About the song
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.” Originally a massive pop and country hit for Vicki Lawrence in 1973, Reba McEntire’s definitive 1991 rendition, featured on her album For My Broken Heart, breathed new life into the narrative, making it entirely her own. While it wasn’t a number one hit, her version became a staple, showcasing her unparalleled ability to deliver a dramatic story song with compelling conviction. It’s far more than just a popular song; it’s a timeless Southern saga, a haunting exploration of secrets, loyalty, and devastating consequences, captivating listeners with its intricate plot and powerful emotional undercurrents.
The lyrics of “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia,” penned by Bobby Russell, weave a complex and gripping murder mystery set in a small, gossipy Southern town. The story unfolds with a chilling precision: a brother returns home from military service to find his younger sister has been involved with his best friend. When he confronts the friend, he discovers the friend has been cheating on his sister. The brother then heads to a local bar, and the narrative quickly turns grim, implying he commits a violent act. He is subsequently arrested, tried, and hanged, despite protesting his innocence. The shocking twist, revealed at the very end, is that it was actually his sister who committed the murder, a secret she carried, allowing her brother to take the fall. Phrases like “The night they hung an innocent man / Well, I guess they did it in the dark” and “The judge and the jury, they all thought it was him / But they didn’t know about the little sister and what she’d done” perfectly capture this blend of dark suspense, moral ambiguity, and tragic irony. The song speaks to the universal human experience of secrets, the destructive nature of infidelity, the sometimes-flawed nature of justice, and the profound, often twisted, bonds of family loyalty. It’s about the hidden depths of human nature and the shocking revelations that can lie beneath a veneer of normalcy. It resonates deeply with anyone who appreciates a compelling narrative with a devastating twist.
Reba McEntire’s vocal performance on “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” is nothing short of extraordinary and stands as one of her most powerful and dramatically compelling recordings. Her voice, with its incredible range, its emotive clarity, and its remarkable ability to convey both fragile vulnerability and fierce, almost vengeful intensity, delivers the lyrics with a palpable sense of genuine urgency and chilling conviction. She doesn’t just sing the words; she embodies the narrator—who, in her version, feels like the sister recounting the tale—making the listener feel every nuance of the tension, the tragedy, and the stunning revelation. There’s a perfect blend of her signature storytelling nuance in the verses, building to a powerful, almost operatic emotional crescendo in the chorus, where the repeated phrase “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” becomes a haunting and deeply ominous refrain. McEntire’s brilliance lies in her unparalleled ability to infuse such a dark narrative with raw, authentic feeling and compelling charisma, connecting with audiences on a visceral, empathetic, and often unsettling level, drawing them completely into the story’s grim world. It’s a masterclass in conveying dramatic narrative through powerful vocal artistry.
The musical arrangement of “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” in Reba McEntire’s rendition is a pristine example of her sophisticated early 1990s country-pop, meticulously crafted to enhance the song’s dramatic narrative. It typically features a prominent, suspenseful acoustic guitar or piano riff that sets an immediate, foreboding tone. This is often complemented by lush, sweeping strings that create a rich, almost cinematic backdrop, emphasizing the unfolding drama and tragic atmosphere. A deliberate, often subtly percussive rhythm section builds tension, guiding the listener through the plot twists. The instrumentation is exquisitely balanced and meticulously crafted to evoke the song’s dark and mysterious feel, allowing Reba’s commanding vocals and the intricate lyrics to remain front and center. The production is clean, powerful, and remarkably clear, designed to highlight both Reba’s vocal prowess and the song’s chilling narrative, ensuring that every instrumental nuance and, crucially, Reba McEntire’s incredible vocal are heard with pristine clarity. It’s an arrangement that feels both grand and intimately suspenseful, perfectly suited for a compelling Southern mystery.
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” resonated profoundly with audiences because its universal themes of betrayal, justice, and hidden truths are deeply understood and intensely felt. It became one of Reba McEntire’s most iconic and beloved story songs, a true signature performance that cemented her legacy not just as a vocalist, but as a masterful dramatic interpreter. It remains a timeless classic, a powerful and exhilarating reminder of that fateful night, The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.
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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
