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.
I.O.U
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're never gonna find another somebody like me.
And you wish, you had more than just a lifetime to give back all
I've given you and that's what you believe.
But I owe you the sunlight in the morning
And the nights of all this loving that time can't take away.
And I owe you more than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt I'll ever have to pay.
You know that when I'm holding you you're right where you belong
And my love, I can't help but smile with wonder.
When you tell me all I've done for you 'Cause I've known all
along. But I owe you the sunlight in the morning
And the nights of all this loving that time can't take away.
And I owe you more than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt I'll ever have to pay.
'Cause I owe you the sunlight in the morning
And the nights of all this loving that time can't take away. And
I owe you more than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt I'll ever have to pay.
In this song, Lee Greenwood is expressing his gratitude and love for his partner. He acknowledges that his partner believes he's changed their life forever, and that they will never find another person like him. Greenwood goes on to express that he wishes he had more than just a lifetime to give back all he's given to his partner. He goes on to say that he owes his partner the "sunlight in the morning" and "nights of honest loving that time can't take away." He explains that he owes his partner more than life itself and that it's the sweetest debt he'll ever have to pay. He smiles and wonders when his partner tells him all that he's done for them, as Greenwood had known all along.
Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of love and gratitude for one's partner. Greenwood's lyrics convey a sense of deep appreciation for his partner and a desire to repay them for all they've done for him. The lyrics are simple yet poignant, and they capture the essence of what it means to be in a loving relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You believe that I've changed your life forever
You think I have had a profound impact on your life
And you're never going to find another somebody like me
You feel that no one else can truly replace me
And you wish you had more than just a lifetime to give back all I've given you
You desire more time to repay me for everything I've done for you
And that's what you believe
And that is your honest opinion
But I O you the sunlight in the morning
However, I owe you the simple joys of life, like morning sunlight
And nights of honest loving that time can't take away
And I owe you long-lasting love and affection that no amount of time can diminish
And I O you more than life now more than ever
In fact, I owe you more than anything else in this world, now more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt I'll ever have to pay
And I understand that this is the most pleasant obligation I have in my life
I'm amazed when you say it's me you live for
I feel astonished when you express that you live for me
You know that when I'm holding you, you're right where you belong
You are aware that being in my embrace is where you truly belong
And my love, I can't help but smile and wonder
Due to your love, I cannot help but feel happiness and amazement
When you tell me all I've done for you cause I've known all along
When you recount everything I've done for you, I feel validated because I already knew
I O you the sunlight in the morning
I still owe you the basic joys of life, like morning sunlight
And nights of honest loving that time can't take away
And I still owe you unadulterated love that time can never diminish
And I O you more than life now more than ever
And I still owe you more than anything else in this world, now more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt I'll ever have to pay
And I understand that this is the most pleasant obligation I will ever have
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Austin Roberts, Kerry Chater, ARTHUR HENRY BAKER, JOHN ROBIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rockytopvolunteer123
This was sung at my wedding....33 years later and I still feel the same about my husband! Thank you for good music.
@earnestinebryant8774
It makes me think of my savior Jesus Christ I will never be able to pay back all he's done for me
@daviddevillier2688
Whoop whoop 🙌
@maggiemeyers-matthews9091
THIS WAS PLAYED AT OUR WEDDING 32 YEARS AGO. LOST MY HUSBAND IN DESERT SHIELD 6 1/2 MONTHS LATE. BUT I HAVE THE MEMORIES OF MY WEDDING.
@soonerborn6264
This was played at my wedding almost 39 years ago. I still love this song!!
@nickk2461
Can we just go back in time to when this was on the radio. Great times and music.
@ivanagarcia6144
how I wished
@bowens4853
I'm with you good music good times good friends getting old as I am all I have left this music and m
@chrisbarnes9969
I wish
@amandalett3575
Absolutely!!!