God Bless the USA

Infobox Single
Name = God Bless the USA


Artist = Lee Greenwood
from Album = You've Got a Good Love Comin'
Released = 1984
Format =
Recorded =
Genre = Patriotic, Country
Length = 3:11
Label = MCA Records
Writer = Lee Greenwood
Producer = Jerry Crutchfield
Last single = "Going, Going, Gone"
(1983)
This single = "God Bless the USA"
(1984)
Next single = "To Me"
(1984)

"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's "You've Got A Good Love Comin'." It reached number 7 on the country charts when originally released in 1984, and was played at the 1984 Republican National Convention with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan in attendance, but the song was first widely heard during the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991, as a way of boosting morale.

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 the song 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.

Kristy Lee Cook performed this song on American Idol (season 7). She also re-recorded it again for her major label debut album, Why Wait.

Cultural references

* The song is played at Marine Corps boot camp during the Emblem Ceremony, where the recruits receive their Eagle, Globe, and Anchor and are finally recognized as Marines.
* When performed by the Marine Corps Band, the second verse is sometimes replaced with the first verse of the Marines' Hymn, which fits the tempo nearly perfectly.
* The song is played when Navy recruits complete "Battle Stations" (the final evolution in Basic Training,) receive their Navy ball caps, and are recognized as sailors.
*Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan has used the song as his entrance music.
*There was a celebrity all-star tribute, with Kenny G and Michael Bolton among others.
* Used in a 1984 Reagan/Bush campaign advertisement
* The song is also used as one of the songs in the Bellagio Fountains display.
* Jump5 did a rendition of the song with a slight change in lyrics.
* Bon Jovi altered the song in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks on the United States, hailing the men and women who died in those attacks.
* The song is the theme song of the group Camp Adventure that provides summer camp counsellors for the children of US military personnel.
* The song is featured in the 1999 film "Three Kings". Sergeant Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) is shown singing along during an illicit party celebrating the end of the Gulf War.
* During US naturalization ceremonies a video is presented to new citizens that features the song played over patriotic images. [ James Ferguson page number]
* Herbert sings the song in the Family Guy episode Padre de Familia.
* The St. Francis Lancers used this song as their warm up finale for their run to the finals in 1991.

ee also

* God Bless America

Notes

References

External links

* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=33:9zadq1k5ojha Allmusic Entry]