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.
What Child Is This
Lee Greenwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king, to own him.
the King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sing her lullaby:
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
The lyrics of Lee Greenwood’s “What Child Is This?” discuss the birth of Jesus Christ and the events surrounding it. The song begins with a question asking which child is laid to rest on Mary’s lap, while angels sing sweet anthems and shepherds keep watch. The answer is given in the chorus, where Jesus is referred to as Christ the King. The shepherds guard Jesus, while the angels sing in joyful anticipation of His arrival. The verses go on to explain that Jesus is born in a lowly manger, where oxen and donkeys feed. Through His birth, Jesus silently pleads for sinners to repent and be saved.
The second verse foreshadows the death of Jesus on the cross, implying that even at His birth, Jesus knew His eventual fate. The lyrics explain that “nails, spear shall pierce Him through, The Cross be borne for me, for you,” referring to the fact that Jesus would eventually die on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of humankind. The chorus is then repeated, followed by the final verse which calls on all people, whether they be peasant or king, to come and worship Christ the King. The song ends with a joyful exclamation that the Savior is born, and Mary sings Him a lullaby.
Line by Line Meaning
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
Who is this child that is sleeping on Mary's lap?
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Is he truly sleeping on Mary's lap?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
The angels greet this child with sweet music.
While shepherds watch are keeping?
While the shepherds are keeping a watchful eye.
This, this is Christ the King,
This child is Christ the King.
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
The shepherds are guarding Him while the angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
Quickly bring Him praise and honor.
The babe, the son of Mary.
He is a baby and the son of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
Why is He lying in such a humble place?
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Where the ox and ass are feeding together.
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
Christians, be warned, for sinners are near.
The silent Word is pleading.
But the quiet Word of God is pleading with us.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
He will be pierced through with nails and a spear.
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
He will bear the cross for me and for you.
Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
Hail and welcome the Word of God made flesh.
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
He is still the baby and the son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Bring Him gifts of incense, gold, and myrrh.
Come, peasant, king, to own him.
Whether you are a peasant or king, come and acknowledge Him.
The King of kings salvation brings,
He is the salvation brought by the King of kings.
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Let us enthrone Him in our loving hearts.
Raise, raise the song on high,
Sing loudly and joyfully.
The Virgin sing her lullaby:
The Virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
Let there be joy because Christ is born.
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
And He is still the baby and son of Mary.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUGLAS E WAGNER, WILLIAM C DIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands
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