Am                       Em
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
Em                 Am                      Em
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy

VERSE 1:

C     Bm         Em
All around in my home town
C               Bm         Em
They're trying to track me down
  C                Bm             Em
They say they want to bring me in guilty
       C           Bm     Em
For the killing of a deputy
       C        Bm     Em
For the life of a deputy    But I sayâ?¦ (play MAIN RIFF)

MAIN RIFF:

|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|--2--0------------------------|
|--------2--0-----2--0---------|
|--------------3--------3--0---|
|------------------------------|

CHORUS

VERSE 2:

Sheriff John Brown always hated me
For what I don't know
Every time that I plant a seed
He said "Kill it before it grows"
He said "Kill it before it grows"   I say!

(play MAIN RIFF)

CHORUS

VERSE 3:

Freedom came my way one day
And I started out of town yeah
All of a sudden I see sheriff John Brown
Aiming to shoot me down
So I shot, I shot him down    I say!

(play MAIN RIFF)

CHORUS

VERSE 4:

Reflexes got the better of me
And what is to be must be
Every day the bucket falls to the well
But one day the bottom will drop out
Yes, one day the bottom will drop out   But I say

(play MAIN RIFF)

ENDING:  C  Bm  Em
         C  Bm  Em  (repeat and fade)