By Lee GreenwoodLee Greenwood John Lloyd Block 4 Ms. Turner

If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life, And I had to start a new one with just my children and my wife, I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today, 'Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away. And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't 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 ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.flagmen who died

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., well There's pride in every American heart and it's time we stand and say: That I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't 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 ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.lakes of Minnesotasea to shining sea.pride in every American heartU.S.A.

And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't 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 ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.I gladly stand up next to you 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land

 Lee Greenwood grew up on a farm near Sacramento, California. When he wasn’t doing hard labor, he spent his time working on his music skill. At age 7, Greenwood began playing the saxophone. By the age of 14, he could play almost every instrument in the school orchestra. Greenwood, as an early musician, spent a lot of time in Vegas. He released God Bless The U.S.A. on his album in 1984, and it was first used politically when it was played for President Ronald Regan at the Republican Convention in 1984 (Greenwood, 2008). For more information click here.click here Go Back

(Free, me, today, U.S.A.)  The Rhyme Scheme in this Stanza is ABCB. It is often as referred to as a simple 4-line rhyming stanza. Greenwood uses this rhyme scheme throughout the song. It allows the lyrics to flow from beginning to end Back

“ ’Cause There Ain’t No Doubt I Love This Land”  The main theme of this song because it sums up Greenwood’s feelings. He is expressing his love for our country in every verse, and this line is repeated a total of three times in the song. It allows the listener to see how Greenwood feels about his country. Back

 In the line, “sea to shining sea” Greenwood appeals to the sight sense by describing the oceans that surround America. The Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean glisten or “shine” when the sun reflects off of them. Back

 In May of 1776, a woman by the name of Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. Although the flag started with only 13 stripes and the British Union Jack instead of stars, it has always served as a national emblem (USA Flag Site, 2005). More InfoMore Info Back

 This song was written during the times of the Vietnam War and at that point in American history, pride was almost non existent. When the American soldiers came home from Vietnam they were shunned and hated by the American people (Chambers II, 1999). This line in the song is very controversial. Back

 This song was written during the Vietnam War when American casualties were in the 300,000’s (Digital History, 2006). Greenwood says that he won’t forget all of the men who died in battle defending the United States of America. He is not only referring to the Vietnam War, but also all of the other battles that our soldiers have fought in. Back

 Greenwood uses imagery in this stanza talking about Lakes of Minnesota, Hills of Tennessee, and the Plains of Texas. Upon hearing this, visualization of these places occurs. One can almost see the plains, mountains, and lakes. Greenwood is very successful because of his ability top use imagery in this way. Back

 The most controversial line in this song is, “and I stand up next to you and defend her still today” because Greenwood never fought for our country. In fact, it is believed that he fled the USA to go to Canada so that he wouldn’t be drafted for war. Greenwood argues this point, but many still speculate. For more information Click Here.Click Here Back

 "Lee Greenwood Country Music Bio." Lee Greenwood Official Site. Lee Greenwood, n.d Web. 19 May  "History of American Flag." USA Flag Site. N.p., Web. 25 May  Chambers II, John Whiteclay. "Postwar Impact of Vietnam." Illinois English. Oxford, Web. 25 May  More Troops Needed. N.d. Carolina Live. Barrington Broadcast Group, LLC, n.d. Web. 1 June  "The Vietnam War." Digital History. N.p., June-July Web. 1 June

 American Flag. N.d. Humes K9 Fund. Oleka, n.d. Web. 1 June  The Vietnam War. 1960's. Black and White. Hiarmy Museum, nam_war.htm.  Semantic Web is a Blue Ocean. N.d. LifeBoat. LifeBoat Foundations, n.d. Web. 1 June  "Lee_Greenwood." Lee Greenwood Vietnam Draft Dodger. Heli- Vets, n.d. Web. 1 June  Singer Lee Greenwood. N.d. Penn Live. Pennsylvania Politics, n.d. Web. 1 June