[Riff]
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|
|------------------------------|  Main Riff
|--5--3------------------------|
|--------5--3--1--5--3--1------|
|-------------------------/3---|
[Refrain]
Gm                 Cm                       Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy 
Gm                 Cm                      Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
[Strophe]
Eb     Dm         Gm 
All around in my home town 
Eb               Dm         Gm 
They're trying to track me down 
  Eb                Dm             Gm 
They say they want to bring me in guilty 
       Eb           Dm     Gm 
For the killing of a deputy 
       Eb        Dm     Gm              Main Riff 
For the life of a deputy    But I say? 
[Refrain]
Gm                 Cm                      Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense 
Gm                 Cm                      Gm 
I shot the sheriff, and they say it is a capital offense
[Strophe]
Eb      Dm          Gm 
Sheriff John Brown always hated me 
Eb     Dm         Gm 
For what I don't know 
Eb     Dm          Gm 
Every time that I plant a seed 
  Eb             Dm         Gm 
He said "Kill it before it grows" 
  Eb             Dm         Gm 
He said "Kill it before it grows"   I say! 
Main Riff
[Refrain]
Gm                 Cm                      Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense 
Gm                 Cm                      Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
[Strophe]
Eb      Dm         Gm 
Freedom came my way one day 
Eb      Dm           Gm 
And I started out of town yeah 
Eb        Dm           Gm 
All of a sudden I see sheriff John Brown 
Eb         Dm       Gm 
Aiming to shoot me down 
   Eb   Dm    Gm 
So I shot, I shot him down    I say! 
Main Riff
[Refrain]
Gm                 Cm                       Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy 
Gm                 Cm                       Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot the deputy
[Strophe]
Eb     Dm         Gm 
Reflexes got the better of me 
Eb     Dm         Gm 
And what is to be must be 
Eb     Dm             Gm 
Every day the bucket falls to the well 
Eb              Dm          Gm 
But one day the bottom will drop out 
Eb        Dm                Gm 
Yes, one day the bottom will drop out   But I say 
Main Riff
[Refrain]
Gm                 Cm                       Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy, oh no 
Gm                 Cm                       Gm 
I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot no deputy, oh no
[Outro]
Cm  Dm  Gm 
Cm  Dm  Gm  
(repeat and fade)