The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia

He was on his way home from Candletop,

Been two weeks gone, and he'd 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 doin'?"

Wo said: "Sit down, I got some bad news and 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 seeing that Amos boy, Seth."

Now he got mad, and he saw red.

Andy said: "Boy, don't you lose your head,

'Cos 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.

'Cos the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands.

Well Andy got scared, and left the bar,

Walkin' on home, 'cos he didn't live far.

You see, Andy didn't have many friends,

And he 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, and that was a gun.

He went off to Andy's house,

Slippin' through the back woods 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.

Georgia patrol was making their rounds,

So he fired a shot just to flag them down.

A big-bellied sherriff grabbed his gun and said "Why'd you do it?"

Judge said guilty on a make-believe trial,

Slapped the sherriff on the back with a smile,

And 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.

'Cos the judge in the town's got blood stains 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,

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.

'Cos the judge in the town's got blood stains 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.

'Cos the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands.

• Artist:Vicki Lawrence
• Album:The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1973)