I Shot The Sheriff

cool song. (claptons the man but i think bob marleys version sounded better.)

i think bob did better.

i don't think anyone could top the original.

This song was posted by my ex recently on a site, it was posted directly to me. Of course there is a story behind it, i can provide more detail. However, just to start does anyone understand what this song is about?

What strikes me is that it is important to hear the whole story before judging the protagonist. He states first that he did shoot the Sheriff -- he makes no excuse or apology for that. This may lead the listener to assume he is guilty of the shooting of the deputy. As well, it suggests that even if he is not guilty of the crime of shooting the deputy, he will be convicted. This is counteracted by his claim of self defense, which in most cultures will exonerate the defendant. Of course, there is still the charge of resisting arrest, but that is usually not a "capital offense". The speaker also asserts that the Sheriff (one "John Brown") exceeds his authority with prejudice, so the resistance of arrest may in some measure be justifiable.

The only missing element is the identity of the killer of the deputy, of which the speaker seems ignorant. There is no evidence I can find that this was based on any real event. It was written by Bob Marley, and it might be assumed that his version is what he intended. "Better" is a matter of taste and cannot be accurately disputed.

On the 461 outtakes album, Clapton is clearly heard saying that Bob Marley shot the deputy, hence Clapton shot the sheriff.

It's a rock' n roll song about an outlaw because rock n roll is outlaw music. Rebelling has what rock music has been about and rooting for a hero who has killed a man matches that persona. It's a simple story about a bad men who do good things and good men who do bad things. The wild west was wild because it wasn't this place where the good guys wore white and always did the honorable thing and blah blah blah. It was more complicated than that. Yeah I shot the sherrif but he always had it in for me. So I said scew it, Im leaving. He wouldn't let it go so I shot 'em in the ass. What of it. Instead of coming after me go find the dude who shot the deputy ya dummies.

Songs like this are so decadently good that I think they served to kind of create unrealistic expectations on the part of those young people who were religiously listening to them. Specifically, they had the effect of getting inside their head and making them think they were more substantial then what they maybe really were. It's like this one guy said, years ago, when we were sitting around listening to music.. He said that listening to the Beatles as a kid, causes you to grow up too fast. For me, what I was listening to, to expand upon that thought, it was all along the lines of the types of songs you'd hear on the soundtrack to a Scorsese film. Clapton, Stones, Beatles, Cream, Roxy Music.. plus stuff like Steely Dan, the Dead, the Eagles, Bowie, Neil Young, the Allmans, etc.. all this stuff that had a pretty heavy, decadent, many times dark, and almost, at times, a criminal overtone to it. Not exactly the kind of stuff that if you took it seriously would inspire you to live life at the foot of the cross. Anyway, I think there is a funny psychological mechanism there that I noticed over time. It's worth understanding as one goes back to trace their path in order to be better in order to learn more about how the mind can work, espcially during the early, more formative years. And how that can lend one advantages in the present, as well. All things to people like EC!

Why is this listed under Clapton??? This is a Bob Marley song! I have nothing against covers and renditions, but this is a song meaning site! It's about interpreting lyrics, not discussing which version of a song sounds best. Unless an artist significantly changes the lyrics in his cover so that the meaning of the song actually changes, why on earth would anyone make redundant entries of the same song? Clapton's lyrics are almost identical to the original. So, aren't the meanings the same? On a site like this, there should be one entry per song, on the original artist's section. Or did someone enter this in Clapton's section being too ignorant to realize that it was actually a cover?

Great song . Just seems like someone killed the sheriff but spared the deputy in self defense . CAN SOMEBODY POST THE MEANING???????????????

The singer/victim admits to shooting the sheriff in self-defence. He is charged with shooting the deputy, who was not threatening him. This means that killing the deputy is indeed a capital offence. So, as the lyrics say, where was the deputy? We know that the sheriff hated the victim and wanted him either dead or a failure; this must be why he drew his gun - to prevent his permanent victim from leaving town and escaping his malice. The victim's reflexes got the better of him and he shot the sheriff; however, he probably was something of a loser and probably drew his gun more slowly than the sheriff would. The sheriff has a choice: shoot the victim, which would end his life quickly, or shoot the deputy! He knew he was doomed, and wanted his last action to cause the long-drawn-out end of his victim's life. And, what's one more dead person in the life of a sheriff? He would think it was worth it.