From 1965 to 1967 Vicki sang with the Young Americans musical group and, also, appeared in the feature film "The Young Americans" which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
During her senior year of high school Vicki sent Carol Burnett a letter which included a local newspaper article mentioning their resemblance. Vicki invited Ms. Burnett to the local fire department’s "Miss Fireball Contest" in which she was performing. Ms. Burnett, looking for an actress to play her kid sister on her new variety series, contacted Vicki and made arrangements to come to the event. The rest is television history. "The Carol Burnett Show" premiered in the fall of 1967; the same year Vicki entered UCLA to study Theater Arts. She spent eleven years with Carol, earning one Emmy Award and five Emmy nominations. In 1995 Simon and Schuster published her story. Her autobiography is entitled "Vicki!: The True Life Adventures of Miss Fireball".
In 1968, Vicki went to Viet Nam to visit the U.S. troops with Johnny Grant. Several years later, in 1973, Vicki received a gold record as a recording artist for he international hit single "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia".
After the Burnett show ended, Vicki went on to star in her own TV series, "Mama’s Family" with Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Beverly Archer, and Allan Kayser. The last original episode was made in January of 1990, completing five years of first-run syndication. The show still can be seen daily throughout most of the country.
Vicki was the honorary head of the D.A.R.E. program in Long Beach, California for two years while her kids were still young and in school. Around that time she and her husband also became members of the Long Beach Police Officer’s Association that raises money to protect the widows and families of slain police officers. Her efforts to protect women’s rights were recognized in 1988 when Vicki was the first woman to be honored as "Person of the Year" by the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Shortly thereafter, Vicki became one of the few successful, female game show hosts when she took on the daytime network-version of "Win, Lose or Draw".
Vicki further perfected her hosting skills on her own daytime talk show, appropriately called "Vicki!", from 1992 to 1994. She received critical acclaim when she was the only talk show host since Oprah to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy in her freshman year. In the fall of 1997, she briefly returned to daytime talk as the host of "Fox After Breakfast" from New York City.
On stage Vicki has appeared in numerous productions, including "Carousel", "Send Me No Flowers", "No, No, Nanette", "My Fat Friend", "Chapter Two", "Twigs", "Hello Dolly", "Special Occasions", "I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It ON The Road", "Annie Get Your Gun", and live from the Grand Ole Opry, "Nunsense 3: The Jamboree" which aired on TNN. Most recently she appeared in the Vagina Monologues.
Vicki also travels all over the country speaking to women’s organizations about her life and career, women’s health, and being a woman in a man’s world. All the while she approaches everything with her characteristic sense of humor, reminding us all that "Life is much too serious to be taken seriously!" She also can be seen across the country in her stage production: "Vicki Lawrence and Mama, A Two Woman Show."
Recently Vicki was invited to join The Board of Trustees for Miller Children’s Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. One of only eight children’s hospitals in the state, Miller Children’s Hospital was dedicated in 1970 as a community, non-profit hospital and now services patients within a 100-mile radius in LA and Orange counties. Vicki also hosts the annual WALK FOR THE CURE in her hometown where all the proceeds go to breast and ovarian cancer research at Long Beach Memorial Center.
In 1974 Vicki married the head of CBS make-up, Al Schultz, who is both her best friend and professional partner. Al and Vicki have two children, Courtney, 30, and Garrett, 28. They live at the beach with their two dogs, Hannah, a black Labrador Retriever and Watson, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. They adopted a Yorkie Mix named Rosie when Vicki was hosting the Humane Society Telethon in Michigan. In their spare time Al and Vicki enjoy yacht racing. They own a 70-foot sloop named, fittingly, "Vicki".
Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Vicki Lawrence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(He'd)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 Wardlow said, "Hello."
And he said "Hi, what's doin', Wo?"
He said, "Sit down, I got some bad news that's gonna hurt."
He said, "I'm your best friend and you know that's right,
But your young bride ain't home tonight.
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."
[Chorus]
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 blood stains on his hands.
Well, Andy got scared and left the bar
(And went) Walkin' on home 'cause he didn't live far.
(You) See, Andy didn't have many friends and he'd just lost him one.
(And) Brother thought his wife must'a left town,
So he went home and finally found
The only thing Papa had left him, and 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 grabbed his gun and said, "Why'd ya do it?"
And the judge said, "Guilty," in a make-believe trial,
Slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile,
And said, "Supper's waitin' at home and I gotta get to it."
[Chorus]
Well, they hung my brother before I could say
That the tracks he saw while on his way
To Andy's house, out 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
'Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands.
The lyrics to Vicki Lawrence's song "Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" tell a haunting story of betrayal, murder, and injustice in a small Southern town. The tale is narrated by a character whose brother has been wrongly accused and executed for a crime he didn't commit. It starts with the revelation that the singer's brother's wife has been cheating on him with another man named Seth. When the brother discovers this betrayal, he becomes enraged and seeks revenge by going to Seth's house to confront him. However, he stumbles upon the scene of a murder, and when the Georgia Patrol arrives, he is wrongfully accused of the crime and sentenced to death in a sham of a trial.
The song touches on themes of deceit and hypocrisy, as the people who should be seeking justice and truth - the judge, the sheriff - are instead complicit in furthering their own self-interests. It also hints at the idea that, in a small town, secrets and rumors can spread quickly and lead to disastrous consequences. The haunting refrain of "don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer, 'cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands" highlights the dangers of corruption and the need for righteousness.
Overall, Vicki Lawrence's song "Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is a powerful commentary on the injustices that can occur in small communities, and the human tendency to betray one another for personal gain. It is a cautionary tale that reminds us to always question authority and seek truth, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
He was on his way home from Candletop.
He was returning home from Candletop.
(He'd)Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop
After being away for two weeks, he decided to stop by Webb's for a drink before going home.
At Webb's and have him a drink 'fore he went home to her.
He stopped at Webb's to have a drink before going home to his wife.
Andy Wardlow said, "Hello."
Andy Wardlow greeted him with a hello.
And he said "Hi, what's doin', Wo?"
He responded to Andy's greeting by asking what's going on.
He said, "Sit down, I got some bad news that's gonna hurt."
Andy asked him to sit down because he had some unpleasant news to share.
He said, "I'm your best friend and you know that's right,
Andy reminded him that he's his best friend.
But your young bride ain't home tonight.
Andy revealed that his young bride was not at home.
Since you been gone she's been seein' that aimless boy, Seth."
Andy informed him that his wife was seeing Seth in his absence.
Well, he got mad 'n' he saw red.
He became upset and angry upon hearing the news.
And Andy said, "Boy, don'tcha lose your head,
Andy advised him not to lose his mind over the news.
'Cause to tell ya the truth, I been with her myself."
Andy revealed that he had been with his wife while he was away.
That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia.
The night his brother was hanged, the lights went out in Georgia.
That's the night that they hung an innocent man.
It was the night his brother was hanged, who was innocent.
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
One should not entrust their soul to backwoods Southern lawyers.
'Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands."
The judge in the town's court has blood on his hands, implying his guilt in the wrongful execution.
Well, Andy got scared and left the bar
Andy got scared and left the bar after revealing the truth.
(And went) Walkin' on home 'cause he didn't live far.
Andy went home on foot because he didn't live far from the bar.
(You) See, Andy didn't have many friends and he'd just lost him one.
Andy didn't have many friends and had just lost one by revealing the truth.
(And) Brother thought his wife must'a left town,
His brother believed that his wife must have left town.
So he went home and finally found the only thing Papa had left him, and that was a gun.
He went home and found the only thing his father had left him, which was a gun.
And he went off to Andy's house,
He went to Andy's house.
Slippin' through the backwoods quiet as a mouse--
He crept through the backwoods quietly.
Came upon some tracks too small for Andy to make.
He stumbled upon some tracks that Andy could not have made.
He looked through the screen at the back-porch door,
He peered through the back-porch door screen.
And he saw Andy lyin' on the floor
He saw Andy lying lifeless on the floor.
In a puddle of blood.
Andy was lying in a pool of blood.
And he started to shake.
He felt his hands shaking.
Well, the Georgia Patrol was a'makin' their rounds,
The Georgia Patrol was making its rounds.
So he fired a shot just to flag 'em down,
He fired a shot to get their attention.
And a big-bellied sheriff grabbed his gun and said, "Why'd ya do it?"
The sheriff demanded to know why he had fired a shot.
And the judge said, "Guilty," in a make-believe trial,
The judge declared him guilty in a fake trial.
Slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile,
The judge slapped the sheriff's back with a smile.
And said, "Supper's waitin' at home and I gotta get to it."
The judge declared that dinner was waiting for him at home and he had to leave.
Well, they hung my brother before I could say
His brother was hanged before he could say anything.
That the tracks he saw while on his way
He wanted to say that the tracks he saw while on his way to Andy's house are his.
To Andy's house, out back, that night were mine.
The tracks leading to Andy's house that night he saw were his.
And his cheatin' wife had never left town;
His wife was never unfaithful and had not left town.
And that's one body that'll never be found!
Andy's body was forever lost and never recovered.
See, little sister don't miss when she aims her gun.
The younger sister was skilled with a gun.
Oh-oh-aah
Vocalization
Ah-huh-unh
Vocalization
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOBBY RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind