(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
Vicki Lawrence - "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"
Hit Number 1: April 7, 1973
Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks
It's amazing to me how many times there are songs written by people who don't even like their own song. Bobby Russell, a Country music singer-songwriter, wrote "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", but he didn't want to record even a demo of the song because, of course, he didn't like his own song. It's unknown if maybe he thought a woman would work better with the song, or if he refused to have any part of it because he truly didn't like his own song he wrote. Russell was going to offer the song to Liza Minnelli, but instead it ended up being offered to Cher. However, Cher was unable to record the song after her manager and then-husband, Sonny Bono, declined it because he thought it would offend Cher's fans from the South. Vicki Lawrence, who so happened to be married to Russell at the time, offered to record a demo for the song, and obviously, she would end up being the one to record it in the studio for eventual single release.
It would be hard to blame Russell for being skeptical of Lawrence's decision. Lawrence was perfectly capable of singing, but she was a comedian. In 1973, heck, even today she wasn't known for being a singer. She was known for being a star on The Carol Burnett Show. Because of that, "The Lights Went Out" could have been some kind of a stunt. Lawrence was a well-known name in 1973, and since Russell couldn't find any other singers to take the song, he likely caved in and just let his own wife record the song. It wound up working out beautifully for all parties involved, but I'm left wondering how much people really loved this song back then. I wasn't alive in 1973. I don't know, but I'm speculating that people might have thought it was cool that one of the funniest women on television back then released a song, and they wanted to buy the record.
You might expect someone like Lawrence to release a funnier song that could fit in as a "novelty" song, but "The Lights Went Out" is far from a funny song. Instead, it's a song that tells a story, and it's a story that's interesting, but also kind of stupid. The song starts out as a man referred to as "Brother", and Brother returns home after a two-week vacation. Before going back to his house, he stops at a bar where he runs into his friend, Andy. Andy tells Brother while he was away that his wife wasn't true to him, that she's been seeing some dude named Seth and admitted that even he was seeing her. Brother storms off angrily from the bar. He assumes his wife must have left town, and he retrieves the gun his father left him and goes over to Andy's house. He sees footprints leading to and from Andy's house that are too small for Andy to make. When Brother looks into the house, he sees Andy lying dead in a pool of blood.
This is when the story starts to get ridiculous. Brother sounds off the gun to alert the Georgia Patrol who were making their rounds. The Patrol goes to where Brother is, but then think he was the one that killed Andy instead. Brother is found guilty, sentenced to hang, and it's only after the death of Brother that his sister admits to being the one who killed Andy, and that she also killed Brother's wife and hid her body where it will never be found. Again, as far as the story goes, it's fascinating to follow. Lawrence sells the song with a hint of mystery in the verses. But the story is also easy to mock. Why does Sister wait for Brother to be killed before admitting to the murder? She says they hung him before she could say anything, but that doesn't make sense to me. Surely there was enough time for her to say something. Also, why does nothing ever come of the Seth character introduced in the beginning of the song? I'm starting to get a better idea why Russell wasn't a fan of his own song. There's just some holes in this story that I can't get past.
Musically, it's all average. The instrumentation, Lawrence's voice, and the overall vibes I get from the song are lacking. I don't hate it, I just don't care for the song that much. It breezes past me like nothing even happened. To Lawrence's credit, the song has become a regular in '70s radio rotations, and it was a bright spot in a very brief musical career. I honestly wish I liked the song more, but it's one of those corny early '70s schmaltzy songs that I've never cared for too much. At least I don't have blood stains on my hands.
GRADE: 5/10
JUST MISSED:
Gladys Knight & the Pips' beautifully smooth, soulful "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" peaked at #2 behind "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia". It's an 8.
(Gladys Knight & the Pips will appear in this blog pretty soon)
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