If you haven’t heard it yet, check out Rich Men North of Richmond, which has rocketed to the top of the charts recently.
The appeal seems to be its anti-elite message. I’ve heard that Mr. Anthony is against both political parties because he thinks they both have the same agenda — to perpetuate the power of the elite against and over the working class.
The song itself is fairly interesting. It’s a bit “yelly” for me, and it could do with some more instrumentation, but I generally like it.
I listened yesterday. I thought it was a song in the vein of Woodie Guthrie, Dylan, Springsteen, Mellencamp, Seger… Instrumentation was fine for what it is.
Seems real polarizing…which is too bad. Seems like a song against “the man”…. and it seems as if today, libs are “the man”. I read that Rolling Stone is not a fan…mostly because who does like it.
Big dividing line is class. I remember growing up, an auto worker could raise a family and have a cottage “up north” to spend summer weekends at. Those days are gone…and so are so many of the jobs.
Took a trip to Illinois over the weekend and had to travel all across MO from Joplin to St. Louis. Stopped at a Subway near exit 218 on I-44. Good service, clean, etc. The lady behind the counter was young–reminded me of a shorter version of my daughter in law. Looked me in the eyes. I commented to her that her Subway was nice…different than in Tulsa. People they have working in the local Subway are lazy, don’t clean well…overall not very good. IDK how people survive without skills or credentials. I guess it’s hard to be motivated for shit pay. The lady in MO… maybe she was an owner… or maybe not. Was at a Dollar Tree 6 weeks ago…made a joke to cashier that it should now be called the $1.25 Tree (or $1.20…whatever the new price is). The cashier was a young lady about 25 and she made the comment they probably could still be $1 if they didn’t have so many people stealing merch. She impressed me too.
The song doesn’t imply (near as I can tell) that “the man” is the libs, but some conservatives probably interpret it that way.
I think he’s just against Washington.
Well, the artist has a great voice and I enjoyed the passion in his delivery. Given the song’s content, the artist’s style seems on point.
That said, I often wonder what people like this do to help solve the problems they identify. It’s one thing to identify issues, it’s another to be a part of a viable solution. I wonder if he will take any proceeds from this song and donate it to cause a worthy cause? Or, will he use his notoriety to create a larger platform that can draw resources that can help?
Hopefully, the song will catch on and become a point of conversation that will inspire appropriate action. Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” surely did. Ironically, his song was almost prophetic…especially the line…“sucker punch someone on a sidewalk”. Seems some actually tried that in an Alabama town on August 5 and they quickly found out what happens in a small town. The song became that town’s new anthem.
It has no appeal to me. I never did see anything worthwhile in folksy wisdom. Just one more manipulation technique.
Curious…how do you see the song as a manipulation technique?
Not by itself, but experience tells me that messages like this are a set-up for “agree with me, or else you are on that other side.”
Interesting. I didn’t get that message but I could see how you could get there.
For me, the sentiment was reasonable. Yet, as I said previously, it left me wondering…what will happen as a result of bringing awareness to these issues. From my experience, people like to “grip”. But, it’s rare to see them take action to help resolve the issues.
So, will those who have made this song their anthem use it as a weapon or will they use it as a call to action for the greater good? Time will tell.
I listened to it again and detected a reference to welfare, specifically a 300-pound guy who is 5’3” tall collecting welfare. It has been a rightwing tactic as far back as I can remember to complain not only about people exploiting entitlement programs for the poor, but also about Democrats and Them Dirty Liberals using such programs to their advantage, even for their own financial gain. Listen to Matt Walsh and Doug Wilson who definitely pick up this message.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5QkYrG0xtY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFvw5BGPO94
There is no way that this song is just a general complaint about rich politicians. It is implicitly an attack on the so-called Left, and more will come unraveled in that regard the more you listen to it. (What is that business about politicians only protecting minors “on an island somewhere.”) If someone would only publish the lyrics, we can go through the various talking point and see that this is most likely QAnon trying to put one past us. I have seen a few things online before, where they try to generate a warm “feel good” atmosphere for the sake of drawing people into their cult. They want you to believe that they speak on behalf of “the people,” but sooner or later you’ll get stuff like Pizzagate in your face.
[Verse 1]
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 away
[Pre-Chorus]
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 is
[Chorus]
Livin’ 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 Richmond
[Verse 2]
I 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’ welfare
[Verse 3]
Well, 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 down
[Pre-Chorus]
Lord, 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 is
[Chorus]
Livin’ 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 Richmond
[Outro]
I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day
Overtime hours for bullshit pay
A song with such base lyrics is naturally popular. Pornography is popular too.
He definitely trashes the obese. Bill Mahr also gets off on trashing them nowadays.
I thought that there might be a vague reference to Pizzagate in the song, but if not we will probably get that later from this vulgar individual.
If someone complains that their kids are hungry and I give them some money, I expect the money to be spent on decent food, not “fudge rounds.” I don’t believe it’s any more complicated than that.
But why should we take such a caricature of welfare recipients seriously? Why is some clown who espouses this long-standing unsubstantiated Republican narrative “authentic”? Surely there is partisan politics going on here, and indeed of the most vulgar sort.
Read this article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/25/rich-men-north-of-richmond-oliver-anthony-republicans
Dude denies being even close to a MAGAt.
Given his contempt for welfare recipients, he will probably get drawn in.
He addresses his perceptions about welfare recipients and the poor in the video I posted…check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv9uMXiY29s
Now we get to hear about the song directly from the horse’s mouth. He’s done a video giving lots of insights about the song and his personal perspectives. Seems those on the right got this guy wrong. He especially noted that his song is about the people who were on the stage at the Republican Presidential debate. As well, has nothing to do with Joe Biden. Well, whadda you know??? After seeing this, I suspect he will no longer be the folk hero of some.
Nothing about that video surprises me. It’s “rich men north or Richmond,” not “rich democrats north of Richmond.”
Matt Walsh and Doug Wilson think otherwise.
Matt Walsh in his own words…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5QkYrG0xtY
Nothing surprises me either. Yet, it seemed that some on the right interpreted the song was referencing the libs. The artist even noted this and called out the misperception in the video. Yet, he also addressed the liberals too…relative to his views on the poor.