What caused the lights to go out in Georgia and why did they hang an innocent man?

Answer 1

I read all the answers that were already posted, and some came pretty close. One person said it was because they thought he killed his cheating wife-this is wrong. They thought he killed Andy Wo-Lo because he flagged down a state trooper by shooting his gun outside Andy's house after seeing his dead body. The husband thought his wife had left town because she was never seen again. Another said it was racism-no where in the song does it suggest that the husband was black...period. His baby sister is the one who killed both the cheating wife and Andy, and they hanged her brother before she could admit to it. Justice wasn't served because there was never an investigation, and the judge just wanted to close the case rather than seek justice. Excellent song by Reba McEntire-a true classic. One thing does confuse me, though: usually when the lights go out due to an execution, it's from an electric chair, not a noose. Oh well, hope this answers it for you.

Answer 2

Thats just a song. But in Forsyth County Georgia, Where I live, They did hang innocent people outside the court house about 5 minutes away from where I live. The court house is located in the middle of our city, and a while back innocent black men,woman, and children were hung outside of that Court House. The reason was because they werea diffrent race. And as Im sure you know, Down in the southern half of the US there was slavery. There used to be a sign at the city limits that said that black people werent allowed beyond that point.. But Oprah Winfrey was the one who took that sign down a couple years back. Still to this day, Its rare to see an African American in Forsyth County

Answer 3

Here's the lyrics for That's the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia. It was originally sung by Vicki Lawrence and written by her husband, Bobby Russell.

(Bobby Russell)

He was on his way home from Candletop
Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop
At Web's and have him a drink for he went home to her
Andy 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 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
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 back woods Southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hands

Andy got scared and left the bar
Walking on home cause he didn't live far you see
Andy didn't have many friends and he just lost him one
Brother thought his wife must've left town
So he went home and finally found the only thing
Daddy had left him and that was a gun
He went off to Andy's house
Slipping 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 lying on the floor
In a puddle of blood and he started to shake

The Georgia patrol was making their rounds
So he fired a shot just to flag em down
A big bellied sheriff grabbed his gun and said
"Why'd you do it?"

The judge said guilty on a make-believe trial
Slapped the sherriff on the back with a smile
Said supper's waiting at home and I gotta get to it

That's the night the lights went out in Georgia
That's the night that they hung an innocent man
Don't trust your soul to no back woods 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
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 the lights went out in Georgia
That's the night that they hung an innocent man
Don't trust your soul to no back woods Southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hand

That's the night the lights went out in Georgia
That's the night that they hung an innocent man
Don't trust your soul to no back woods Southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hand


Answer: The lights went out in Georgia due to racism, they closed their eyes and turned their backs on the guilty party and hung a black man due to circumstantial evidence without a fair trial. The southern lawyer did not represent him fairly. This song was written in the 1970s when bigotry and racism was still prevalent in the south.

Answer 4

Because they thought he was the one who killed his cheating wife, but it was really his little sister. He covered for her and took the rap. By the time she tried to tell the truth, no one believed her.


Okay, it wouldn't let me answer this question again so I had to edit my answer.. I tried to give the simple answer the first time.. it WASN'T a black man.... it was her brother.. the cheating wife's husband... Raymond Brody... who pleaded guilty to the murders... to protect his little sister.. the people that she killed were her brother's cheating wife and her (the little sister's) fiance... she hid the wife's body... then her brother came upon the scene.. told her to get lost.. and took the rap for both murders.. but the judge wanted to speed the trial because he was also sleeping with the wife (she got around).. and no one else would believe the little sister.. they thought she was trying to cover for her brother.. so they hung him... the term the lights going out.. is everyone closing their eyes to the truth... forty years later, she finally got a reporter to listen to the truth..

Answer 5

If it's the south, logic is irrelevant. Look up the old Twilight Zone series. One really defining episode. They wanted to hang this guy for murder. It started to get dark out, but it wasn't quite midday. It got darker, and darker, symbolizing the shallowness and hateful, hardened spirit you find there. Immaterial of who it is. I really liked that episode. Ever relevant.

Answer 6

What are you talking about? What innocent men? The lights are working fine up in here. and they're working where you are or you wouldn't be on the computer.

Answer 7

Sneakin' around

Answer 8

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

He said, "Supper's waiting at home, and I gotta get to it."

Answer 9

Because Little Sister don't miss when she aims her gun.

Answer 10

listen..i have always wondered this myself!
i hope somebody answers this!