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.
She's Lying
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I reach out to find a light so she can see
Then I wait to hear her story
Why she stayed out late tonight & she tells me
That it really wasn't her fault
If she'd had her ways she'd have been home hours ago
That's when her tears start to flowin'
And she swears it's true but in my heart I know
When I'm sure that I've convinced her
That I believe her story then I turn away
I don't let her know she's hurt me
'Cause the words stick in my throat I want to say
And I'm so afraid I'll lose her
If she knew I knew the truth she just might go
So I listen to her story
Try to hide the hurt, but in my heart I know
She's lying, there's not a word of truth in her crying
And still I've got this awful urge to take her in my arms and hold her tight
God, I know she's lying, a little more of me keeps on dying
Oh how I wish that I could be the one that she's been lyin' with tonight
Instead of me I'd rather be the one that she's been lyin' with tonight
She's lying
Lee Greenwood's song "She's Lying" tells the story of a man who waits for his partner to come home late at night. The man tries to comfort her by listening to her story about why she stayed out late and why she is upset. The woman tells him that it wasn't her fault and that she wanted to be home earlier. However, the man suspects that she is lying, but he doesn't want to confront her about it because he doesn't want to lose her. He keeps his hurt feelings bottled up inside and doesn't let her know that he knows the truth. The man struggles with his emotions and wishes that he could be the one who she was lying with instead of being the one who is being lied to.
The song is a poignant reflection on the emotions that people experience when they suspect that their partner is lying to them. It speaks to the universal experience of feeling hurt and betrayed by someone you love. Additionally, it highlights the importance of communication and honesty in relationships. The song suggests that withholding the truth can be damaging to a relationship and can ultimately lead to its demise.
Line by Line Meaning
As her key unlocks the front door
As she returns home
I reach out to find a light so she can see
I try to help her navigate in the darkness
Then I wait to hear her story
I patiently wait to hear her explanation
Why she stayed out late tonight & she tells me
She explains why she was out late
That it really wasn't her fault
She claims that the situation was out of her control
If she'd had her ways she'd have been home hours ago
If it were up to her, she would have been home earlier
That's when her tears start to flowin'
That's when she begins to cry
And she swears it's true but in my heart I know
I don't believe her, although she insists it's true
When I'm sure that I've convinced her
When I think she believes that I believe her
That I believe her story then I turn away
I act like I've been convinced so she doesn't suspect anything
I don't let her know she's hurt me
I conceal my true feelings and emotions from her
'Cause the words stick in my throat I want to say
I find it hard to speak the truth because it's painful
And I'm so afraid I'll lose her
I fear that if she knew the truth, she would leave me
If she knew I knew the truth she just might go
If she found out that I knew she was lying, she might leave me
So I listen to her story
I pretend to listen and understand her explanation
Try to hide the hurt, but in my heart I know
I try to conceal my pain, but deep down, I know she's lying
She's lying, there's not a word of truth in her crying
I know she's lying, and there's not even a shred of truth in her crying
And still I've got this awful urge to take her in my arms and hold her tight
Despite everything, I still have the desire to comfort and hold her
God, I know she's lying, a little more of me keeps on dying
I know she's lying, and it hurts me more and more each time
Oh how I wish that I could be the one that she's been lyin' with tonight
I wish that I was the one she was with tonight instead of whoever she was lying to
Instead of me I'd rather be the one that she's been lyin' with tonight
I would rather be the person she's lying to than the one being lied to
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAN L. CRUTCHFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BloozeDaddy
One of the great underrated voices in all of country music. Show me one male country singer in the last 25 years who could hit these kinds of notes. A powerhouse performance.
Jackie Bays
The most amazing voice ever lee greenwood
Don Crabbe
Such, a great song, from an incredible album. My...memories!
Daniel Burns
this song went to #7 on the country charts in 1982!!!
nemesisgenius
Yep. should have hit #1 for Lee.
Ray Moerler
Great song, I thank God I never had to relate to it.
Lasse 1964
sad but beautiful every time who i hear that amazing song i close my eyes and think of yesrerday.sometimes i cry....i love for ever that song!
Terry Covas,sr
Terry. This song reminds me of me an x wife,, when we were first got married, God I miss her so much, she was my life, she thought that life better out side of ours, so I wish her luck, happy Ness, an mabey she will find what she is looking for, God bless her...
Tim Stanford
Lee is a fabulous vocalist and also plays sax and keyboards very well. And is a super nice guy.
Crazy Ed's Garage
I thought he was a Trump supporter