How Lee Greenwood Created the Modern-Day Patriotic Anthem, ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’

One melody, written on a tour bus, grew into a symbol embraced by Americans across generations.

Lee Greenwood performs during the inauguration of U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Staff/Getty Images

You’ve heard it your entire life. 

You heard it in 1984 when it was featured at the Republican National Convention. You heard it at rallies for 1988 presidential candidate George H.W. Bush. You heard it on the radio during the Gulf War in the 1990s and featured on “American Idol” in 2003 and “Dancing With the Stars” in 2011. You heard Dolly Parton sing it and Beyoncé cover it. In 2024, you heard it as Donald J. Trump entered the arena at the Republican National Convention.