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The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia Lyrics
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?"
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 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
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 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
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?"
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 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 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
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
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
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 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
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 they hung an innocent man, ah-huh-unh
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
'cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hands
Song Info
Submitted by
bono_212 On Jun 22, 2006
More Vicki Lawrence
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Little sister got that cheatin' bee-otch! And poor Seth took the fall. But he went to Andys to shoot him? Thats the part that confuses me.
@spiceoflife No, Seth is another guys she was cheating with. We don't know the name of the protagonist, the narrator's brother.
@spiceoflife No, Seth is another guys she was cheating with. We don't know the name of the protagonist, the narrator's brother.
There's nothing like your little sister sticking up for you when you can't . . . and since I don't have a little sister or brother for that matter, I'm hoping I have a female friend/cousin who's ready to take out my girl if she finds her cheating and I don't know.
Basically, the sister finds out her sister-in-law is cheating on her brother and she takes things into her own hands and takes her out to the woods and does her in the back of the head and buried the body...and then takes out the guys who slept with her...and her brother in a fit of rage after being told by his best friend everything (excluding his sister's acts) goes up to his best friend's place - Andy - to give him what for and comes onto what is now a crime scene...he panics and sees a cop, flashes him down...and the rest everyone should be able to figure out. Her brother's the guy who was hung when the lights went out - though that may led you to believe he was put in the chair . . . they should have done a whole concept album and she should have ended up taking out the Sheriff, Judge, Mayor everyone who basically hung him without evidence, trial, etc.
Seems like it is kinda odd to want to hear about how she took out the judge or whatever.
Seems like it is kinda odd to want to hear about how she took out the judge or whatever.
Look at the situation...his wife was cheating on him with another man, and he was caught outside his house with the same gun that was used to kill him.
Look at the situation...his wife was cheating on him with another man, and he was caught outside his house with the same gun that was used to kill him.
So, he was caught with a gun that fired the shots that killed the guy, he was immediately outside of his house, and he had the motive of him having stolen his girl.
So, he was caught with a gun that fired the shots that killed the guy, he was immediately outside of his house, and he had the motive of him having stolen his girl.
There isn't a court on earth that would have found a guy innocent with all that evidence.
There isn't a court on earth that would have found a guy innocent with all that evidence.
I...
I like the song and think it is quite entertaining...but the character that Vicki plays is kinda deranged. Not only does she murder someone in cold blood, she seems to have absolved her guilt in the matter despite being directly responsible for all the events that went down, choosing instead to blame it on everyone else.
She didn't try to blame it on someone else. She just happened to use the gun that her brother would later grab and get caught with. She did it to get revenge like a devoted sibling would do. She didn't have a chance to say she was the one to pull the trigger.
She didn't try to blame it on someone else. She just happened to use the gun that her brother would later grab and get caught with. She did it to get revenge like a devoted sibling would do. She didn't have a chance to say she was the one to pull the trigger.
1)Seth is the first name of "The Amos Boy" - - - - "That Amos Boy Seth" "He" is not given a name in the original version performed by Vicki Lawrence.
1)Seth is the first name of "The Amos Boy" - - - - "That Amos Boy Seth" "He" is not given a name in the original version performed by Vicki Lawrence.
2)"He Fires a Shot Just to Flag 'Em Down."
2)"He Fires a Shot Just to Flag 'Em Down."
3)The Lights Went Out in Georgia symbolizes that an injustice has been done and the citizens are 'Left in the Dark' about what really went on in this town. "He was hung by the neck until dead.
3)The Lights Went Out in Georgia symbolizes that an injustice has been done and the citizens are 'Left in the Dark' about what really went on in this town. "He was hung by the neck until dead.
I guess the brother didn't take Andy's advice..."boy don't you lose your head... Then to top it off when he sees Andy lying dead he fires off the gun when he sees the Georgia State Patrol in the vicinity. Not a smart thing to do!
@foshar7 Do you mean that is not how you flag down the police where you are from???
@foshar7 Do you mean that is not how you flag down the police where you are from???
@foshar7 Duh!
@foshar7 Duh!
The brother didn't take Andy's advice..."boy dontcha lose your head...". On top of that, he goes over to his house with gun in hand, sees Andy lying dead and shoots off his gun when he sees the Georgia State Patrol in the vicinity. Not a smart thing to do!
Seth went after andy because andy said he had fooled around with his wife just like the amos boy did. " 'cause to tell ya the truth, I been with her myself"
Seth is the first name of "The Amos Boy" - - - - 'that Amos Boy, Seth" "He" is not given a name in the original version performed by Vicki Lawrence
Seth is the first name of "The Amos Boy" - - - - 'that Amos Boy, Seth" "He" is not given a name in the original version performed by Vicki Lawrence
@Nova_Crash That is incorrect, Seth is the name of the brother of the narrator. The Amos boy was never given a first name.
@Nova_Crash That is incorrect, Seth is the name of the brother of the narrator. The Amos boy was never given a first name.
@BekkaZ: Please STOP giving wrong info. I know this song inside and out. Seth Amos is not the brother. The brother and sister are not named! It's pretty obvious (I thought). You're the first person I've heard make this mistake.
@BekkaZ: Please STOP giving wrong info. I know this song inside and out. Seth Amos is not the brother. The brother and sister are not named! It's pretty obvious (I thought). You're the first person I've heard make this mistake.
Seth went after andy because andy said he had fooled around with his wife just like the amos boy did. " 'cause to tell ya the truth, I been with her myself"
@Nova_Crash: No, Seth Amos did not got after Andy. The brother of the singer/narrator (cheatin' wife's husband) did.
@Nova_Crash: No, Seth Amos did not got after Andy. The brother of the singer/narrator (cheatin' wife's husband) did.
@Nova_Crash Seth is the son of Amos. Andy tells Brother that wife is cheating with Seth, and she’s cheated With Andy also. Brother gets mad, grabs a gun, goes to find Andy, ex- best friend. At his house there are little footprints. Bro finds Andy dead. Not the Judge, who only hangs him. Only! Ha. But the sister killed Andy. the one who as best friend admitted to cheating with wife, and Wife. Who will never be found… and Sister tells us the story.
@Nova_Crash Seth is the son of Amos. Andy tells Brother that wife is cheating with Seth, and she’s cheated With Andy also. Brother gets mad, grabs a gun, goes to find Andy, ex- best friend. At his house there are little footprints. Bro finds Andy dead. Not the Judge, who only hangs him. Only! Ha. But the sister killed Andy. the one who as best friend admitted to cheating with wife, and Wife. Who will never be found… and Sister tells us the story.
I didn't mean that to be a reply, I wanted it be a comment, sorry for the double post.
Seems like it is kinda odd to want to hear about how she took out the judge or whatever.
Look at the situation...his wife was cheating on him with another man, and he was caught outside his house with the same gun that was used to kill him.
So, he was caught with a gun that fired the shots that killed the guy, he was immediately outside of his house, and he had the motive of him having stolen his girl.
There isn't a court on earth that would have found a guy innocent with all that evidence.
I like the song and think it is quite entertaining...but the character that Vicki plays is kinda deranged. Not only does she murder someone in cold blood, she seems to have absolved her guilt in the matter despite being directly responsible for all the events that went down, choosing instead to blame it on everyone else.
@asugar I agree, except that brother was taken, tried and hung. There’d be no time for forensics. I assumed 2 guns. Could be 1 but I doubt it.notessential since there was no time for ballistics. Judge needed supper. Hangry?
@asugar I agree, except that brother was taken, tried and hung. There’d be no time for forensics. I assumed 2 guns. Could be 1 but I doubt it.notessential since there was no time for ballistics. Judge needed supper. Hangry?
This is a story told only for the fact that the justice system in this country is and has been a failure... the main point of this song is to shed light on the "injustice" system.
Unsure how you fix a justice system when you have the Constitution plus local and state laws to abide by, but it's a nice thought:) I love this song. I must have listened to it 100x as a young girl. Never connected the singer with the later TV persona until years later. Lawence's voice in this song is actually quite appealing. The song always made me envision a dark, dreary night and the taking of a life....any song that brings vivid images into ones mind is a good one...at least for this listener. I do remember being alone in the...
Unsure how you fix a justice system when you have the Constitution plus local and state laws to abide by, but it's a nice thought:) I love this song. I must have listened to it 100x as a young girl. Never connected the singer with the later TV persona until years later. Lawence's voice in this song is actually quite appealing. The song always made me envision a dark, dreary night and the taking of a life....any song that brings vivid images into ones mind is a good one...at least for this listener. I do remember being alone in the house one evening with few lights on while there was a wicked lightning storm outside; this song scared me and I ran to the record player to stop it. See, a good song :)
Very insightful. The Judge probably also slept with the "Young Bride." And I suspect the Sheriff also did. "The Judge and the Sheriff set up "He" (The only name given for the new husband of "The Young Bride" who cheated on "He" (him, the husband). As has happened so often, especially in the South, The Sheriff faked a confession by "He", wrote it out and had an unknown accomplice sign it. It would have to be an unknown as even as far back as a hundred years, handwriting analysts could tell who penned what. This necessitates...
Very insightful. The Judge probably also slept with the "Young Bride." And I suspect the Sheriff also did. "The Judge and the Sheriff set up "He" (The only name given for the new husband of "The Young Bride" who cheated on "He" (him, the husband). As has happened so often, especially in the South, The Sheriff faked a confession by "He", wrote it out and had an unknown accomplice sign it. It would have to be an unknown as even as far back as a hundred years, handwriting analysts could tell who penned what. This necessitates a quick, non public trail and a swift execution so no one could determine if he wrote/signed the confession, since a dead person can not write.
Still LOVE this song after so many decades. It used to fill my house when it was storming outside and all the lights were off in the living room. I'd get up to put the needle back to the beginning of this song time and time again.
I love this track, but the story makes NO sense:
1.) Andy does Seth (his best friend) a solid by tipping him off to his wife's cheating on him with Amos, and confesses his own indiscretion with her. And Seth repays this honesty by trying to kill Andy? Shouldn't he be angrier at Amos? (I won't even touch the "Amos & Andy" thing.)
2.) Little sister decides to off Andy (again, poor honest Andy, not Amos) on the very same night that her brother comes home and goes gunning for Andy himself. She couldn't have set him up better if she tried.
3.) "They hung my brother before I could say..." What? Even a "make-believe" trial should've given her plenty of time to say, "Uh... judge?... by the way, I did it, not my brother."
UNLESS... Little Sister was abused by her brother (who was probably a drunk -- first place he hits on returning to town is the bar) and this is her genius plan to get him back AND take out a few other weasels while she's at it. (It is the South, after all.)
Again, Seth is the last name of "The Amos Boy." Andy Wolloe is the name of the best friend "He" (The only name given for the new husband of the cheating "Young Bride") We do not know that "He" went to Andy's house to kill him, just that he had a gun. Maybe the gun was for his own protection when he went to Andy's house to confront him about the affair. "He" may have gone there to elicit the help of his "Best Friend" in order to get even with his "Cheating Wife" for seducing both Seth...
Again, Seth is the last name of "The Amos Boy." Andy Wolloe is the name of the best friend "He" (The only name given for the new husband of the cheating "Young Bride") We do not know that "He" went to Andy's house to kill him, just that he had a gun. Maybe the gun was for his own protection when he went to Andy's house to confront him about the affair. "He" may have gone there to elicit the help of his "Best Friend" in order to get even with his "Cheating Wife" for seducing both Seth Amos and Andy Wolloe, and possibly the Judge and Sheriff who most likely framed "He" to keep "He" from exacting his vengeance on everyone who has done "He" wrong. (His cheating wife, Seth Amos, Andy Wolloe, the Judge and the Sheriff and who knows who else....) The Young Wife was a slut who married a man who was frequently out of town which gave her not only financial security, but time to sleep with every man who would have her. "His little sister" killed the slut and Andy Wolloe, she probably did not know that her brother was back in town as he had not gone to see her or contact her. She did not set up her brother, she merely left the gun where "He" would find it so he would know that his little sister had taken care of things for him without anyone else knowing about it. She did her dirty work when she thought "he" would be out of town in order to give him an alibi. "He" went to the bar first to see his best friend because the bar was the first place he came to upon reentering town as the bars were usually on the outskirts of town so the locals could not protest to a drinking establishment being so close to the center of residences and schools (which were usually in the center of town to make it less of a walk for school children.) Also, she did not get the opportunity to take care of the rest of the Weasels as they would be looking over their shoulders when they found out about Andy Wolloe, nor did she have time to clean up after killing Andy as her brother was nearing the crime scene, or maybe she left Andy on the floor in a puddle of blood as a warning to the other scumbags who had wronged her brother.
@jeffrey111
@jeffrey111
I understand it to be that Seth Amos is one of the guys cheating with the wife and is not the main character (Brother.)
I understand it to be that Seth Amos is one of the guys cheating with the wife and is not the main character (Brother.)
@jeffrey111 Again, Seth is the brother, NOT the Amos boy. The exchange in the bar was Seth and Andy talking:
@jeffrey111 Again, Seth is the brother, NOT the Amos boy. The exchange in the bar was Seth and Andy talking:
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"
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"
Andy tells Seth to sit down so he can give him bad news a time honoured custom that make bad news much easier to take.
Andy tells Seth to sit down so he can give him bad news a time honoured custom that make bad news much easier to take.
I will agree that it is possible that his wife wasn't a whore, maybe...
I will agree that it is possible that his wife wasn't a whore, maybe both infidelities were accidents (she slipped and fell...), and it's also possible that good 'ol boy Seth is not an alcoholic whose default is to hit the local watering hole when returning home.....but I'd bet against both interpretations.
I do completely agree about the sister not confessing to the murder(s) she committed. Even a kangaroo court followed by a duly held lynching should have given her enough time to say something, anything. But, to be fair, I do not live in Georgia so what do I know.
@BekkaZ: Sorry, but WRONG! Whoever wrote the lyrics messed up on two of them. Is "slippin" not "skippin" thru the backwoods. And it is "said, 'I'm your best friend..." (as in short for "he said") not "Seth, I'm your best friend". Seth Amos is the boy she cheated with (in addition to Andy). Got it?
@BekkaZ: Sorry, but WRONG! Whoever wrote the lyrics messed up on two of them. Is "slippin" not "skippin" thru the backwoods. And it is "said, 'I'm your best friend..." (as in short for "he said") not "Seth, I'm your best friend". Seth Amos is the boy she cheated with (in addition to Andy). Got it?
@jeffrey111 yes! Brother comes home, Bro goes the Webb’s bar. Bro meets Andy there ( not planned) and Andy, his best friend tells him that his “bride” isn’t home tonight, but that she’s cheating with Seth, the son of Amos. Andy says stay calm, Bro leaves. He finds wife missing, goes to family home. Finds gun. Why does he go to Andy’s house? Just part of the story. He sees small footprints, too small for Andy, best friend past tense. Wife? No. He sees Andy dead. Best ex-friend. Fires a shot to flag the patrol. ( has this man no sense...
@jeffrey111 yes! Brother comes home, Bro goes the Webb’s bar. Bro meets Andy there ( not planned) and Andy, his best friend tells him that his “bride” isn’t home tonight, but that she’s cheating with Seth, the son of Amos. Andy says stay calm, Bro leaves. He finds wife missing, goes to family home. Finds gun. Why does he go to Andy’s house? Just part of the story. He sees small footprints, too small for Andy, best friend past tense. Wife? No. He sees Andy dead. Best ex-friend. Fires a shot to flag the patrol. ( has this man no sense of self preservation whatsoever?) so of course he’s guilty! Not. Turns out little sister killed Andy. For the cheating with bride? Or telling Bro? Is Seth even guilty? Doesn’t matter. Little Sister kills Andy (best ex-friend) AND bride(new wife of Bro). Innocent Bro dies, as sister can’t get there to explain. Boom 💥