1
(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)
Yeah, all around in my home town
They're tryin' to track me down
They say they want to bring me in guilty
For the killing of a deputy
For the life of a deputy, but I say
Oh, now, now, oh
(I shot the sheriff) the sheriff
(But I swear it was in self defense) oh, no (oh, oh, ooh)
Yeah, I say, I shot the sheriff oh, Lord (and they say it is a capital offense)
Yeah (oh, oh, ooh) yeah
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
(I shot the sheriff) but I say (but I didn't shoot no deputy)
I didn't shoot no deputy (oh, no-oh) oh no
(I shot the sheriff) I did
But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh (oh, oh, ooh)
Reflexes had got the better of me
And what is to be must be
Every day the bucket a-go a well
One day the bottom a-go drop out
One day the bottom a-go drop out, I say
I, I, I, I, shot the sheriff
Lord, I didn't shot the deputy, no
I, I (shot the sheriff)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah
So, yeah
I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy, ooh, ooh, ooh)
Yeah, all around in my home town
They're tryin' to track me down
They say they want to bring me in guilty
For the killing of a deputy
For the life of a deputy, but I say
Oh, now, now, oh
(I shot the sheriff) the sheriff
(But I swear it was in self defense) oh, no (oh, oh, ooh)
Yeah, I say, I shot the sheriff oh, Lord (and they say it is a capital offense)
Yeah (oh, oh, ooh) yeah
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
(I shot the sheriff) but I say (but I didn't shoot no deputy)
I didn't shoot no deputy (oh, no-oh) oh no
(I shot the sheriff) I did
But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh (oh, oh, ooh)
Reflexes had got the better of me
And what is to be must be
Every day the bucket a-go a well
One day the bottom a-go drop out
One day the bottom a-go drop out, I say
I, I, I, I, shot the sheriff
Lord, I didn't shot the deputy, no
I, I (shot the sheriff)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah
So, yeah
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well, this could be about pot or maybe not. theres only one way to know, raise the man and ask him.
i think chances are it is protesting prohibition. he is not a criminal at all. if the laws were not there, he would not be hurting anyone or killing anything or doing anything upsetting. WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL? he did shoot the sheriff but that was because the sheriff was coming after bob for ingesting a natural plant for good reason. peace. bob was saying he wasn't a criminal, he doesn't want to kill police, that is why he didn't shoot the deputy. he is not after the police, he is trying to save the people and help the world with this miracle plant. he was defending himself for being innocent. what did he do? grow a plant which has been DECLARED illegal. why? because of a racist and economic law back in the early 1900's which has stayed in the place for some strange and unkown reason taht the gov hasn't really told us yet.
The only line that supports the marijuana interpretation is "every time I plant a seed". If he's planting MJ then how did freedom come his way? Why is he "starting out of town"? This points far more to his views of about blacks returning to Africa. The sheriff isn't coming after him for doing anything illegal, otherwise the hatred wouldn't be a puzzle to the narrator. The sheriff came after him because that's the sort of guy he is, and possibly to prevent the narrator escaping his clutches permanently.