Lee Greenwood, the famous artist whose song “God Bless the USA” has become a staple for patriotic Americans, believes “we still have a Christian nation.”
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Greenwood highlighted his new “God Bless the USA Bible” complete with the Old and New Testaments, America’s founding documents, and the handwritten chorus of his famous song on the “Todd Starnes Show” Wednesday.
“You need to stand for the flag and kneel for God,” Greenwood told host Todd Starnes. “And I think if they keep those two axioms, people will be not so quick to condemn us as a nation that is not Christian.”
He said the popularity for his hit song has reminded him just how faithful Americans are to God.
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“When I wrote the song ‘God Bless the USA’ in 1983 and it was Song of the Year in Nashville 1985; in 2020, during the pandemic, we recorded another version with Home Free, the acapella band, and the United States Air Force Singers. Over 200 million people viewed that. That tells me we still have a Christian nation,” Greenwood said.
“I just think it’s so nice to hold and so nice to read [the God Bless the USA Bible] and then identify yourself with reading the Constitution once in a while,” he added. “I wish those idiots in Washington would read it more often.”
Listen to the full conversation here:
The following is a rush transcript from the Todd Starnes Show which airs daily from noon – 3:00 p.m. EST.
TODD STARNES: [00:48:36] So the other night, I was speaking at another event, The Faith and Freedom Victory Dinner in Forsyth County, Georgia. A guy comes up to me and he gives me this beautiful, beautiful Bible that is themed after Lee Greenwood’s beautiful song, “God Bless the USA.” This thing is amazing. On the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker Line right now is our friend Lee Greenwood. Lee, good to have you with us. [00:49:05][28.7]
LEE GREENWOOD: [00:49:06] Thanks, Todd. And hello to you and greetings from Nashville, Tennessee. [00:49:09][3.9]
STARNES: [00:49:11] Well, look, Lee, I got to tell you the Bible, I have a copy of it. It is beautiful. It is easy to read. And I love the large print and the King James Version. It’s pretty awesome. [00:49:22][10.8]
GREENWOOD: [00:49:23] We elected to put this Bible together because I don’t believe, of course, my wife and I, we’ve been married 30 years. We each have our individual Bibles on our nightstand, but we have a family Bible that gives the history of our families together on the coffee table, in the living room. And when the idea came to us about having another Bible, I said we’ve got plenty of Bibles, you know, they’re all over the house. And my publisher came and said, listen, how would you like to have something that has the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Pledge of Allegiance in the back of the Bible. I said, Well, can we do that? I mean, you know, this is God’s book. And they said, well, let’s see what the public thinks. And we presented it to a lot of the pastors, particularly our own church in Nashville. And they said, you know, it’s something I really think we need to find out how this country got started. We didn’t come here to escape faith, so let’s tie them together. And that’s how our country got started with those documents. [00:50:22][58.5]
STARNES: [00:50:23] And not only does it include, and this is the Holy Bible, so Lee Greenwood did not rewrite the Bible, what’s the gospel according to Greenwood? Wait, wait. What? [00:50:34][11.1]
GREENWOOD: [00:50:35] No, no, no, no. [00:50:36][0.6]
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STARNES: [00:50:37] No, this is God’s word, the King James version translation. And it’s got all these wonderful features that, like you said, the Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance, and it’s one of these beautiful gift Bibles. One of my favorite parts is the handwritten chorus to God Bless the USA. [00:50:55][17.9]
GREENWOOD: [00:50:56] Well, we included that only because I was asked to do so. And again, I questioned whether or not that’s appropriate. And you know, when I wrote the song God Bless the USA in 1983 and it was Song of the Year in Nashville 1985, in 2020, during the pandemic, we recorded another version with Home Free, the a cappella band, and the United States Air Force Singers. Over 200 million people viewed that. That tells me we still have a Christian nation. I’m not worried about it at all. But they said, well, please put your lyrics in for us in the Bible. And I did in the very back. And as you notice, I put God first in my song. I will do so in this Bible as well. It’s a beautiful, beautiful, leather-bound book, as you notice, with those cross flags at the bottom. I just think it’s so nice to hold and so nice to read and then identify yourself with reading the Constitution once in a while. I wish those idiots in Washington would read it more often. [00:51:54][57.5]
STARNES: [00:51:55] I’m with you. I’m with you, Lee. When it comes to that and this whole idea, there’s movement that sort of that surfaced over the past couple of years where people are saying, if you’re a Christian, you can’t love America or you shouldn’t have a flag, an American flag flying at your church house. I just think that’s a load of grade-A hooey. [00:52:14][19.8]
GREENWOOD: [00:52:16] It is. And, you know, we build homes for wounded warriors. We’ve done it for over 11, 12 years, and we’ll continue to do so at a very fast pace. And if you think that freedom is free, then you need to go somewhere else because it is not free. And our military that’s paid such a heavy price to keep us free. It really bothers me when they work so hard to keep our flag flying and somebody else think that they can disregard or disrespect our flag by putting a knee on the ground, you know? You need to stand for the flag and kneel for God. And I think if they keep those two axioms, people will be not so quick to condemn us as a nation that is not Christian. [00:52:58][42.4]
STARNES: [00:52:59] Now we have a link to the website on our live show blog. But if you want to go directly to Lee’s website, GodblesstheUSABible.com, that’s GodblesstheUSABible.com. And one of the things I love about this is you can also use us as a Bible study. So maybe if you have a small group within your church, you can use this Bible in that Bible study. [00:53:21][22.4]
GREENWOOD: [00:53:23] Of course. And of course we have the international version of the Bible at home too. But I prefer the King James version, of course, with the highlighted phrases and paragraphs spoken by Jesus Christ. So, you know, I think it’d be a great tool to use in Bible study. [00:53:40][17.3]
STARNES: [00:53:41] Lee, there’s an old gospel song. If John the Baptist used the King James version, that is good enough for me. I’m not sure about the theology, but it’s a great, catchy tune. [00:53:51][9.6]
GREENWOOD: [00:53:52] I like that. [00:53:53][0.9]
STARNES: [00:53:54] Oh, my goodness. So, Lee, you’re still out traveling and meeting folks and singing. How is that going for you? [00:54:01][7.0]
GREENWOOD: [00:54:02] You know, I have to be encouraging to you, Todd. You know, especially in 2020 when 200 million people viewed and downloaded my song, “God Bless the USA,” at a time when we were looking at peril and not knowing where the next meal would come from and whether or not we’d be ever associating with each other again. We were so divided. We were so lonely. And so it’s encouraging to know as I tour across the country and we’re going out west for the first time in probably 15 years, and where I’m from in California and we’ll probably stay away from San Francisco, that’s a place I just, you know, because of the opposite side of the fence being out there an awful lot. I do have a brother and a sister still living in the Oakland area. And my sister I was raised with moved to Boise, Idaho. We’re going to have a show there as well. But touring out west will give me the encouragement that I’ve always, always know is there and that is, we are much more alike than we are different. We are all patriots. We love this country. And you know, if you don’t love the country, I’d suggest going somewhere else. [00:55:01][59.0]
STARNES: [00:55:02] I’m with you. Well, we love you here on this radio program. And, Lee, I’m with you. There are a lot of patriots out in California, and they’re hanging tight. They’re fighting the good fight. And it is encouraging. And I think that’s one of the things when you see these huge Trump rallies, you have the tens of thousands of people coming out. It’s just a reminder that we have a lot more in common than the media and the politicians want us to believe. [00:55:24][21.8]
GREENWOOD: [00:55:26] Yeah. And Todd, I’m proud of you. You know, I have in my hand your book “Bitter America.” And I love the picture with a gun in one pocket, the Bible in the other. I’m proud to be a gun owner and I’m proud to be a Christian. And so if you want to call me that, you can call me that. But as we tend to change, media is our enemy and colleges are all stuffing our children with the wrong message. I have two sons. One just graduated TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. It a great school and they were not teaching him the wrong things. Our older son, Dalton, who’s 27, just got married in April and he’s at Vanderbilt getting a Ph.D. in cancer research. He is also getting the right message that science is not necessarily the only answer, but God has the final answer. And so we do get messages occasionally from from people who think they’re very knowledgeable about how this country’s going. But I think they’re getting fed the Kool-Aid and they’re drinking the Kool-Aid and not listening to the real message of Christ. [00:56:26][60.8]
STARNES: [00:56:28] I think you’re right. And we’re going to leave it there. And Lee, you know, I at my home now in Memphis, where I was born and raised. And so if you ever come on over I-40 and I’ll treat you to some good ole barbecue down in Memphis. [00:56:37][9.1]
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GREENWOOD: [00:56:38] I love that. One of our first shows with the judge was there at Mud Island. And of course, Bass Pro Shops was helping us build homes for wounded warriors has that huge facility there. It’s a pyramid. [00:56:48][10.1]
STARNES: [00:56:49] Yes, they do. [00:56:49][0.6]
GREENWOOD: [00:56:50] I haven’t even been in it yet, but I’ve seen it so many times. [00:56:52][2.1]
STARNES: [00:56:53] It’s pretty spectacular and some great restaurants in there as well. So Lee, thank you so much for coming on the show. Congratulations on this great, beautiful new Bible that you guys have out there. [00:57:05][11.9]
GREENWOOD: [00:57:06] Thank you, Todd, so very much. Have a great day [00:57:07][1.7]