Intro: 

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D|--12----------12-10--8-10---8-10-8-5--- 
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Gm	     Gm 
 I shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm		  Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 but I did not shoot the deputy. 
Gm	     Gm 
 I shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm		  Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 but I did not shoot the deputy. 
Eb    Dm      	   Gm	   Gm 
 All around in my old town 
        Eb	   Dm	    Gm   Gm 
they're trying to track me down. 
         Eb	       Dm	   Gm     Gm 
They say they want to bring I in guilty 
        Eb	   Dm  Gm Gm 
for the life of a deputy, 
	Eb	   Dm7 Gm Gm 
for the life of a deputy. 
	   Gm Gm Gm Gm 
But I say: 

Gm	     Gm 
 I shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm		Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 but I swear it was in selfdefence. 
Gm	     Gm 
 I shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm		Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 but I swear it was in selfdefence. 
Eb       Dm      	    Gm	   Gm 
 Sheriff John Brown always hated I 
    Eb	   Dm	    Gm   Gm 
for what I don't know. 
      Eb	   Dm	   Gm     Gm               
Every time that I plant a seed 
        Eb	    Dm      Gm Gm 
he said "Kill it before It grows," 
	Eb	      Dm7       Gm Gm 
he said "Kill them before they grow." 
	   Gm Gm Gm Gm 
And so , and so , beat in the news: 

Gm	     Gm 
 I shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm		  Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 but I did not shoot the deputy. 
        Gm	     Gm 
 It was I who shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm		  Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 but I did not shoot the deputy. 

Eb                Dm        Gm	   Gm 
Freedom came my way one day 
       Eb     Dm      Gm   Gm 
and I started out of town. 
Eb                Dm           Gm	   Gm 
All of a sudden I saw  sheriff John Brown, 
Eb        Dm       Gm	   Gm 
aiming to shoot me down.  
     Eb	     Dm7                Gm Gm 
So I shot, I shot , I shot  him down. 
	   Gm Gm Gm Gm 
And I say: 
        Cm7          Gm       
If I am gulty I will pay 

Gm	     Gm 
 I shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm		  Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 but I swear it was in selfdefence. 
        Gm	     Gm 
 It was I who shot the sheriff, 
Cm    Cm	       Gm	Gm Gm Gm 
 And they say it is a capital offense. 

   Eb             Dm        Gm	   Gm 
 Reflexes are the better of me 
    Eb         Dm      Gm	   Gm 
and what is to be must be. 
       Eb       Dm      	      Gm Gm 
Every day the bucket goes to the well,             
    Eb         Dm            Gm    Gm 
one day the bottom will drop out, 
    Eb         Dm7           Gm    Gm 
one day the bottom will drop out. 
	   Gm Gm Gm Gm 
But I say: