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"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, 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.

Greenwood also recorded the song, with slightly altered lyrics, as "God Bless You, Canada".^{[citation needed]}

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. There were other places playing the song, and several versions with quotes from President George W. Bush have appeared online.

• Bob Rivers did a parody of the song called "Independence Day".
• The Capitol Steps did a parody of the song called "God Bless My SUV" and another one that mocked conspiracy theories called "God Bless The UFO."
• 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 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.
• 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 first Gulf War.
• American comedian David Cross mocks the song during a stand-up comedy routine. He challenges Greenwood to fight "stand up next to" soldiers, by joining the military, as Greenwood suggests he would "gladly" do in the song. For his part, Cross has refused to serve in any branch of the military in any capacity.
• During US naturalization ceremonies a video is presented to new citizens that features the song played over patriotic images]^[1].
• Herbert sings the song in the Family Guy episode Padre de Familia.

• God Bless America

Ferguson, James [6] (31). "11", in Aradhana Sharma: The Anthropology of the State: A Reader (Paperback), Akhil Gupta, 1, Blackwell Readers in Anthropology (in English), Wiley, 424. ISBN 1405114681. 

• Allmusic Entry
• Original 1984 Video

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