I Shot The Sheriff

• By: Bob Marley

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
sheriff /ˈʃerɪf/ A2	noun - an elected officer in a county who is responsible for keeping the peace
deputy /ˈdepjəti/ B1	noun - a person appointed to undertake duties on behalf of someone else.
shoot /ʃuːt/ A2	verb - to fire a weapon
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - an urban area that has a name, defined boundaries, and local government, and that is generally larger than a village and smaller than a city.
track /træk/ B1	verb - to follow the trail of someone or something
guilty /ˈɡɪlti/ B1	adjective - responsible for doing something bad
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
swear /swer/ B1	verb - to make a solemn statement or promise
defense /dɪˈfens/ B1	noun - the action of defending oneself
capital /ˈkæpɪtl/ B2	adjective - punishable by death
offense /əˈfens/ B2	noun - a breach of a law or rule; an illegal act.
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to feel intense dislike for
plant /plænt/ A2	verb - to put (a seed, seedling, or plant) in the ground or in a pot or other container so that it will grow
seed /siːd/ A1	noun - a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant.
grow /ɡroʊ/ A1	verb - to increase in size or substance
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ B1	noun - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance.
aim /eɪm/ B1	verb - point or direct (a weapon or something else) at a target.
reflex /ˈriːfleks/ B2	noun - an action that is performed without conscious thought as a response to a stimulus.
bucket /ˈbʌkɪt/ A2	noun - a roughly cylindrical open container, typically made of metal or plastic, with a handle, used to hold and carry liquids or other material.
bottom /ˈbɑːtəm/ A2	noun - the lowest point or part of something

Grammar:

• They are tryin' to track me down

  ➔ Present Continuous for ongoing actions.

  ➔ The use of the present continuous tense indicates that the tracking is happening at or around the time of speaking. The shortened form "tryin'" is a colloquial contraction of "trying".

• They say they want to bring I in guilty

  ➔ Indirect speech; use of "I" instead of "me" (non-standard grammar).

  ➔ This line uses indirect speech ('They say...') and a non-standard grammatical construction ('bring I in'). In standard English, it would be "bring *me* in". The use of 'I' here could be for emphasis or due to dialect.

• If I am guilty I will pay

  ➔ First Conditional (Type 1).

  ➔ This is a first conditional sentence, expressing a real possibility. The structure is: If + present simple, will + base form.

• Sheriff John Brown always hated

  ➔ Past Simple Tense; ellipsis (missing object of "hated")

  ➔ The sentence is in the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past. The object of the verb 'hated' is missing, implying that Sheriff John Brown always harbored hatred, but it's not explicitly stated what or whom he hated. This is an example of ellipsis.

• He say kill them before they grow

  ➔ Third person singular present tense (incorrect usage); imperative mood.

  ➔ The line uses 'He say' instead of 'He says,' which is grammatically incorrect in standard English but common in some dialects or informal speech. 'Kill them before they grow' is in the imperative mood, giving a direct command.

• Freedom came my way one day now

  ➔ Subject-verb inversion for emphasis; use of "now" as discourse marker.

  ➔ While the typical word order would be 'Freedom *came* my way one day', the inversion 'Freedom *came* my way one day' adds emphasis. The 'now' acts as a discourse marker, providing temporal context or adding emotional weight.

• What is to be must be, yeah

  ➔ Use of the infinitive; philosophical statement implying fate.

  ➔ The phrase 'What is to be must be' is a philosophical statement expressing a belief in determinism or fate. 'To be' is an infinitive form. The inclusion of 'yeah' adds a casual, conversational tone.