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.
Mornin Ride
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before the mornin' paper, before the coffee's on
There ain't much movin' in the world outside
Oh, I'd love to take a mornin' ride
My baby knows, it's the time we share
She wakes me gently and brushes back her hair
And she moves into my arms, sweet and slow
Gonna take my baby on a mornin' ride
When the sun comes slippin' 'round the mountain side
'Bout an hour, maybe two
Ain't nothin' me and her would rather do
Than see the green grass glist'nin' in the mornin' dew
While the world is still damn spankin' new
Oh, I know how beautiful the day will be
When she takes a mornin' ride with me
And when we get back, it will feel so right
To just lay back and linger in the mornin' light
Then she'll smile at me, thinkin' where we've been
Wantin' me to take her again
I'm gonna take my baby on a mornin' ride
When the sun comes slippin' 'round the mountain side
'Bout an hour, maybe two
Ain't nothin' me and her would rather do
Than see the green grass glist'nin' in the mornin' dew
While the world is still damn spankin' new
Oh, I know how beautiful the day will be
When she takes a mornin' ride with me
Oh, I'm gonna take my baby on a mornin' ride
When the sun comes slippin' 'round the mountain side
'Bout an hour, maybe two
"Mornin' Ride" is a song by Lee Greenwood that describes a peaceful, intimate moment between the singer and his partner. The lyrics lovingly depict the simple pleasures of sharing a mornin' ride with a significant other, appreciating the beauty of nature and the freshness of each new day. The song begins by describing the quiet time before dawn, when everything outside is still and calm, and the singer longs to take a ride with his loved one. He describes how she wakes him up gently, and they hold each other before getting up to go on their ride.
Throughout the song, the lyrics paint vivid pictures of the scenery during their ride, such as "green grass glistening in the morning dew" and the sun peeking over the mountain. The singer emphasizes how much him and his partner enjoy this time together, and how it's one of their favorite things to do. The song finishes by describing the contentment they feel after their ride, and how they both look forward to doing it again in the future.
Overall, "Mornin' Ride" is a simple yet meaningful song, which invokes feelings of nostalgia, love and appreciation for the small things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a quiet time in the early dawn
In the early morning, there's a peaceful time with no one around.
Before the mornin' paper, before the coffee's on
Before the daily routine begins, before the start of the day.
There ain't much movin' in the world outside
At this time of the day, there's not much activity or movement outside.
Oh, I'd love to take a mornin' ride
The songwriter would love to take a morning ride at this time of day to begin the day.
My baby knows, it's the time we share
The songwriter's partner knows that this quiet time is special and meant to be shared.
She wakes me gently and brushes back her hair
The songwriter's partner wakes him up gently with a loving gesture.
And she moves into my arms, sweet and slow
She hugs him sweetly and affectionately.
I can't wait to get up and go
The songwriter looks forward to starting his day with his partner on a morning ride.
Gonna take my baby on a mornin' ride
The songwriter is going to take his partner on a morning ride to enjoy the scenery around them.
When the sun comes slippin' 'round the mountain side
The songwriter will take his partner on a ride when the sun is just rising over the mountain.
'Bout an hour, maybe two
The ride will last for an hour or two, just long enough to enjoy the morning scenery.
Ain't nothin' me and her would rather do
The songwriter and his partner can't think of anything better to do than to take a morning ride together.
Than see the green grass glist'nin' in the mornin' dew
The couple wants to enjoy the sight of the green grass in the morning dew, when everything looks fresh and new.
While the world is still damn spankin' new
At this time of day, the world looks fresh and new, like it's just been created.
Oh, I know how beautiful the day will be
The songwriter knows that the day will be beautiful because he is spending it with his partner on a morning ride.
When she takes a mornin' ride with me
When the couple takes a morning ride together, they experience the beauty of the morning and the world around them.
And when we get back, it will feel so right
When the couple returns from their morning ride, it will feel like the right way to start the day.
To just lay back and linger in the mornin' light
After the morning ride, it will be nice to relax and enjoy the morning light.
Then she'll smile at me, thinkin' where we've been
The songwriter's partner will smile at him, remembering the morning ride they took together and the sights they saw.
Wantin' me to take her again
The songwriter's partner will want to do it all over again and take another morning ride together.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFFREY M. TWEEL, STEVE BOGARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mkl62
A #1 hit for Lee Greenwood on the Country & Western charts. It was the 845th #1 C&W song of the Rock Era.
@fastfretting
This is one of my favorite songs of Mr.Greenwoods. If this dont put you in a riding mood nothing will.
@karenmaxwell5915
Awesome
@tinaespino7874
👍 AGREED! 1000 PERCENT!
@fastfretting
@@tinaespino7874 Hi Tina ,I like your name it reminds of a good movie that Steve Martin did,there was a building called Cantina and I thought can tina do what.
@Muzikgirl67
PURE COUNTRY GOLD!.. thank you soooo very much for posting and sharing this "rarely heard anymore" lil' country ditty that became Lee's 7th and final single to hit the #1 spot on the charts for him back on the week of March 7, 1987...I thoroughly enjoyed it...and the sound quality is MIGHTY FINE too!...Happy New Year to you Fatgator, and Take Care! Elizabeth :)
@Iknowaboutroaches3350
Top ten most chill songs ever.
@fatgator46
one of the best in my book
@annpendleton2351
Love his songs!!
@shirleyheaton8181
Oh yes I would love to take that ride with him ❤😅