Greenwood wrote God Bless the U.S.A in 1983 as a patriotic song about his country, which he clearly loves. It was never a big hit, but it quickly became Greenwoods signature song. Many conservative politicians, including George Bush, have used it in their campaigns, and it became popular again in 1991 when the US went to war with Iraq. The song got a lot of airplay after September 11, 2001, as patriotism became a priority in America.
A music video was released for this song in 1984, depicting Greenwood as a farmer who loses the family farm. The popularity of the song rose sharply since the September 11, 2001 attacks and during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and "God Bless the U.S.A" was re-released as a single, re-entering the country music charts at #16. The song could often be heard on the radio after those events, and versions of the song are widely distributed online.
Song Lyrics:
If tomorrow all the things were gone Id worked for all my life, And I had to start again with just my children and my wife, Id thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they cant take that away.
And Im proud to be an American where at least I know Im free, And I wont forget the men who died who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
Cause there aint no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.
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 L.A.,
Theres pride in every American heart and its time we stand and say:
That Im proud to be an American where at least I know Im free, And I wont forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
Cause there aint no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.
