Rich Men North of Richmond -- the viral song sweeping the world controversy

[Jingthing]

If you haven't seen it yet, you will, so you may as well get it over with.

 

It's very understandable that it's gone so viral.

It's a catchy tune, the singer clearly has very authentic deep emotion coming from his difficult life experiences, and it certainly has a message.

 

But what is that message exactly?

Remember when songs celebrating the exploited poor came from the left, were pro union, and didn't attack other segments of poor Americans?

 

This one is clearly different.

 

Rich men north of Richmond? (Virginia.) 

Huh? Civil war redux or what?

 

Shades of Q pizzagate conspiracy theories / Jeffrey Epstein with it's reference of minors on an inland.

 

Attacking obese people on welfare?!? That's probably the weirdest thing here. The singer comes from Apalachia. That's a region with a huge percentage of people on assistance, yes sometimes with bogus disability claims but also because the region is so economically devasted. Imagine Woody Guthrie pulling something like that.

 

I think this song is going to make a difference, but descriptions of it as "unifying" are clearly overblown. 

 

If you want to get what I'm talking about listen to it numerous times. You need to do that to start to get the questionable subtext of this. Likely your first impression (as was mine) will be to be moved by it.

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

Could have left out the N of Richmond part, as either ignorant and needs to get out more, or still fighting the Civil War.  Strangely, after working in the South, many are in that mind set.

 

Personally I prefer Lennon's 'Working Class Hero'. 

 

I can relate and that type of song is timeless, until YOU, actually do something, to improve your life, instead of crying about it.

 

Oliver Anthony, "Rich Men of Richmond" Lyrics:

I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day 

Overtime hours for bull<deleted> 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 <deleted> and it's taxed to no end

'Cause of rich men north of Richmond.

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.

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.

source

 

[Jingthing]

Instead of irrationally bashing obese people, slipping in far right wing Q conspiracy theories, and stealthily inciting a new civil war, how about some actually UNIFYING pro worker folk songs?

 

The USA is more divided than it's been since the civil war. Oliver Anthony's viral song is not helping.

 

 

[LaosLover]

He's slavishly imitating Tyler Childers's style (new blue grass-ish country mega-star).  That world is laughing at him hard over that.

 

Blue grass used to be where hippie meets redneck at the fiddlin' festival. Now Bluegrass is about 95% a liberal interest, like so-called world music is. I wonder where he'll play live. Hopefully with Aaron Lewis*.

 

But at least he wrote it himself. Tune-wise, in that genre, it's not bad at all. Jason Isbel, another Alt-Country major name said to Jason Alden: "For once, write a song. All by yourself. I want to hear it". So fair play to Beardo.

 

Trump Trash dog whistle alert: Richmond is where the confederate fade out for good.

 

So yeah, "North of Richmond" equals Gomorrah.

 

*Aaron Lewis wrote the best Trump Trash song (and again, fair play, it's a fairly decent song):

 

[KhunLA]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

 slipping in far right wing Q conspiracy theories,

14 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

Trump Trash dog whistle

Aaron Lewis wrote the best Trump Trash song

I must have missed the Trump & right wing references, but how can any thread be on AN, if not mentioned.

 

Geez people ... 

[LaosLover]

I view Trump Trash as a counter culture, not a cult.

 

So I'm super-good with them having their own songs, funny hats, flags, whatever.

[Jingthing]

52 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

He's slavishly imitating Tyler Childers's style (new blue grass-ish country mega-star).  That world is laughing at him hard over that.

 

Blue grass used to be where hippie meets redneck at the fiddlin' festival. Now Bluegrass is about 95% a liberal interest, like so-called world music is. I wonder where he'll play live. Hopefully with Aaron Lewis*.

 

But at least he wrote it himself. Tune-wise, in that genre, it's not bad at all. Jason Isbel, another Alt-Country major name said to Jason Alden: "For once, write a song. All by yourself. I want to hear it". So fair play to Beardo.

 

Trump Trash dog whistle alert: Richmond is where the confederate fade out for good.

 

So yeah, "North of Richmond" equals Gomorrah.

 

*Aaron Lewis wrote the best Trump Trash song (and again, fair play, it's a fairly decent song):

 

Yes, Richmond, Virginia served as the capital of the Confederate States of America. TRAITORS!

 

Funny song. He's whining about REBEL statues going down as if rebel statues have anything at all to do with American patriotism. 

[Jingthing]

36 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I must have missed the Trump & right wing references, but how can any thread be on AN, if not mentioned.

 

Geez people ... 

Listen more times.

They are obvious.

[Jingthing]

There is an irony about this song.

IF he had deleted all the weird stuff (pedo island, trashing obese "welfare cheats", civil war glorification) would it have still been such a massive viral sensation?

After all it is a good song as a song, and lots of authentic emotion, even without the weird stuff.

Maybe but not nearly as much as the song is mostly being pushed by right wingers.

[Jingthing]

This is I think a brilliant analysis of the phenomenon of this song. Incoherent populism. Even of you don't agree with the article it provides lots of food for thought about issues raised by the song.

 

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/08/oliver-anthony-and-the-incoherence-of-right-wing-populism.html

 

Over the weekend, an obscure Virginia country singer became a conservative folk hero and progressive hate object. Oliver Anthony’s overnight transformation into the bard of red America has already attracted a great deal of commentary, some of it worthwhile, much of it not.

[Jingthing]

Mention of this song made its way into the republican debate today.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/23/gop-debate-ron-desantis-00112626

[impulse]

Look at a map.  What city is north of Richmond? 

 

Can you see why normal people are a little less than pleased that people go to DC to get rich sucking the gub'ment teat?

 

Has nothing to do with the Confederacy.

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

Look at a map.  What city is north of Richmond? 

 

Can you see why normal people are a little less than pleased that people go to DC to get rich sucking the gub'ment teat?

 

Has nothing to do with the Confederacy.

Of course it does if you know anything about history and what Richmond was.

Also he could be talking about the Northeast in general or even a coded dog whistle to you know what.

[Jingthing]

As I suspected the singer is infected with the Qanon conspiracy theory cult.

 

 

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/24/1195566500/rich-men-north-richmond-republican-primary-debate

 

 

The first Republican primary debate opened up with a nod to a breakout country song, "Rich Men North of Richmond," that has achieved the unusual feat of topping the Billboard 100 chart almost overnight.

The song, which is being hailed by some as a kind of "hillbilly elegy" for the working class, comes from a previously unknown singer who goes by the name Oliver Anthony.

It rails against the hardship of taxation, but also against people on welfare — and it also nods to a conspiracy theory that has become a mainstay of the far right.

 

[Jingthing]

Similar response idea without the weird right wing conspiracy theory crapola in the viral song. Inspired by Woody Guthrie. Yes the viral song is great as a song but it's so incredibly misguided and divisive in its lyrics.

 

 

[Jingthing]

Stop that punching down, Oliver.

Ironically it's going to be impossible for Oliver not to get rich from this even if he resists.

 

Rich Men North of Richmond punches down. No surprise the right wing loves it | Music | The Guardian

[SunnyinBangrak]

I'm wondering if we should be micro obsessing and making wild theories as to what rappers were thinking when they wrote the lyrics to rap and other modern music, or if such scrutiny should only be when the artist appears to be conservative?

 It is a big problem in society when one side expects to be allowed 2 completely different standards to apply, and nobody is allowed to notice.

 

 It is a fine song, nothing special. The woke outrage primarily over the Jeffrey and his incredible flight logs jest(who were these people? why have they not been arrested? why are they 99% backers of one party? is the only thing that made it viral.

[EVENKEEL]

Ironic how upset some folks can get over a song. Maybe we should analyze some some rap songs about drug dealing, cop killing thugs. Oh, we can't go there. But, bashing the white man for being pissed off is OK. The bit about the fat welfare ladies is something that people think but are afraid to say.

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Ironic how upset some folks can get over a song. Maybe we should analyze some some rap songs about drug dealing, cop killing thugs. Oh, we can't go there. But, bashing the white man for being pissed off is OK. The bit about the fat welfare ladies is something that people think but are afraid to say.

Who said you can't go there? You're making that up.

This is a viral song that just so happens to have more going on than is apparent on the surface and some of it is UGLY.

People aren't "upset" about a song per se but the way it is being used and by the right wing now is already obnoxious and I think it's just the beginning.

I don't think he mentioned welfare ladies. You might be remembering the classic republican dog whistles about black welfare queens.

Oliver is talking about obese younger men and I think it's obvious he's talking to white men.

His lyrics indicate a very weak understanding of the nutrition problem in economically depressed rural areas which are basically fresh and healthy food deserts and junk food is the only way poor people (on welfare or not) can realistically fill their stomachs.

 

 

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Who said you can't go there? You're making that up.

This is a viral song that just so happens to have more going on than is apparent on the surface and some of it is UGLY.

People aren't "upset" about a song per se but the way it is being used and by the right wing now is already obnoxious and I think it's just the beginning.

I don't think he mentioned welfare ladies. You might be remembering the classic republican dog whistles about black welfare queens.

Oliver is talking about obese men and I think it's obvious he's talking about white men.

His lyrics indicate a very weak understanding of the problem in economically depressed rural areas which are basically food desserts and junk food is the only way poor people (on welfare or not) can realistically fill their stomachs.

 

 

 

 

Well, God, if you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 pounds

Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds

 

Sort of sounds like a woman to me.

 

Please tell me why poor folks are forced to eat junk food instead of potatoes, rice, beans, veggies.

I don't buy it.

[Skipalongcassidy]

As usual, the likely suspects on this thread have completely missed the boat as to this song and why it is so popular right now... they have to attack it because if they don't they lose their high and mighty ground of being "woked" or "woker" or whatever.

[KhunLA]

Y'all reading a lot into a song.  It's neither left nor right wing.  He's simply P'd at politicians who don't know how to run the country.  Aside from his bigotry & lack of empathy, but rightfully so.

 

Only the 'wing nuts' are making it divisive.

 

Before the song, he was unknown for a reason ... he sucks, writing & singing.  Though I can't play an instrument to save my life, so kudos for just being able to strum a tune.

[EVENKEEL]

Some years back in Calif my brother was in line at checkout at Walmart and a huge lady in front was paying with food stamps. He made a joke about her size perhaps to loudly, manager had to escort my brother out cause the welfare lady went berserk. Now adays they use a card so noone is the wiser.

[biervoormij]

I was late in hearing about the hit song Rich Men North of Richmond. I since have seen the following YouTube video and think it is worth watching. Better to get the meaning of the song from the writer.  He seems to be unhappy with both the right and the left trying to use his song.

 

He

[billd766]

On 8/23/2023 at 6:23 AM, Jingthing said:

If you haven't seen it yet, you will, so you may as well get it over with.

 

It's very understandable that it's gone so viral.

It's a catchy tune, the singer clearly has very authentic deep emotion coming from his difficult life experiences, and it certainly has a message.

 

But what is that message exactly?

Remember when songs celebrating the exploited poor came from the left, were pro union, and didn't attack other segments of poor Americans?

 

This one is clearly different.

 

Rich men north of Richmond? (Virginia.) 

Huh? Civil war redux or what?

 

Shades of Q pizzagate conspiracy theories / Jeffrey Epstein with it's reference of minors on an inland.

 

Attacking obese people on welfare?!? That's probably the weirdest thing here. The singer comes from Apalachia. That's a region with a huge percentage of people on assistance, yes sometimes with bogus disability claims but also because the region is so economically devasted. Imagine Woody Guthrie pulling something like that.

 

I think this song is going to make a difference, but descriptions of it as "unifying" are clearly overblown. 

 

If you want to get what I'm talking about listen to it numerous times. You need to do that to start to get the questionable subtext of this. Likely your first impression (as was mine) will be to be moved by it.

 

 

 

This is a song that has gone viral on the internet?

 

I am glad that it was free to view, as I would hate to have paid good money for it.

 

I managed to get 44 seconds into it before I dumped it. The only good things I thought about it, was that the singer has a good voice and I could hear the words clearly.

 

This is my opinion, others may differ.

 

YMMV

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, biervoormij said:

I was late in hearing about the hit song Rich Men North of Richmond. I since have seen the following YouTube video and think it is worth watching. Better to get the meaning of the song from the writer.  He seems to be unhappy with both the right and the left trying to use his song.

 

He

Yeah this was addressed in a previous post.

He's got a message but it can legitimately be taken in very different ways.

Mentioned before as incoherent populism.

The song has a political message whether he intended it to or not.

That's out of his control.

 

Here is his welcome pushback against the right wing interpretation of his lyrics about welfare cheats and obese people. 

If true definitely less toxic and obnoxious than it sounds 

 

 

https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2023/08/17/oliver-anthony-defends-lyrics-about-welfare-and-fudge-rounds-in-viral-hit-food-is-entirely-too-expensive/

 

 

"Oliver Anthony Defends Lyrics About Welfare And “Fudge Rounds” In Viral Hit: “Food Is Entirely Too Expensive”"

 

 

The guy is famous now. 

With fame comes consequences not all of them desirable.

 

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

This is a song that has gone viral on the internet?

 

I am glad that it was free to view, as I would hate to have paid good money for it.

 

I managed to get 44 seconds into it before I dumped it. The only good things I thought about it, was that the singer has a good voice and I could hear the words clearly.

 

This is my opinion, others may differ.

 

YMMV

Most people do seem to like the tune and feel something in response to his clearly authentic emotion. 

[Furioso]

If anything there should be hundreds of songs SCREAMING about the Obesity Apocalypse. 

[Jingthing]

27 minutes ago, Furioso said:

If anything there should be hundreds of songs SCREAMING about the Obesity Apocalypse. 

Opportunity knocks. 

 

Before Rich Men I hadn't even heard of fudge rounds. So I looked them up and I don't want them. 

 

 

[KhunLA]

14 hours ago, biervoormij said:

I was late in hearing about the hit song Rich Men North of Richmond. I since have seen the following YouTube video and think it is worth watching. Better to get the meaning of the song from the writer.  He seems to be unhappy with both the right and the left trying to use his song.

 

He

Thanks for posting.  Kind of counters all the silly replies.  And pretty much what I got from the song.   Hates the way politicians, here & worldwide and screwing things up for most while they themselves benefit.

 

Don't know how people heard right or left wing, or rebels, statues & Confederate, and see no mention in the lyrics I posted.

 

N. of Richmond = Wash DC - all politicians ????

 

Mindboggling how people think and spin something not even there, to fit their mindset.