Eric Clapton – “I Shot The Sheriff” Live

Eric Clapton – “I Shot The Sheriff” Live | Society Of Rock Videos

…But He Did Not Shoot The Deputy

Written in 1973 by Bob Marley, ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ was lightyears ahead of its time by the time Eric Clapton’s Grammy award winning cover debuted a year later. Clapton recorded his cover in 1974 as part of his album 461 Ocean Boulevard, and it’s his rendition that would become the most successful, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a spot in the Grammy Hall Of Fame.

Initially, Clapton did not want to release the song on 461 Ocean Boulevard; however, his band convinced him to include it. The song was released as a single and became Clapton’s only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This performance of Clapton performing ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ is incredible – I can’t believe that solo that starts at 5:10! He did such a fantastic job of keeping the spirit of the original without losing too much of himself.

Combined with the reggae influence, the solo in ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ in this particular performance reminds me of really early Santana – there’s a kind of spice and passion in Eric’s guitar playing that I haven’t really heard before, and it takes me back to Carlos Santana’s acid fueled debut at Woodstock!

+ I Shot The Sheriff lyrics +

I shot the Sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
I shot the Sheriff, but I didn’t shoot the deputy
All around in my hometown, they’re trying 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:
I shot the Sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy
I shot the Sheriff, but I didn’t shoot the deputy

Sheriff John Brown always hated me, for what I don’t know
Every time that I plant a seed
He said: “Kill it before it grows!”
He said: “Kill it before it grows!” But I say:
I shot the Sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
I shot the Sheriff, but I swear it was in self-defense
Freedom came my way one day, and I started out of town
All of a sudden, I see sheriff John Brown
Aiming to shoot me down
So I shot, I shot him down, but I say:
Orgel-Solo / Break 3 Takte

I shot the Sheriff, but I didn’t shoot the deputy,
I shot the Sheriff, but I didn’t shoot the deputy
Reflexes got the better of me, and what is to be must be
Every day, the bucket goes to the well
But one day the bottom will drop out
Yes one day the bottom will drop out, but I say:
I shot the Sheriff, but I did not shoot no deputy
I shot the Sheriff, but I did not shoot no deputy

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