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.
O Holy Night
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior`s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear`d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
The lyrics of Lee Greenwood's "On Holy Night" tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first verse sets the scene of a starry night when the savior was born, signaling hope to a world that was in a state of sin and error. The arrival of the savior brought worth to the soul, and the weary world was filled with hope, as a new and glorious day was dawning.
The second verse describes how the faithful were led by the light of faith, standing by the cradle of the newborn Jesus in adoration. The three wise men, who were led by the star, arrive to witness the arrival of the King of Kings. Jesus, who was born in a lowly manger, would become the friend of all in their trials, teaching them to love one another, offering peace, breaking chains of oppression, and bringing joy to all.
The chorus of the song is a call to fall on one's knees in awe of the angel voices, the divine nature of the birth of Jesus, and the message of hope and peace that it brings. The references to the light of faith and the star, which guided the wise men, show the significance of the symbolism of light in Christianity. The lyrics of the song beautifully celebrate the birth of Jesus, emphasizing his message of love and peace, and the hope he brings to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh holy night!
Night when Lord Jesus Christ was born
The stars are brightly shining
The stars were lighting up the night sky on the birth of baby Jesus
It is the night of the dear Savior`s birth!
The night marked the birth of beloved Savior
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Humanity has been in sin and sadness for long
Till he appear`d and the soul felt its worth.
And then Jesus came and gave people their self-worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
With the birth of Jesus, people regained their hope and joy
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
The arrival of Jesus brought a new beginning and a bright future for people
Fall on your knees
Kneel down in awe and reverence for the birth of Jesus
Oh hear the angel voices
Listen! The angels are singing
Oh night divine
The holy night of Jesus' birth
Oh night when Christ was born
A reminder of the birth of the savior of humanity, Jesus
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
People were guided towards Jesus by their faith
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
People were standing with love and devotion beside the baby Jesus
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
A bright star guided the wise men to visit baby Jesus
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The wise men from the East arrived to honor and worship Jesus
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
The Almighty king, being so humble, was born in a manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.
Jesus was born to be our lifelong friend and guide in times of need
Truly He taught us to love one another
Jesus taught us to love and have compassion for each other
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Love is the law and peace is the essence of His teachings
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
Jesus broke the chains of slavery, considering them as our own brothers
And in His name all oppression shall cease
All forms of oppression will come to an end in the name of Jesus
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
In gratitude, we sing cheerful hymns of joy to honor Jesus
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Let our whole being praise and glorify His holy name
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Adolphe Charles Adam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands
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