Country singer Lee Greenwood shares the story of how his famous song "God Bless the USA" came to be. INSIDE EDITION has the details.
Country singer Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" continues to inspire millions of Americans, even though it was recorded almost three decades ago. Its staying power is not a surprise to Greenwood.
"I always wanted to write a song about this country that would be cohesive and tie it together," he explains.
Greenwood continues to perform the song across the country.
"People want me to sing it live and I think when they hear it live they get a little security just from hearing me sing it," he says.
Greenwood wrote "God Bless the USA" on his tour bus in between gigs back in 1983. When he wrote the song, Greenwood didn't realize the impact it would have until he played it live.
"My first three or four performances when I performed it on stage and the public outcry was so powerful, I knew at that point that we had something really important," he remembers.
Although "God Bless the USA" had mild success in the 1980s, it wasn't until the Gulf War of 1991 that the song captured America's hearts when it was re-released.
And now, as the long and difficult war against terrorism wages on, it's Greenwood's patriotic anthem that continues to have Americans waving their flags.
"I'm the perfect guy to have written 'God Bless the USA.' I'm just a patriot," he says.
