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.
IOU
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That l've changed your life forever
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
But I.O.U.
The sunlight in the morning
And the nights of honest loving
That time can't take away
And I.O.U.
More than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt
I'll ever have to pay
I'm amazed -
When you say it's me you live for
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
That I.O.U.
The sunlight in the morning
And the nights of honest loving
That time can't take away
And I.O.U.
More than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt
I'll ever have to pay
Oh I.O.U. (I.O.U)
The sunlight in the morning
And the nights of honest loving
That time can't take away
And I.O.U. (I.O.U.)
More than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt
I'll ever --
Have to pay
Lee Greenwood's song I.O.U is a love ballad about a man who is deeply in love with a woman who reciprocates his feelings. The lyrics begin with the woman believing that the man has changed her life forever and that she will never find someone like him. She wishes she had more than one lifetime to give back what he has given her. The song continues with the man acknowledging the love they share and the fact that he owes her everything he has given her, the sunlight in the morning and the nights of honest loving, and that time can't take that away. He also says that he owes her more than life itself and he knows that it's the sweetest debt he'll ever have to pay.
The song is an expression of love and gratitude, acknowledging that love is not something that can be repaid in full. No matter how much the man loves the woman, he knows he can never give back everything she has given him. The song is a beautiful reminder that love is a precious gift that should always be cherished and appreciated.
Line by Line Meaning
You believe -
That l've changed your life forever
And you're never gonna find
Another somebody like me
You are convinced that I have transformed your life irreversibly, and no one else could ever compare to 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
You desire more than just a lifetime to repay me for the immense impact that I have had on you, and that is what you truly believe.
But I.O.U.
The sunlight in the morning
And the nights of honest loving
That time can't take away
However, I owe you the simple pleasures of life such as sunshine in the morning and the moments filled with sincere love that time cannot steal away from us.
And I.O.U.
More than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt
I'll ever have to pay
More than anything, I owe you my life, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to repay you for it. This will always remain the most gratifying debt that I will get to fulfill.
I'm amazed -
When you say it's me you live for
You know that when I'm holding you
You're right where you belong
It leaves me astonished when you confess that living for me is your purpose in life. It is remarkable how being in each other's arms is the only place where we feel at home.
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
My heart fills with wonder every time you recount how much I have impacted your life, and it is fascinating to me how I have always known the same to be true.
Oh I.O.U. (I.O.U)
The sunlight in the morning
And the nights of honest loving
That time can't take away
Once again, I owe you the unquantifiable but invaluable treasure of simple pleasures, such as the sun's rays in the morning, and the irreplaceable, timeless moments of love that will leave a permanent mark in our hearts.
And I.O.U. (I.O.U.)
More than life now, more than ever
I know that it's the sweetest debt
I'll ever have to pay
I owe you more than my life, but now more than ever, I understand that the sweetest debt to have is to be indebted to you for all the extraordinary things you have done for me.
Writer(s): Robertson George Austin, Chater Kerry
Contributed by Maria F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@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!!!