About The Song
Reba McEntire’s “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” explores the tale of betrayal and murder.
It was written by songwriter Bobby Russell and was originally recorded by American pop singer and comedian Vicki Lawrence as the title track of her 1973 album – wherein it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nearly two decades later, the murder ballad became a hit once again! Thanks to Reba McEntire, who released the song off her 1991 album, For My Broken Heart. Her version then peaked at No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs.
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia,” tells the tale of a man who came home from a two-week trip only to be informed by his best friend Andy Wo-Lo that his young wife has been cheating on him. Apparently, his wife was having an affair with “that Amos boy, Seth” while he has been away.
As the man was losing his head with his friend’s news, Andy has also confessed that he had been with the man’s wife too.
The man was so furious he was determined to kill Andy. Thinking his wife must have left the town, he went home to get his gun. However, when he got into Andy’s place, he “came upon some tracks too small for Andy to make.” And when he peeked through the door, he found his friend lying dead on the floor.
The man got so nervous he fired a shot in the air, trying to get the attention of the Georgia Patrol that was making their rounds. However, the man ended up being arrested for murdering Andy. Eventually, he was declared guilty and was sentenced to death by hanging.
As the song is about to end, the narrator revealed herself as the man’s sister. And in such an unexpected twist, she confessed that the small tracks the man found in Andy’s place were hers, and she had killed Andy with her own gun. Moreover, the man’s unfaithful wife turned out to have never left the town. She has also killed her and disposed of her body where she’s certain no one will ever find it!
Although it was Bobby Russell who solely wrote the song, he didn’t like it and was even not willing to record a demonstration. Vicki Lawrence, who was Russell’s wife at that time, knew the song’s going to be a hit; so, she volunteered to record the demo.
The song – which wasn’t country nor pop – was pitched to different singers, including Cher, whose then-husband and manager reportedly refused. He was afraid that it might upset Cher’s southern fans.
With no singer to record “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia,” Lawrence decided to make the recording herself. Since then, the song was covered by a number of artists, including Tanya Tucker, in 1981 and eventually becoming one of Reba McEntire’s songs.
Video
Lyrics
He was on his way home from Candletop
Been two weeks gone and he thought he’d stop
At Web’s and have him a drink ‘fore he went home to her
Andy Wo-Lo said, “Hello”
He said, “Hi, what’s new?”
And Wo said, “Sit down, I got some bad news that’s gonna hurt”
Said, “I’m your best friend and you know that’s right
But your young bride ain’t home tonight
Since you’ve been gone, she’s been seeing that Amos boy, Seth”
Now he got mad and he saw red
Andy said, “Boy, don’t you lose your head
‘Cause to tell you the truth, I’ve been with her myself”
That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia
That’s the night that they hung an innocent man
Well, don’t trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
‘Cause the judge in the town’s got bloodstains on his hands
Andy got scared and left the bar
Walking on home ’cause he didn’t live far, you see
Andy didn’t have many friends and he just lost him one
Brother thought his wife must have left town
So he went home and finally found
The only thing Daddy had left him, and that was a gun
He went off to Andy’s house
Slipping through the backwoods quiet as a mouse
Came upon some tracks too small for Andy to make
He looked through the screen at the back porch door
And he saw Andy lying on the floor
In a puddle of blood, and he started to shake
The Georgia patrol was making their rounds
So he fired a shot, just to flag ’em down
A big-bellied sheriff grabbed his gun and said
“Why’d you do it?”
The judge said “guilty” on a make-believe trial
Slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile
Said, “Supper’s waiting at home and I got to get to it”
That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia
That’s the night that they hung an innocent man
Well, don’t trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
‘Cause the judge in the town’s got bloodstains on his hands
Well, they hung my brother before I could say
The tracks he saw while on his way
To Andy’s house and back that night were mine
And his cheating wife had never left town
That’s one body that’ll never be found
You see little sister don’t miss when she aims her gun
That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia
That’s the night that they hung an innocent man
Well, don’t trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
‘Cause the judge in the town’s got bloodstains on his hands
That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia
That’s the night that they hung an innocent man
Well, don’t trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
‘Cause the judge in the town’s got bloodstains on his hands
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