I am not a big fan of so called “Country” music, the vast majority of which is these days mostly formulaic pathos and bathos filled crap. But as a native of the Ozark Moutains I will admit a certain affection for hillbilly and bluegrass music and “Rich Men North of Richmond“ lyricist and singer Oliver Anthony seems a fair practitioner of those genres.
His song went viral this week with the help of some right wing influencers who bought loads of downloads and streams because they thought they knew where Mr. Anthony was coming from -perhaps understandably- because of his use of a couple of reactionary tropes so dear to their shriveled little hearts.
Republicans were so enraptured with his words that Fox News introduced their GOP debate this week with “Rich Men” causing much consternation for Oliver, who is perhaps more guilty of writing a lazy second verse than of actual right-wing leanings:
“Country-folk singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony, who wrote the Billboard number one hit song used in the opening of Wednesday night’s first GOP 2024 presidential debate on Fox News is mocking the Republican candidates on stage for embracing it, revealing for the first time the song is “definitely” written about them.
Declaring that “what makes us strong is our diversity,” Anthony says, “it was funny seeing it at the presidential debate, ’cause it’s like, I wrote that song about those people, you know,” he said with a chuckle.”
Retribution and condemnation came fast and furious after his use of the “D” word.
“What a strange journey it’s been for Oliver Anthony, the former factory worker who suddenly found himself atop the Billboard Hot 100 after his breakout “Rich Men North of Richmond” was boosted online by right-wing media and prominent conservatives.
After first facing backlash over his folksy country ballad’s reactionary lyrics conjuring up Reagan-era imagery of “welfare queens,” and launching an entire news cycle around the song’s overnight success, Anthony now finds himself in the crosshairs of the extreme right…
Rich Men North of Richmond,” like other controversial country songs in recent months, saw meteoric success after conservatives embraced the tune’s populist lyrics about economic frustration and the feeling that there are two Americas. Of course, outside of its soulful themes about working-class hardship, the song also featured Anthony punching down on welfare recipients and making a Jeffrey Epstein reference, likely helping it gain steam within right-wing circles.
The immediate success, however, led to skepticism about Anthony as an organic success, with some suggesting he was the product of “astroturfing,” aka a coordinated PR campaign, rather than a grassroots movement. Right-wing marketing guru Jason Howerton was an early champion of Anthony’s, which was soon followed by conservative media figures singing the unknown artist’s praises, leading to accusations that he was an “industry plant.” (Howerton, after saying he’d “offered to cover the cost for Oliver to produce a record” earlier this month, later told The Washington Post he is “not working with Oliver in any official capacity.”)“
Here are the lyrics so you can decide yourself the merits of the song:
Rich Men North Of Richmond”
I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day
Overtime hours for bullshit pay
So I can sit out here and waste my life away
Drag back home and drown my troubles awayIt’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it isLivin’ in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don’t think you know, but I know that you do
‘Cause your dollar ain’t shit and it’s taxed to no end
‘Cause of rich men north of RichmondI wish politicians would look out for miners
And not just minors on an island somewhere
Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothin’ to eat
And the obese milkin’ welfareWell, God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds
Young men are puttin’ themselves six feet in the ground
‘Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin’ them downLord, it’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it isLivin’ in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don’t think you know, but I know that you do
‘Cause your dollar ain’t shit and it’s taxed to no end
‘Cause of rich men north of RichmondI’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day
Overtime hours for bullshit pay
And his performance:
I stand by my assessment.
Second verse needs work.
I knew a couple of weeks ago when the writer was asked about his political leanings and he stated,” pretty much middle of the road.”, that the bromance with MAGAtistan was over.
MAGATs see only black and white…..either you’re for us, or you’re against us…..there is no room for gray areas in totalitarian thought.
Every tyrant has a pretext for their tyranny. Aesop
When 74million sign up after watching horror for years…they will find excuses for their evil no matter who says or sings whatever. The nazis were avenging Christ by murdering 9 million people, 6 million of which were Jews. Sure they were.
🙂
Well said, Scott: “sure they were”
In my boomer youth there was a half true joke that for a country song to be successful it needed to follow a formula that featured a dog (preferably a good one that died), a cheatin’ wife that left you, a train, a truck and a thankless job that didn’t pay. Bonus if that job entailed backbreaking physical work. Throw in even a slight twang and you’ve got an instant hit.
I’m not dissing good country music. “Willie (yes, Nelson), Waylon and the boys” could have performed a song entitled “That lonely southern train carrying my cheating wife away from me and the kids and our trailer wrecked my truck and killed my hound and now I can’t work because I have no truck” and it would have been an instant hit. I would have slow danced to it and maybe even shed a liqueured tear. John Travolta’s “Urban Cowboy” is a great example of that genre. I love That movie.
My belabored point is we read too much into some songs. It’s an unremarkable song with a nebulous message by an unremarkable artist who will quickly fade away.
He does have what seems to be a cool combination of a guitar and banjo. Is that a thing?
He’s playing a Gretsch G9220 Bobtail Resonator, or a dobro guitar. It makes for a twangier sound, well suited to his voice.
Thanks Dino! It’s a great looking instrument that I’ve never seen or heard of before. It works well for him.
Lewis Grizzard once described the perfect country song along the lines of,”My wife ran off with my best friend in my truck and my dog was sleeping in the truck bed,now I’m in jail for punching a cop who pulled me over for chasing’ them.in my tractor drunk.”
“There actually is one that says,”I was drunk the day my Ma got out of prison.”