Lee Greenwood has been singing his patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA,” for exactly half of his life. Now 82 years old, Greenwood released the song 41 years ago. The California native wanted to write a religion-forward, America-first rally song. His father joined the Navy soon after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. Greenwood’s grandparents raised him while his mother worked to support him and his sister. His dad’s service was an inspiration for the song. Greenwood already had a successful career when he released “God Bless the USA,” so he combined memories from his dad’s service with his experience touring the country to write the hit.
“I wanted to put God first because I’m a conservative Christian, and I wanted to make sure that God was honored in the song,” Greenwood told NPR. As for the music, “The Sousa marches were in the back of my head. I did a lot of those as drum major for my high school marching band. And I wanted some pomp and circumstance.”
The anthemic recipe worked. When Greenwood released “God Bless the USA” as a single in 1984, the song topped out at No. 7 on the country charts. A few months later, “God Bless the USA” was played at the Republican National Convention, with then-President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in attendance. However, “God Bless the USA” wasn’t an overnight pop culture phenomenon. Although it reached No. 7 and earned a Grammy nomination, it began slipping into a back-catalog position.
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“God Bless the USA” Performed for (at Least) Five Presidents
Over the years, the red, white, and blue sing-along became closely associated with politics and was featured in films. It grew into a unifying melody during American crises, including Operation Desert Storm, parades and homecomings for the troops, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks a decade later. Everyone from Dolly Parton, Beyonce, and Danny Gokey has covered the song, and Greenwood is proud to have performed it for five presidents.
The broad acceptance was what he hoped for when he wrote, “God Bless the USA”
“I meant that the nation would kind of ‘kumbaya’ — gather arms and let’s love each other,” Greenwood told NPR.
Decades after it was released, “God Bless the USA” is more often embraced by conservatives than progressives, which aligns with the singer’s personal beliefs.
He grew up on a farm in Sacramento, California, where his mother played the piano, and he had to help with farm chores. After he finished his work, Greenwood played her piano. The instrument captivated him so thoroughly that he couldn’t pull himself away. By the time he was 15 years old, Greenwood was working for the USO, where he developed a strong understanding of the sacrifice that came with military life.
Lee Greenwood Worked for USO as a Teen
He graduated high school and formed his own band in 1960. Greenwood moved to Nevada for 20 years, writing songs, performing in shows, and even working as a dealer in casinos. It was there the idea for “God Bless the USA” took root.
“I learned the psychology of people under pressure,” he told NSAI’s Bart Herbison. “There was something inside me that said, ‘Someday, I’d like to write a song like (‘An American Trilogy’) that Elvis sings.”
Greenwood and Presley often worked in the same Nevada hotels. Presley inspired him, and he learned many patriotic songs during his high school years. He always knew that if he ever landed in Nashville, he wanted to write a song reminiscent of Presley’s trilogy.
Even after he moved to Nashville, it still took Greenwood almost three years to find any success with “God Bless the USA”. The country genre was geared toward love songs, but Greenwood’s time on the road drove him to write the patriotic anthem.
Lee Greenwood Worked the Same Circuit as Elvis Presley
By the time he wrote “God Bless theUSA” on his bus one night in 1983, he had already released four albums, and two had been named Album of the Year. The song’s lyrics were deliberate. He chose “I’m proud to be an American” because his father survived World War II, and he hadn’t heard many people celebrate their heritage. Greenwood knew “where at least I know I’m free” would resonate with parents who lost children in combat. He chose to name-check Detroit, Houston, New York, and L.A. in the songs because those were towns that supported him.
Greenwood’s label opted to release “God Bless the USA” as a single, and no one was more surprised than Greenwood. If that hadn’t happened, Greenwood isn’t sure anyone would have discovered the song. But when fans heard it on country radio, the song started gaining momentum. When President Reagan used “God Bless the USA” in his 1984 campaign, its upward trajectory continued.
Greenwood told NPR: “When you say the word ‘anthem,’ it takes it to another category. After 30-some years that I’ve sung this on stage, people do get up as if it is an anthem for their lives, for their country. Pretty cool.”
(Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
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