It feels fitting to revisit this clip, given that Briley King released her studio version of “The Nights The Light Went Out In Georgia” after giving the song a massive resurgence in popularity from her viral TikTok clip.
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” is a prime example of a country song that tells a story from the first to last note. The unnamed narrator details the story of how her brother, who had just returned from a two-week trip away, found out his wife had been cheating on him, and the friend (Andy) who shared this information also informed the brother that he, too, had been with his wife at some point. Seeing red, brother left the bar and went to get his gun with the intention of killing his friend, Andy. However, he was stunned to find Andy dead when he got to his house.
The brother gets charged with the murder of Andy and is hanged for his crimes. However, as the song unfolds, the narrator reveals that he was an innocent man. While her brother had all intentions of murdering this man, someone got to him first… and that someone was his sister.
“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”
His sister kept quiet as he lost his life, confessing her crimes in the lyrics. The song is dark and twisted, highlighting the social injustices that occur in small towns, particularly during the time when it was written.
“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”
Reba cut the song in 1991 for her “For My Broken Heart” record, and it peaked at number 12 on the country charts. The song was still a massive hit for the Oklahoma native and is beloved by her fans, but with its placement on the country charts, it sadly broke a string of 24 consecutive top 10 country singles by McEntire.
While it’s one of Reba’s most famed songs from her catalog, it was actually a cover. In 1972, the song was written by songwriter Bobby Russell and first recorded by his then-wife, singer, comedian, and actress Vicki Lawrence. Reba loved the song so much that she cut it 20 years after its release. Side note: Tanya Tucker is also on the list of folks who cut the song. She recorded in the ’80s before Reba.
In a 2015 interview with Bobby Bones, she detailed the wild story of how no artists wanted to cut the song when Bobby Russell began pitching it, leading him to have his wife record it.
“So in 1971, Vicki was married to a guy, her first husband, who was a very good songwriter. And he wrote this song, and he pitched it to a lot of famous artists, and they all turned him down.
And he said, ‘I don’t understand this. This is a monstrous hit.’ He said, ‘My wife could record this and it would be a monstrous hit,’ and they all said, ‘Well, let her.’ And she did.
It was her one and only number one record, and I loved it so much that 20 years later, I recorded it. ‘That’s The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.'”
I’m sure this is one of those songs that folks kick themselves for passing on. While singer-songwriters in the ’70s might not have appreciated the tune, Vicki Lawrence’s success with the ballad proved Russell’s conviction that it was a monstrous hit.
Fifty-four years later, it remains beloved by country fans, with new artists putting their own soulful take on it.
Fire up Reba’s version while you’re here:
And for fun, check out the latest cover by Briley King, featuring The Marcus King Band and harmonies from Ella Langley.
