How to read tablature? 
Chorus:
Cm
 I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                     Cm
 But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
Cm
 I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                     Cm
 But I didn't shoot no deputy. Ooh, ooh, oo-ooh.

Verse:
Ab     Gm7      Cm
 All a-round in my home town,
        Ab        Gm7      Cm
They're tryin' to track me down;
Ab             Gm7                 Cm
 They say they want to bring me in guilty,
        Ab           Gm7  Cm
For the killing of a depu-ty,
        Ab        Gm7 Cm
For the life of a dep-uty. But I say...

Riff:
xA|--10-8--5-3-----5-3-------|
xE|-------------6-------6-3--|
xC|--------------------------|
xG|--------------------------|

Chorus:
Cm
 I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                     Cm
 But I swear it was in self-defence. - Oh, no! Yeah! -
       Cm                     Fm
I say; I shot the sheRiff, oh Lord!
                     Cm
And they say it is a capital offence. Yeah!

Verse:
Ab       Gm7               Cm
 SheRiff John Brown always hated me,
    Ab     Gm7      Cm
For what... I don't know.
      Ab     Gm7     Cm
Every time I plant a seed,
        Ab         Gm7     Cm
He said kill it be-fore it grow,
        Ab           Gm7       Cm
He said kill them be-fore they grow. And so, and so...

Riff:
xA|--10-8--5-3-----5-3-------|
xE|-------------6-------6-3--|
xC|--------------------------|
xG|--------------------------|

- Read it in the news! -

Chorus:
Cm
 I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                     Cm
 But I swear it was in self-defence. I say;
Cm
 I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                     Cm
 But I swear it was in self-defence. - Yeah! -

Verse:
Ab               Gm7     Cm
 Freedom came my way one day,
      Ab      Gm7     Cm
And I started, out of town, yeah!
Ab        Gm7          Cm
 All of a sudden I saw SheRiff John Brown,
Ab         Gm7      Cm
 Aiming to shoot me down,
     Ab      Gm7              Cm
So I shot, I shot, I shot him down. And I say...

Riff:
xA|--10-8--5-3-----5-3-------|
xE|-------------6-------6-3--|
xC|--------------------------|
xG|--------------------------|

- If I am guilty, I will pay -...

Chorus:
Cm
 I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                     Cm
 But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
Cm
 I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                     Cm
 But I didn't shoot no deputy. Ooh, ooh, oo-ooh.

Verse:
   Ab             Gm7       Cm
Re-flexes had the better of me,
    Ab         Gm7     Cm
And what is to be must be.
      Ab       Gm7           Cm
Every day, the bucket a-go a-well,
Ab           Gm7         Cm
 One day the bottom a-go drop out,
Ab           Gm7         Cm
 One day the bottom a-go drop out.

Riff:
xA|--10-8--5-3-----5-3-------|
xE|-------------6-------6-3--|
xC|--------------------------|
xG|--------------------------|

- I say -...

Chorus:
    Cm
I-I-I, I shot the sheRiff,
Fm                            Cm
 Lord, I didn't shot the depu-ty. No!
  Cm
I-I...- shot the sheRiff -,
Fm                     Cm
 But I didn't shoot no deputy. Yeah! So, yeah!

Outro - repeat and fade -: Cm  Cm, Cm