Though I am not a country music fan in general, I really appreciate how many songs in the genre tell a story. I grew up listening to country music as a kid in the ’90s under the influence of my mom, and I remember asking her so many questions about the lyrics.
“Why is that man’s wife so upset he was driving in the rain?” I asked about Garth Brooks‘ “The Thunder Rolls.”
“Why does Shania care about him putting boots under a bed?”
But perhaps the song I was most fascinated with was “That’s the Night When the Lights Went Out in Georgia.”
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When Reba McEntire covered the song—originally sung by Vicki Lawrence—I remember being captivated by the story, especially the video that accompanied it. Recently, viral singer Briley King rerecorded the track, and the tune is rising in popularity once more. As a result, McEntire reminisced about her own cover of the 1972 hit and shared a video of herself singing it on Lawrence’s talk show, describing it as a full-circle moment.
Fans were thankful for the reminder, reveling in that special magic ’90s country carried.
“1) People do NOT write songs with real stories in them anymore and 2) They also don’t sing them with such animation like this,” noted one fan.
“One of my favorite songs,” added another. “I saw Vicki sing this live—the story behind it is so good. Reba, you could sing a phonebook and I’d listen.”
“What a memory to hold, love both of you,” shared another.
McEntire’s version of the song reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, while Lawrence’s version hit No. 1 upon its debut in 1972.
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The History Behind “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”
The song is anything but lighthearted. Written by Bobby Russell, it was allegedly turned down by Cher before Russell’s wife, Vicki Lawrence, agreed to record it, according to Country Living.
The tale is one of scorned lovers, murder, revenge, and corruption. The narrator explains that her brother was executed for a crime he didn’t commit. After returning from a trip, the brother learns his wife has been unfaithful with his friend Andy. He goes to confront him, pistol in hand, only to discover Andy has already been murdered. The twist reveals that the narrator—his sister—was the real killer, firing her gun to mislead the police and ensure her brother took the fall.
While fictional, the lyrics reference real places—Andy Wolloe, Webb’s Bar, and Candletop—but the situation itself is fabricated.
King told Country Living she was inspired to revisit the song because of her own fascination with the Murdaugh family murders.
“If you listen to the lyrics from top to bottom—just the storytelling of the classic Southern family drama, of an affair, a murder that was covered up by a little sister, and her brother takes the fall for her—it is very similar to the scandal that was happening in the Murdaugh family. So, it all kind of stems from Murdaugh drama.”
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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