Early life
After the separation of his parents, Lee grew up in Sacramento on the poultry farm of his grandparents. At the age of seven, he began playing the saxophone, and at the age of nine became a member of a dance ensemble. In 1969, he joined the Chester Smith Band and had his first television appearance. A short time later, he worked with the country musician Del Reeves.
He founded his first band, Apollo, in 1962. He briefly battled a cocaine addiction and moved to Iceland to go to rehab. The band, which changed its name later to Lee Greenwood Affair, played mostly pop music and appeared mostly in casinos in Las Vegas. A few records were recorded in Los Angeles with the Paramount label. After the band broke up in the 1970s, Greenwood moved back to Las Vegas, where he worked as a black jack dealer during the day, and as a singer at night.
Career
In 1979, he was discovered in Reno, Nev., by Larry McFaden, the bandleader and bassist of Mel Tillis. After making some demo tapes, Greenwood was signed in 1981 by the Nashville-based MCA label, and McFaden became his manager.
The first single, "It Turns Me Inside Out", made it to a spot in the top 20 of the country charts. Greenwood had written this song for Kenny Rogers, but Rogers turned it down due to the sheer volume of songs he had been offered at the time. "Ring On Her Finger and Time on her Hands" landed him in the country top 10.
He is best known for writing and recording the patriotic song "God Bless the USA" in the early 1980s. "God Bless the USA" gained renewed popularity following the launch of Operation: Desert Storm in 1991, and again, ten years later, following the September 11, 2001 attacks; in fact, the song even re-entered the Top 20 of the country charts in late 2001. Since then, Greenwood has played at many public events and commemorations of the attacks. He supports the United States Republican Party.
Theater
In 1995, Greenwood took a break from his touring schedule to spend time with his wife and newborn son. In his time off, he elected to build a theater in Sevierville, Tenn., and in April 1996, the "Lee Greenwood Theater" opened its doors. This gave Greenwood the opportunity to still perform daily shows, in addition to being with his family. The theater operated for five seasons, and closed for Greenwood to continue touring. The theater was not located in the heavily entertainment and tourist oriented areas of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Gatlinburg, Tenn., which contributed to the theater closing. The former theater building is now host to a church.
America The Beautiful
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Lee Greenwood's "America the Beautiful" is a patriotic poem that celebrates the uniqueness and beauty of the United States. The song begins by praising America's beautiful natural landscapes, which are abundant and sprawling. The "spacious skies," "amber waves of grain," and "purple mountain majesties" are all symbolic descriptions of the country's vastness and wealth. The lyrics suggest that America is not only a beautiful country, but that it is blessed by God, who has provided grace to crown the country with brotherhood.
The second verse of the song shifts the focus to the country's foundational values of freedom and self-control. The verse praises the pilgrims, who fought to establish a land of freedom across the vast and empty wilderness. The lyrics suggest that America has flaws that need mending, but that the country's soul is rooted in self-control and liberty under the law.
The third verse of the song honors the heroes who have fought and sacrificed for their country. This verse praises the courage of soldiers who love their country more than their own lives and have shown mercy to others during times of strife. Finally, the last verse of the song presents the vision for the American dream- to create a land of shining cities and "nobleness," untarnished by tears, pain or sorrow. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, as Greenwood expresses the hope for brotherhood from coast to coast.
Line by Line Meaning
O beautiful for spacious skies,
Oh, how beautiful it is to have vast skies that seem to go on forever.
For amber waves of grain,
It is breathtaking to see the lush crops growing, shining like gold in the sunlight.
For purple mountain majesties
The monumental purple mountains stand proudly, representing the grandeur of America.
Above the fruited plain!
These mountains are the backdrop to the bountiful land beneath that bears fruit and life for Americans.
America! America!
Oh, America, our beloved country!
God shed his grace on thee
May God grant America His blessings and favor.
And crown thy good with brotherhood
Let America's goodwill be rewarded with unity among its citizens.
From sea to shining sea!
From the easternmost to the westernmost point, may America shine vibrant and bright.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
How wonderful those who journeyed with determination to seek freedom.
Whose stern impassioned stress
Their unwavering faith and sacrifice made life-changing impacts.
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
The route they traversed to liberty and progress is chiseled into American history.
Across the wilderness!
Their courage and tirelessness was tested and proved across the rugged, untamed lands.
America! America!
Oh, America, our beloved country!
God mend thine every flaw,
May God bring healing and restoration to any weakness or imperfection in the nation.
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Strengthen America's spirit to exercise discipline and self-rule.
Thy liberty in law!
And let the nation continue to cherish and protect freedom under the law.
O beautiful for heroes proved
How lovely are the brave heroes who have demonstrated their worth.
In liberating strife.
In the fierce battles fought to liberate and defend America's freedom.
Who more than self their country loved
These soldiers loved their country more than their own lives.
And mercy more than life!
And even in the face of harshness and danger, they exemplified compassion and care.
America! America!
Oh, America, our beloved country!
May God thy gold refine
May God improve and purify America's valuable traits and virtues.
Till all success be nobleness
May America always strive for honorable achievements and respectful prosperity.
And every gain divine!
And let every gain be considered a blessing, through divine guidance and providence.
O beautiful for patriot dream
How inspiring is the nationalistic vision that America cherishes.
That sees beyond the years
That can see the future and the impact the nation can make, beyond the present.
Thine alabaster cities gleam
And America's urban centers, majestic and pristine, shine bright with opportunity and luxury.
Undimmed by human tears!
May those who struggle and suffer within those cities be lifted up and receive restoration.
America! America!
Oh, America, our beloved country!
God shed his grace on thee
May God bless America with demonstrations of grace and kindness.
And crown thy good with brotherhood
And may goodness and unity be rewarded with more of the same.
From sea to shining sea!
From coast to coast, let America shine vibrantly and gloriously.
Lyrics © GLITTERFISH MUSIC, INC.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pierre Delecto
I hope our country wakes up soon. I can’t recognise my America. I came here from a communist country when I was 12 and it breaks my heart what’s happening to my beloved America.
sfwebb7
We pray for our country every day, I pray we can be the country you knew as a young boy!
Mary Hall
Beautiful song. Blessings and Love to all. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Barbara Melville
Ty happy 4th
Bettie Stanley
God Bless America. Blessings and Love to everyone around the whole World.
Nancy Simmons
Now is the time for all Americans to stand up against the thing's that's going on in our government today, news is being censored, laws are being passed that are not for the well being of our country. The Biden administration have sold this country out! And if we as Americans want to save this country for our children we need to start standing up for what's right. This nation was based on trust in God and freedom, we've forgotten about the first and have pretty much lost the second. Our only hope of saving this nation is to get on our knees before Almighty God . He says in the Bible, "lf my people will call on my name and
repent I will save their nation." He will reverse what's going on in the government, give back our freedoms. God bless the USA
Megan Ossinger
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! LET FREEDOM RING!!
Carla Austin
How blessed we are to live in such a beautiful country. Love this song. We forget how blessed we are.
MrJ
I cant make it through this song with out any tears......
Tanya Owen
How fortunate to be an American. In God we trust and long live freedom and democracy. Peace and love to all the world ❤️🇺🇸💙