Behind The Song: Lee Greenwood, “God Bless The U.S.A.”

Patriotism is at the heart of America. There is no better representation of that spirit than Lee Greenwood and his signature 1984 hit “God Bless the U.S.A.” It tugs on the heartstrings and crescendos with a dramatic orchestra, gospel choir, and a trembling drum line.

The song is not only a display of American pride, but it also serves as a tribute of sorts to a Korean Air Lines flight, which was shot down over the Russian coast by a USSR jet fighter. The date was October 1, 1983, and the event was heard around the globe. All 269 passages aboard died in the attack, one of the most brutal moments in modern history.

To process his emotions, Greenwood turned to music, and “God Bless the U.S.A.” poured out of him. “The song just about wrote itself. The words seemed to flow naturally from the music, and came out with total honesty,” the singer-songwriter wrote in a 1993 book, “God Bless the U.S.A.: Biography of a Song” (co-authored with Leesburg writer Gwen McLin). “They were an expression of my feelings of pride. To me, America seemed just like a rookery, a place where we have a chance to grow, unmolested and free.”

Greenwood told The Boot he had “wanted to write [the song] my whole life. When I got to that point, we were doing 300 days a year on the road,” he said. “I called my producer, and I said, ‘I have a need to do this.’ I’ve always wanted to write a song about America, and I said, ‘We just need to be more united.’”

Greenwood took the song to producer Jerry Crutchfield (Tammy Wynette, Brend Lee, Buck Owens), who expressed early reservations about the second verse. He advised Greenwood to add in references to various parts of the country (“From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee / Across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea / From Detroit down to Houston / And New York to LA”) to appeal to a wider audience. Once finished, Greenwood presented the song to his label, MCA Records, but executives were wary on releasing it as an official single.

Later, on a trip to Los Angeles, Greenwood marched right into the offices of label president Irving Azoff and showed him the song. Azoff liked the song, too but he was uncertain about its chances as an official radio single in the radio climate. However, he promised Greenwood that he could record it, and it would appear on his next record.

Greenwood set to recording his third studio album, You’ve Got a Good a Good Love Comin’, in early 1984. During the creative process, a decision was made to try “God Bless the U.S.A.” out on the airwaves. It was not an expected smash, and it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard country charts.

However, the song took on a life of its own in the ensuing years. Ronald Reagan used the song as part of his re-election bid in late 1984, and George Bush Sr. also employed the sweeping national anthem for his 1988 election campaign. It seemed to have found its audience, but it would not reach its initial height of popularity until 1991 amidst the Gulf War. Greenwood re-recorded the song for 1992’s American Patriot album, which featured his versions of other American songs, including “This Land is Your Land,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and “America the Beautiful.”

“God Bless the U.S.A.” has ebbed and flowed in popularity around major cultural moments throughout the years. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the song resurged in political rallies and vigils, as well as in new patriotic memorabilia, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became a beacon of hope.

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