Oliver Anthony’s shock viral hit “Rich Men North Of Richmond” is more a therapeutic howl of rage than a finished country song, but its jumble of complaints and fears roared through conservative America like a fire in a dying climate. Because of the way right wing media works, piling on and amplifying cultural memes and moments to advance their narrative of victimhood, there are reasons to worry about the fate of Anthony’s apparently earnest desire to be a truth-teller in a troubled time. Coming hot on the heels of the Jason Aldean “Try That In A Small Town,” Oliver’s hit is a Rorschach test of a song, with parts that read like a left-wing labor anthem and parts that read like a Q Anon drop. We all get to define what it means and who Anthony is, because he hasn’t had time to tell us, having been thrust overnight into a part in a drama. The whole affair deserves unpacking because it says a lot about where we are.
Per Twitter:
Rich men North of Richmond singer says “it’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me like I’m one of them.”
He says it’s funny they used it in the GOP debate because “I wrote that song about them.”