The iconic reggae anthem was released in 1973 by Bob Marley and the Wailers. In the song, Bob Marley sings about his conflict with his girlfriend over birth control pills. Bob refers to the doctor that prescribed the pills as the sheriff. The song became famous when Eric Clapton made his own version in 1974, which became a number one hit in the United States, boosting Marley’s popularity in the process. The sheriff’s name in the song is John Brown, a name later used by Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen in their own songs. There have been many theories on the true origins of the meaning behind this song but none more believable than that by Marley's former girlfriend; Jamaican filmmaker, photographer and actress; Esther Anderson who stated in a 2012 interview; "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" are actually about Marley being very opposed to her use of birth control pills; Marley supposedly substituted the word "doctor" with sheriff.
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