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.
God Bless the U.S.A. by
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I worked for all my life
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife
I thank my lucky stars
To be living here today
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea
From Detroit down to Houston
And New York to L.A.
Where's pride in every American heart
And it's time we stand and say
That I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
The lyrics of Lee Greenwood's song God Bless The U.S.A. are an ode to the country and its flag. The first stanza begins with the hypothetical scenario of the singer losing all he has worked for and having to start afresh with just his family. He then expresses gratitude for living in a country where the flag still represents freedom, a theme that is repeated throughout the song. The chorus of the song is an expression of pride in being an American, where freedom is a cherished value, and the sacrifices made by soldiers who have died for the country are not forgotten. The singer vows to defend his country, and the final line of the chorus is a declaration of love for the land and an invocation of God's blessings.
The second verse of the song extols the beauty and diversity of the country, with the singer paying tribute to its people and their love for America. He calls on all Americans to take pride in their country and stand up for it. The song ends with a reprise of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's dedication to America and his love for the country.
Line by Line Meaning
If tomorrow all the things were gone
In a hypothetical situation where I lose all my material possessions,
I worked for all my life
after dedicating my whole life to achieving them,
And I had to start again
if I had to start from scratch,
With just my children and my wife
having nothing but my family by my side,
I thank my lucky stars
I am grateful for my blessings,
To be living here today
for being able to live in the United States,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
because the flag is still a symbol of freedom,
And they can't take that away
and no one can rob us of that freedom.
And I'm proud to be an American
I feel honoured to be an American,
Where at least I know I'm free
because I am certain about my liberty,
And I won't forget the men who died
I will always remember the heroes we lost,
Who gave that right to me
because they are the reason I have this privilege,
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
I would proudly stand by your side,
And defend Her still today
and protect this country even now,
'Cause there ain't no doubt
because there is no question that
I love this land
I have deep affection for this country,
God Bless the U.S.A.
and I hope God continues to bless America.
From the lakes of Minnesota
Starting from the lakes of Minnesota,
To the hills of Tennessee
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea
and from coast to coast,
From Detroit down to Houston
From Detroit, Michigan to Houston, Texas,
And New York to L.A.
and from New York City to Los Angeles, California,
Where's pride in every American heart
The pride of being an American resonates in every heart,
And it's time we stand and say
and it's time to speak up and voice it aloud,
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEE GREENWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lastninja7365
I’m from Japan and become an American on the Memorial Day this year. I love God and America, it’s a great country to live and work in. I’m proud of being an American where at I know I’m free and I won’t forget the men who die who gave the right to me.
@TheJd195555
Welcome to America 🇺🇸 who has served in the United States Navy and spent 5 years of it Japan 🇯🇵. I came to love the people and enjoyed my time there.
God bless you 🙏 ✝️ 🙏
@johnwyskochil463
Glad to have you here friend.
@Cat-pz7wj
WELCOME!!! It IS a great country, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
@almighty5839
Don’t vote blue
@dougwood1658
Thank you..Glad you are now a citizen of this GREAT COUNTRY !!
I served in the Army from 1972-1974...
God Bless the USA !!!
@bsdnmd
Im born from Mexican Parents in the Good ol' US of A and when my parents became citizens, this song played and my mom shed tears she was finally an American. She waved the Stars and Stripes. If I were born again id be begging to be born in the US of A AGAIN!
@afs9612
Atta boy!
@jesusofbullets
A true American. Bless you brother.
@lowereastsideastrologist7769
you messican?