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.
He Would Be King
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Moving up along the mountain side
As he gazes looking down the valley
No regrets but his pride
As he journeys across mountain passes
And significant sweeps overhand
His reflection of the beauty around him
He is running from his wildest thoughts
He is running from his everything
He is looking now to find something
Hoping he could be saved
He′s searching for the answer now
Is something that he's managed to avoid up until now
Looking for the conviction that he craves
He needs to find the answer sooner or later
Pushed himself to the limits
He had to strife for all the harder things in life
But what the cost to give him now
His life and time is the only things that he has
Life is is not a rehearsal,
Only has this the one chance to get it right
Living really is only way to know
Maybe one day they′ll forgive him what he's done
With all the pain of lying too early in the grave
Destiny, no good to hide away
Hear us now, we'll be his only way
Understand, no good to run away
Hear us now, we′ll be his saving grace
Just to make his peace with God
All is forgivable but he′s left a little late
Trying something that he's not
Is impossible to change such a lot
He′s taken someone's life away
There′s not a day that goes by he regrets what he's done
He should have found another way
But the good book says an eye for an eye
In reflecting on decisions that were made
On the judgements that will haunt him ′till his grave
No-one has the right to take another life
But in his mind he had no choice so be it
Destiny, no good to hide away
Hear us now, we'll be his only way
Understand, no good to run away
Hear us now, we'll be his saving grace
Destiny, no good to hide away
Hear us now, we′ll be his only way
Understand, no place to run away
Hear us now, we′ll be his saving grace
Far, far away
He would be king
Far, far away
He would be king
So far away
He would be king
So far away
He would be king
Far, far away
He would be king
The above lyrics are from the song "He Would Be King" by Lee Greenwood. The song tells the story of a man who is traveling up a mountain on a Beast of Burden. He reflects on his life choices which have led him to take someone's life away. He realizes that he cannot escape from his past and his guilt. He is looking for an answer or conviction to make peace with God. The song then shifts to a chorus where the chorus is calling out to him, saying they will be his only way and his saving grace.
The song uses vivid imagery to describe the man's situation, drawing parallels between his physical journey up a mountain on a Beast of Burden and his emotional journey to find peace and redemption. The lyrics convey the man's sense of regret and his search for forgiveness. The song’s central message is that destiny cannot be avoided, no matter how far one runs. All decisions have consequences and the man must face up to his choices.
Line by Line Meaning
As he travels on the beast of Burden
As he journeys through life on his own, bearing the weight of his own burdens
Moving up along the mountain side
Working hard and making progress in his life
As he gazes looking down the valley
Reflecting on his life and taking a moment to appreciate the journey so far
No regrets but his pride
Although he has made mistakes in his life, he is proud of who he is and where he is now
As he journeys across mountain passes
Facing challenges and overcoming obstacles on his journey through life
And significant sweeps overhand
Taking in the beauty of the natural world around him and finding inspiration in it
His reflection of the beauty around him
Seeing the beauty in everything and finding happiness in the small things in life
Feeling empty inside
Despite his success, there is still a sense of emptiness that he can't shake
He is running from his wildest thoughts
Trying to avoid facing his fears and insecurities
He is running from his everything
Feeling lost and searching for a sense of purpose in his life
He is looking now to find something
Searching for meaning and fulfillment in his life
Hoping he could be saved
Hoping that he can find some kind of redemption or salvation
He's searching for the answer now
Desperately seeking answers to the questions that have been haunting him
Is something that he's managed to avoid up until now
Avoiding the difficult questions and decisions in life
Looking for the conviction that he craves
Wanting to find a strong sense of purpose and direction in his life
He needs to find the answer sooner or later
He knows that he can't keep avoiding the difficult questions forever
Pushed himself to the limits
Challenging himself to overcome obstacles and achieve his goals
He had to strife for all the harder things in life
Working hard and making sacrifices in order to succeed
But what the cost to give him now
Wondering if the sacrifices he has made have been worth it
His life and time is the only things that he has
Realizing that his time on earth is limited and wanting to make the most of it
Life is is not a rehearsal,
Recognizing that life is short and that there are no do-overs
Only has this the one chance to get it right
Knowing that he must make the most of the time he has and try to live without regrets
Living really is only way to know
Understanding that the only way to truly experience life is to live it to the fullest
Maybe one day they'll forgive him what he's done
Hoping that he will be able to make amends for his past mistakes
With all the pain of lying too early in the grave
Knowing that he could die at any moment and wanting to make the most of the time he has left
Destiny, no good to hide away
Believing that he has a destiny and must face it head-on
Hear us now, we'll be his only way
Feeling that he needs the support of others to help him achieve his goals
Understand, no good to run away
Knowing that he can't run from his problems forever and must face them head-on
Hear us now, we'll be his saving grace
Believing that the support of others can help him overcome his challenges
Just to make his peace with God
Seeking forgiveness and trying to make amends for his past mistakes
All is forgivable but he's left a little late
Knowing that it's never too late to seek redemption, but wishing he had started sooner
Trying something that he's not
Feeling like he's living a life that doesn't truly represent who he is
Is impossible to change such a lot
Believing that it's too late to change his life and become the person he truly wants to be
He's taken someone's life away
Reminding himself of the terrible mistake he made in the past
There's not a day that goes by he regrets what he's done
Feeling deep remorse for the harm he caused others and wishing he could undo the past
He should have found another way
Knowing that there were other options available to him at the time and wishing he had taken a different path
But the good book says an eye for an eye
Reflecting on the religious teachings that have influenced his moral beliefs
In reflecting on decisions that were made
Taking a moment to look back on the choices he has made in his life and their consequences
On the judgements that will haunt him 'till his grave
Knowing that he will always carry the burden of his past mistakes with him
No-one has the right to take another life
Believing in the value of human life and the importance of treating others with respect and dignity
But in his mind he had no choice so be it
Acknowledging that, in the heat of the moment, he felt like he had to do what he did
Far, far away
Feeling like his goals are very distant and hard to achieve
He would be king
Dreaming of the success and power that he could achieve if he overcomes his challenges
So far away
Feeling like his dreams are very difficult to achieve
He would be king
Dreaming of the success and power that he could achieve if he overcomes his challenges
So far away
Feeling like his dreams are very difficult to achieve
He would be king
Dreaming of the success and power that he could achieve if he overcomes his challenges
Far, far away
Feeling like his goals are very distant and hard to achieve
Writer(s): Larsen James L, True Roger Duane
Contributed by Samantha Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tylernelson2024@gmail.com
on Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands
I love your songs