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.
The Greatest Gift Of All
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You and I are waiting for Santa Claus to come
There's a present by the tree, stockings on the wall
Knowing you're in love with me is the greatest gift of all
The fire is slowly fading, chill is in the air
All the gifts are waiting for children everywhere
Through the window I can see snow begin to fall
Just before I go to sleep, I hear a church bell ring
Merry Christmas everyone is the song it sings
So I say a silent prayer for creatures great and small
Peace on earth, good will to men is the greatest gift of all
Peace on earth, good will to men is the greatest gift of all
The lyrics of Lee Greenwood's "The Greatest Gift of All" song convey a heartwarming message about the greatest gift one can receive during the holiday season – love. The start of the song depicts a typical Christmas night, where the friends and family have all left after the festive rituals, and the couple is waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. While there are gifts and stockings present, the most important present is the love between the couple.
As the night proceeds, the fire starts to fade, and the chill in the air becomes apparent. The couple can see the snow falling outside, yet their love keeps them warm in the cold. They acknowledge that the presents are waiting for the children, but the underlying gift for them is the love they share.
The song's final verse refers to the church bell ringing, signifying that another Christmas has arrived. The singer says a silent prayer for every living being on this earth, big or small, and wishes for peace on this planet. The song reminds the listener that the 'greatest gift of all' always resides within and provides a solemn message of love, peace, and goodwill.
Line by Line Meaning
Dawn is slowly breaking, our friends have all gone home
It's early morning and our friends have left. We are eagerly waiting for Santa Claus to arrive
You and I are waiting for Santa Claus to come
We are together waiting for Santa Claus to arrive and bring us gifts
There's a present by the tree, stockings on the wall
We have placed the gifts under the Christmas tree and hung stockings on the wall
Knowing you're in love with me is the greatest gift of all
The best gift I could ever receive is the knowledge that you love me
The fire is slowly fading, chill is in the air
The fire is dying down and it's getting colder
All the gifts are waiting for children everywhere
All the presents are ready for children to open them on Christmas day
Through the window I can see snow begin to fall
I can see the snow starting to fall outside through the window
Just before I go to sleep, I hear a church bell ring
Before I go to bed, I hear the sound of a church bell ringing
Merry Christmas everyone is the song it sings
The song that the church bell is singing is 'Merry Christmas everyone'
So I say a silent prayer for creatures great and small
I say a silent prayer for all beings, big and small
Peace on earth, good will to men is the greatest gift of all
The greatest gift of all is peace on earth and goodwill towards everyone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN JARVIS, JOHN BARLOW JARVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands
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