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.
Dixie
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moonlight holds the spotlight that we shared
I found new notes on that old guitar, she believed I could be a star
She told me that she wanted to be fair
And she said, I love you more than to hold you down
Boy you're glory bound
We can't share a world with different dreams
Someone else made hers come true
Now I'm a star, but every time I sing
My heart goes drifting down a dusty Dixie road
Taking my mind, back in time
L.A. lights burn like hell once you know
You left heaven waitin' down the Dixie road
Every night I'm in a different place and I'm searching every stranger's face
Trying to find the girl that's just not there
She's back there in Montgomery and I'm clear across the country
But whenever I'm alone I go back there
My heart goes drifting down a dusty Dixie road
Taking my mind, back in time
L.A. lights burn like hell once you know
You left heaven waitin' down the Ddixie road
My heart goes drifting down a dusty Dixie road
Taking my mind, back in time
L.A. Lights burn like hell once you know
You left heaven waitin' down the Dixie road
My heart goes drifting down a dusty Dixie road
Taking my mind, back in time
L.A. Lights burn like hell once you know
You left heaven waitin' down the Dixie road
My heart goes drifting down a dusty Dixie road
Taking my mind
In Lee Greenwood's song "Dixie Road," the singer reminisces about a time when he and a woman used to sit on a front porch swing and play music together. On that porch, they had a special connection that was highlighted by the moonlight. The woman encouraged the singer to chase his dreams of becoming a star, no matter where it took him. However, the lyrics suggest that the woman the singer cared for was not willing to follow dreams that took them in different directions. The song touches on the singer's journey to stardom, but also how it has left him feeling alone and constantly searching for a past that is no longer there. The correlation between the song's departure from the past and the journey to the present are symbolized by the otherworldliness of L.A. while the personal heart is symbolized by the dusty Dixie road reminiscence.
The lyrics of "Dixie Road" are incredibly poignant, expressing a longing for a simpler, more authentic time in life. The singer's memories of picking and singing on the front porch swing are representative of that search for connection to a past that is no longer there. Even as he has achieved fame and success, there is still something missing, represented by his search for the woman he once loved. The song is a beautiful tribute to the human experience of growing up, moving on, and always searching for meaning and connection in life. The heartwarming memories of a shared passion with an old flame left behind, represents the tangled emotions of success and longing for the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I would pick and we would sing to the rhythm of that front porch swing
We would play music and sing along while sitting on the front porch swing
The moonlight holds the spotlight that we shared
The moonlight illuminated us while we shared the spotlight
I found new notes on that old guitar, she believed I could be a star
I discovered new sounds on my old guitar, and she had faith in my potential to become famous
She told me that she wanted to be fair
She communicated that she desired to be just and equitable in our relationship
And she said, I love you more than to hold you down
She expressed that her love for me was selfless and wouldn't limit me
Boy you're glory bound
You have a bright and successful future ahead of you
We can't share a world with different dreams
We couldn't exist in a relationship with conflicting aspirations
So I chased mine and she found hers too
I pursued my own goals, and she discovered her own ambitions
Someone else made hers come true
Someone else helped her achieve her dreams
Now I'm a star, but every time I sing
Although I'm famous now, whenever I perform music
My heart goes drifting down a dusty Dixie road
I reminisce about our past together, and I long for those moments again
Taking my mind, back in time
Mentally revisiting old memories and experiences
L.A. lights burn like hell once you know
The glamor of Los Angeles is less impressive once you experience it firsthand
You left heaven waitin' down the Dixie road
You were the best thing in my life, and I can never replace you
Every night I'm in a different place and I'm searching every stranger's face
Despite traveling around the world, I'm still searching for her
Trying to find the girl that's just not there
Attempting to locate the one who seems to no longer exist
She's back there in Montgomery and I'm clear across the country
She's still back in Montgomery, and I'm so far away
But whenever I'm alone I go back there
Whenever I'm by myself, I reflect on our relationship and the past
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON GOODMAN, MARY KENNEDY, PAM ROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands
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