What Do the Lyrics to the Bob Marley Song “I Shot the Sheriff” Mean?

Note: American Songwriter does not condone violence against anyone, from law enforcement to private citizens.

A protest song written by Bob Marley and released in 1973 from the album Burnin,’ “I Shot the Sheriff” has come to be known as one of Marley’s most memorable works, as well as a reggae standard. While the song has been talked about at length, what is it about? Let’s dive into a bit of the history and the lyrics below.

Origins

While the song seems to espouse violence or at least an acknowledgment of the idea, Marley wrote about it because he felt persecuted by the powers that be. In that way, the song is one of self-defense, the icon revealed.

The protagonist in the song saw the “Sheriff” aiming at him, so he shot first. But the gun violence wasn’t blind: he did not “shoot the deputy.” Meaning, that he was not indiscriminately firing at all people in uniform, just those looking to take his life. It’s certainly a touchy subject—especially today—but the meaning is born, as Marley says, out of a sense of justice and self-defense, not rage.

“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,” Marley said.

Birth Control?

Strangely, in a twist of fate, Marley’s former girlfriend Esther Anderson claimed in 2012 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,’ had to do with birth control and her use of the pill. And that Marley supposedly substituted the word sheriff for doctor.

Lyrical Meaning

Looking at the text (i.e. the song’s lyrics), we can see Marley is venting. The first line of the song is an admission of violence. He sings I shot the sheriff, but I didn’t shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh! / I shot the sheriff, but I didn’t shoot no deputy, ooh, ooh, ooh.

But that’s when the story kicks in: the police are surrounding the singer. He is being accused of killing the deputy. But, he swears, he didn’t do it.

Now, the sheriff has closed in and he’s about to take the singer in. So, in self-defense and as an innocent man who fears once he’s in custody that his rights may be infringed upon, he shoots the sheriff.

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,
He said kill them before they grow, and so

Read it in the news! (I shot the sheriff) Oh, Lord!
(But I swear it was in self-defense)
Where was the deputy? (Oh, oh, ooh)
I say, I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in self defense, yeah! (Ooh)

Freedom came my way one day
And I started out of town, yeah!
All of a sudden I saw sheriff John Brown
Aiming to shoot me down,
So I shot, I shot, I shot him down and I say,
If I am guilty I will pay!

Final Thoughts

In the end, while the song includes references to gunfire, sheriffs, deputies, and the link, what the song is really about at its core is that no person should have ultimate authority over another. If one attempts to, there will be rebellion. And when one rebels, problems may arise.

It’s a sticky situation but a very real one. And one Marley articulated well, no matter where you stand on the final verdict.

Photo by Pete Still/Redferns