These are the definitive and authoritative lyrics of the song as recorded in 1973 by Vicki Lawrence and written by her husband, Bobby Russell. All other lyrics found on the internet are carelessly incorrect, misheard, muddled, or lacking in rhythmic
nuance.
"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is an ethically troublesome ballad about a young woman who murders her sister-in-law, murders one of the men her sister-in-law has been cheating with (her brother's best friend, who should have been spared), and then allows her innocent brother to be executed for the crimes she committed. The characters in the story: Brother, Brother's unnamed wife who cheats with several men, Little Sister (the narrative voice), Andy Wolloe, Seth Amos, the big-bellied sheriff, the backwoods southern lawyer, and the judge in the town.
transcribed by David Ross Noble
He was on his way home from Candletop
Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop
At Webb's and have him a drink
'Fore he went home to her
Andy Wolloe said "Hello"
And he said, "Hi, what's doin', Wo"
[He] Said, "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 seeing that Amos boy, Seth"
He got mad and he saw red
And Andy said said boy dontcha 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 town's got bloodstains on his hands
Well Andy got scared and left the bar
A'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, and that was a gun
And he went off to Andy's house
A'slippin' 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 grabbed his gun and said, "Why'd you do it?"
The judge said "guilty" in a make-believe trial
And slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile,
[He] 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, wo-oh oh-oh
That's the night they hung an innocent man, uh uh-huh
Well don't trust your soul to no backwoods southern lawyer
'Cause the judge in the town 's got bloodstains on his hands
