Grammy Award-winning recording artist Lee Greenwood, best known for his inspiring song, "God Bless the U.S.A.," has written a tribute to Nevada called, "I Am Nevada."
He performed the song for the first time publicly during his appearance at the Reno Hilton on Saturday evening.
Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt presented him with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the state.
"All Nevadans should be proud that Lee Greenwood found the inspiration for a song in the Silver State," she said. "This is a wonderful gift to everyone in the state."
Here are the lyrics to the song:
"I came here with my father
With a West-bound wagon train
There were folks from Carolina
And all the way to Maine
There was a family from New England
With a daughter I would marry
My sister met a Texan who had vowed to take her hand
We heard of California
Just beyond the high Sierra
But the trail was long and hard
And it was time to settle down
There were Indians and cowboys
And a preacher from Tulsa
We circled up the wagons and we built ourselves a town
(Chorus)
My spirit lives in the wild horses in the Red Rock Canyon
And I'm alive among the pines on Donner Ridge
I get my strength from the Colorado
And I'm renewed by the snow in Tahoe
And the eagle shares the sky with the thunderbirds
I'm a diamond in desert, I'm a place to come and play
I'm Battle Born, I am Nevada
I'm Battle Born, I am Nevada
We've changed a lot since the days of silver mining
And the pioneers still whisper on the wind
And all the trails they forged are now our super highways
But we'll remember all their hardships, as we build a better land
(Repeat chorus)
Nevada Magazine's 2006 Nevada Historical Calendar, which features a hand-tinted color cover and more than a dozen historic photos, is available.
The calendar is $10.50 plus $3 for shipping and handling and can be purchased at the Nevada Magazine Gift Shop, 401 N. Carson St., Suite 100, at www.nevadamagazine.com or mail-order at (800) 237-0774, ext. 2.
