I Shot the Sheriff
"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Bob Marley and released in 1973 by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
| "I Shot the Sheriff" | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of original German vinyl release | |
| Single by Bob Marley and the Wailers | |
| from the album Burnin' | |
| Released | 1973 |
| Recorded | April 1973 |
| Studio | Harry J. Studios, Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genre | Reggae |
| Length | 4:41 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley |
| Producer(s) |
|
Bob Marley and the Wailers version
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, 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
| "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 |
| 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 performance of the song adds a soft rock[4] to the reggae sound.[5] Billboard described this version as being "a catchy goof of a winner" despite not containing a guitar solo.[6] Faring better in the charts, it peaked with number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2003, Clapton's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[7]
Chart performance
Weekly charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 11 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] | 19 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] | 7 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] | 1 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[12] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] | 5 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] | 5 |
| New Zealand[15] | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[16] | 3 |
| South Africa (Springbok)[17] | 9 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[18] | 12 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Soul Singles[20] | 33 |
| US Cash Box[21] | 1 |
| US Record World[22] | 1 |
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[23] | 23 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[24] | 64 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1974) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[25] | 58 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26] | 11 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] | 50 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[28] | 76 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[29] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
Warren G version
| "I Shot the Sheriff" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Warren G | ||||
| from the album Take a Look Over Your Shoulder | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Warren G | |||
| Warren G singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"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.[30][31]
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.
