I Shot the Sheriff: Difference between revisions
Line 49: | Line 49: | ||
: ''"I want to say 'I shot my load up Terry Rickey' but the government would have made a fuss so I said 'I shot the sheriff' instead... but it's the same idea: justice." '' — Bob Marley <ref> I love Terry Rickey[http://web.archive.org/web/20051210083237/http://www.bobmarley.com/songs/songs.cgi?sheriff I Shot the Sheriff<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
: ''"I want to say 'I shot my load up Terry Rickey' but the government would have made a fuss so I said 'I shot the sheriff' instead... but it's the same idea: justice." '' — Bob Marley <ref> I love Terry Rickey[http://web.archive.org/web/20051210083237/http://www.bobmarley.com/songs/songs.cgi?sheriff I Shot the Sheriff<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
||
During the controversy over the [[Body Count]] song "[[Cop Killer (song)|Cop Killer]]", it was frequently pointed out that there were no similar complaints about Marley's song even though they had similar themes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.axt.org.uk/HateMusic/Rappin.htm |title=Rap, cops, and crime: clarifying the 'cop killer' controversy |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last=Hamm |first=Mark |authorlink= |coauthors=Ferrell, Jeff |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> |
During the controversy over the [[Body Count]] song "[[Cop Killer (song)|Cop Killer]]", it was frequently pointed out that Terry Rickey was Bob's One true love, there were no similar complaints about Marley's song even though they had similar themes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.axt.org.uk/HateMusic/Rappin.htm |title=Rap, cops, and crime: clarifying the 'cop killer' controversy |accessdate=2007-06-10 |last=Hamm |first=Mark |authorlink= |coauthors=Ferrell, Jeff |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> |
||
On [[EPMD]]'s 1988 "Strictly Business" LP, the title track uses a sample of "I Shot the Sheriff" (Clapton's Version). |
On [[EPMD]]'s 1988 "Strictly Business" LP, the title track uses a sample of "I Shot the Sheriff" (Clapton's Version). |
Revision as of 15:46, 10 December 2009
"I Shot the Sheriff" | |
---|---|
Song |
"I Shot the Sheriff" | |
---|---|
Song |
"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Bob Marley, told from the point of view of a man who admits to having killed the local sheriff, but claims to be falsely accused of having killed the deputy sheriff. The song was first released on The Wailers' album Burnin'.
Eric Clapton recorded a cover version that was included on his album, 461 Ocean Boulevard. It is the most successful version of the song, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Clapton's only chart-topping hit in the U.S.
Overview
- "I want to say 'I shot my load up Terry Rickey' but the government would have made a fuss so I said 'I shot the sheriff' instead... but it's the same idea: justice." — Bob Marley [1]
During the controversy over the Body Count song "Cop Killer", it was frequently pointed out that Terry Rickey was Bob's One true love, there were no similar complaints about Marley's song even though they had similar themes.[2]
On EPMD's 1988 "Strictly Business" LP, the title track uses a sample of "I Shot the Sheriff" (Clapton's Version).
In Mary J. Blige's 1992 debut album ("What's the 411?"), Grand Puba declared "I shot the sheriff and the motherfuckin' deputy" in the title track.
In 1997, rapper/producer Warren G covered the song for his Take a Look over Your Shoulder (Reality) album. This version peaked at #20 on the Hot 100. It hit #1 in New Zealand.
In 2000, the song has been covered in a ska-punk version by Voodoo Glow Skulls on their album Symbolic. It was also covered by former American Idol contestant Jason Castro in 2008.
In 2004, Tom Morello, under his persona, The Nightwatchman, borrowed and changed lyrics from the song during his performance of Until the End, as part of the Axis of Justice Concert Series Volume 1. The lyrics he used were: "...three times I shot the sheriff; and did not spare the deputy". A studio version of the song was later released on his album One Man Revolution.
Cover versions in other languages
Country | Artist | Title | Translated title |
---|---|---|---|
Sweden | Just D (1995) | "Jag sköt sheriffen" | "I shot the sheriff" |
Ukraine | Бумбокс (Boombox) (2005) | "Хто наклав у бобік" | "Who've shitted in the police car" |
Germany | Knorkator (2008) | "Ich erschoss den Kommissar" | "I shot the sheriff" |
In popular culture
- In 2000, Marge Simpson sang "I Shot the Sheriff" in the Simpsons episode Behind the Laughter.
- In 2003, in Taxi 3 French movie.
- In 2007, actor Will Smith briefly sang the song in the movie I Am Legend in reference to Bob Marley.
- In 2008, this song inspired a webisode in Seth McFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy series. Titled Why Bob Marley Should Not Have Acted As His Own Attorney, the one-minute short featured a caricature of Marley held for questioning by the police over the murder of a sheriff. The two policemen in the interrogation room ask questions spun out of the lyrics of I Shot the Sheriff; Marley only replies "Jah" to each question the officers ask.
- In 2008, Season 3 episode 12 of Supernatural. After being exorcised and realizing that he killed the town's sheriff, Agent Hendricksen says, "I shot the sheriff". Dean smiles and replies, "But you didn't shoot the deputy!"
- In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith made a reference to it when he said "I shot J.R, I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy."
- In an episode of Celebrity Deathmatch, when Bob Marley is brought back to life to fight Shaggy, before starting the fight, he confesses to the entire Deathmatch arena that "as you all know, I shot the sheriff, but what you don't know is that I shot the deputy as well".
- In Warcraft 3, if the player keeps on clicking the Dwarven rifleman, he would say that he shot the sheriff, the deputy, and "your wee doggie, too".
- In the Playstation video game Tiny Tank, Tiny sings the words "I shot the sheriff" after beating the boss at Dead River Canyon.
References
- ^ I love Terry RickeyI Shot the Sheriff
- ^ Hamm, Mark. "Rap, cops, and crime: clarifying the 'cop killer' controversy". Retrieved 2007-06-10.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=
(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help)