The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia

Vicki Lawrence

Words and Music by her husband, Bobby Russell



(peak Billboard position # 1 in 1973)



He was on his way home from Candletop

Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop

At William's and have him a drink 'fore he went home to her

Andy Wolloe said "Hello"

And he said "Hi, what's doin', Wo?"

"Seth, sit down, I got some bad news, it's gonna hurt"

He said "I'm your best friend and you know that's right"

"But your young bride ain't home tonight"

"Since you been gone she's been seein' that Amos boy, Seth "

Well, he got mad 'n' he saw red and Andy said "Boy, don'tcha lose your head"

" 'cause to tell ya the truth, I 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



Well, Andy got scared and left the bar

Walkin' on home 'cause he didn't live far

See, Andy didn't have many friends and he'd just lost him one

Brother thought his wife musta left town

So he went home and finally found

The only thing Papa had left him, that was a gun



And he went off to Andy's house

A'skippin' 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 lyin' on the floor

In a puddle of blood and he started to shake



Well, the Georgia Patrol was a'makin' their rounds

So he fired a shot just to flag 'em down

And a big-bellied sheriff got his gun and said "why'dya do it?"

And the judge said "Guilty" in a make-believe trial

And slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile

Said' supper's waitin' at home and I gotta 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 cheatin' wife had never left town

And that's one body that'll never be found

See, little sister don't miss when she aims her gun



That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia, oh-oh-aah

That's the night that they hung an innocent man, ah-huh-unh

Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer



FADE

'cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hands



Transcribed by Ronald E. Hontz, who won't swear positively to the correctness of

the proper names herein, but they are close to what's sung. Anyone with sheet

music should feel free to contact me.



ronhontz@worldnet.att.net