{title: I shot the sheriff}
{artist: Eric Clapton}
{time: 4/4}
{tempo: 95}
{key: Gm}
{meta: author Frans-Willem Post, 2026-05-06}
{start_of_part: Intro}
(riff)
{end_of_part}
{start_of_chorus: Chorus 1}
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] but I did not shoot the [Gm]deputy
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] but I did not shoot the [Gm]deputy
{end_of_chorus}
{start_of_verse: Verse 1}
[EbM7] all a[Dm7]round in my [Gm]home town
[EbM7] they're trying to [Dm7]track me [Gm]down
they [EbM7]say they want to [Dm7]bring me in [Gm]guilty
for the [EbM7]killing of a [Dm7]depu[Gm]ty
for the [EbM7]life of a [Dm7]depu[Gm]ty
but I say (riff)
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_chorus: Chorus 2}
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] but I swear it was in [Gm]self-defense
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] and they say it is a [Gm]capital offense
{end_of_chorus}
{start_of_verse: Verse 2}
[EbM7] sheriff [Dm7]John Brown always [Gm]hated me;
[EbM7] for what [Dm7] I don't [Gm]know
[EbM7] every [Dm7]time that I [Gm]plant a seed
he said, [EbM7]"kill it be[Dm7]fore it [Gm]grows"
he said, [EbM7]"kill it be[Dm7]fore it [Gm]grows"
I say (riff)
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_chorus: Chorus 3}
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] but I swear it was in [Gm]self-defense
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] but I swear it was in [Gm]self-defense
{end_of_chorus}
{start_of_verse: Verse 3}
[EbM7] freedom [Dm7]came my way [Gm]one day
[EbM7] and I [Dm7]started out of [Gm]town
[EbM7] all of a [Dm7]sudden I see [Gm]sheriff John Brown
[EbM7]aiming to [Dm7]shoot me [Gm]down
so I [EbM7]shot, I [Dm7]shot him [Gm]down
I say (riff)
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_chorus: Chorus 1}
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] but I did not shoot the [Gm]deputy
[Gm]I shot the sheriff, [Cm7] but I did not shoot the [Gm]deputy
{end_of_chorus}
{start_of_verse: Verse 4}
[EbM7] re[Dm7]flexes got the [Gm]better of me
[EbM7] and what [Dm7]is to be must [Gm]be
[EbM7] every [Dm7]day the bucket goes [Gm]to the well
[EbM7] but one day the [Dm7]bottom will drop [Gm]out
[EbM7] yes, one day the [Dm7]bottom will drop [Gm]out
But I say (riff)
{end_of_verse}
{chorus: Chorus 1}
{start_of_part: Out-solo}
[EbM7] [Dm7] [Gm]
[EbM7] [Dm7] [Gm]
[EbM7] [Dm7] [Gm]
[EbM7] [Dm7] [Gm]
(riff)
{end_of_part}