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.
Oh Holy Night
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
The lyrics of "O Holy Night" by Lee Greenwood recount the wondrous story of the birth of Jesus Christ, who arrived on a divine night that illuminated the otherwise dark and woeful world. The song begins with an ode to the stars that shone so bright on that fateful night when the Savior was born. Prior to His arrival, the world was suffering, engulfed in sin and hopelessness. But with His appearance, the Spirit felt its worth, ushering in a new dawn of hope and joy. The chorus implores the listener to fall on their knees, and hear the angelic voices rejoicing in the divine night that brought Christ into the world.
In the second verse, the listeners are taken to the manger where the King of kings lay, surrounded by the faithful who stand in awe at the miraculous sight. The star that shone so radiantly in the sky finally guides the wise men from the Orient to the birthplace of the Savior. Despite His exalted status, He lay in a humble manger, born to be the friend of all who suffer trials and tribulations. He was no stranger to their needs and weaknesses, and before this all-knowing King, the listener is advised to bend low and behold His greatness.
The final verse of the song reminds the listener of the lessons Jesus taught in His life. He preached a message of love and peace, urging His followers to be kind and benevolent toward each other. His transformative message shattered the shackles of slavery and oppression, as all brothers were united under his banner. Filled with gratitude, the faithful are advised to sing joyfully in praise of His holy name, for He is the Lord, the king of all power and glory.
Line by Line Meaning
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
The night is holy, with bright stars illuminating the earth
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
This holy night marks the birth of our dear Savior
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
The world was stuck in sin and error for a long time, longing for a way out
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
Until the Savior appeared, the Spirit did not realize its value
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
The world, tired and burdened with despair, experiences a hopeful excitement
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
A new and wonderful day is dawning
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
Get down on your knees and listen to the angels singing!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
This is a divine night when Christ is born
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Oh night, oh holy night, oh divine night!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
Guided by the light of faith shining calmly
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
We stand by His cradle with hearts full of love and admiration
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
A star is shining sweetly over the world
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The wise men are coming from the East
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
The King of kings was born in a humble manger
In all our trials born to be our friends.
Born to be our friend through all our struggles and difficulties
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
He understands our needs, and is familiar with our weaknesses
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Look at your King! Bow down before Him humbly!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Look at your King! Bow down before Him humbly!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
He really taught us to love each other
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
His teaching is based on love and peace
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
He will break the chains, as the slave and us are brothers
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
And all forms of oppression will end by His name
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
We sing delightful hymns of joy and gratitude in chorus
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
We wholeheartedly praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
Jesus is our Lord! So let us ever, ever praise Him
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Let us always declare His power and glory!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Let us always declare His power and glory!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Adolphe Adam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands
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