About the song
Background
- The song, originally written by Bobby Russell in 1972, gained fame with Vicki Lawrence’s 1973 recording, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- Reba McEntire’s cover came in 1987 on her album “What If I Don’t.” It became a signature song for her and helped solidify her country music stardom.
- The song is a prime example of Southern Gothic, a genre known for its dark themes set in the American South.
Lyrics
The lyrics tell a dramatic story from the perspective of a young waitress who witnesses a murder at a roadside diner in Georgia. A trucker walks in, argues with the owner (a blind man), shoots him, then rapes the waitress before fleeing. The police arrive, and the traumatized waitress recounts the events.
Themes
- Violence and Tragedy: The song unflinchingly portrays a brutal crime, highlighting the vulnerability people face, particularly in isolated settings.
- Gender roles: The vulnerability of the young waitress and the violence she endures touch upon traditional gender roles in the South.
- Loss of Innocence: The traumatic experience shatters the waitress’s sense of security and innocence.
- Southern Gothic: The dark, unsettling mood, the focus on a shocking crime in the American South, all exemplify the Southern Gothic genre.
Video
Lyrics
He was on his way home from CandletopBeen two weeks gone and he thought he’d stopAt Web’s and have him a drink ‘fore he went home to herAndy 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 rightBut your young bride ain’t home tonightSince you’ve been gone, she’s been seeing that Amos boy, Seth”Now he got mad and he saw redAndy 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 GeorgiaThat’s the night that they hung an innocent manWell, 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 barWalking on home ’cause he didn’t live far, you seeAndy didn’t have many friends and he just lost him oneBrother thought his wife must have left townSo he went home and finally foundThe only thing Daddy had left him, and that was a gun
He went off to Andy’s houseSlipping through the backwoods quiet as a mouseCame upon some tracks too small for Andy to makeHe looked through the screen at the back porch doorAnd he saw Andy lying on the floorIn a puddle of blood, and he started to shake
The Georgia patrol was making their roundsSo he fired a shot, just to flag ’em downA big-bellied sheriff grabbed his gun and said“Why’d you do it?”
The judge said “guilty” on a make-believe trialSlapped the sheriff on the back with a smileSaid, “Supper’s waiting at home and I got to get to it”
That’s the night that the lights went out in GeorgiaThat’s the night that they hung an innocent manWell, 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 sayThe tracks he saw while on his wayTo Andy’s house and back that night were mineAnd his cheating wife had never left townThat’s one body that’ll never be foundYou see little sister don’t miss when she aims her gun
That’s the night that the lights went out in GeorgiaThat’s the night that they hung an innocent manWell, 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 GeorgiaThat’s the night that they hung an innocent manWell, don’t trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer‘Cause the judge in the town’s got bloodstains on his hands