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'Rich Men North of Richmond' hitmaker Oliver Anthony has gone ...

Rich Men North of Richmond hitmaker Oliver Anthony has gone
Virginia country singer Oliver Anthony, a former factory worker, is going viral after his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” hit streaming services.
Virginia country singer Oliver Anthony is going viral after his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” hit streaming services Aug. 11.

Virginia country singer Oliver Anthony, a former factory worker, is going viral after his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” hit streaming services Aug. 11.

His music tells a scathing tale of greed and injustice in America, and it's rapidly being embraced and promoted by right-wing pundits.

“I’ve been selling my soul, working all day/ Overtime hours for (expletive) pay,” he sings in “Rich Men North of Richmond."

A YouTube video posted by radiowv shows Anthony's acoustic performance where he funnels the frustration and angst of the working class into lines that rage against greedy rich men.

The red-bearded farmer, who lives off the grid with his three dogs in Farmville, Virginia, performs the song on a resonator guitar in a field with a deer blind behind him.

The video has surpassed 2 million views, just two days after its release on YouTube. “Rich Men From North Richmond” has also surged to No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart, outpacing the former chart leader, Jason Aldean’s controversial track “Try That in a Small Town.”

Right-wing influencers embrace Oliver Anthony

The song takes on high taxes, welfare abuse, and selfish politicians, with lyrics that have resonated with music fans.

Elsewhere, he sings, “Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothing to eat and the obese milking 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.”

Anthony's music caught the attention of conservative personalities like country singer John Rich and commentators Dan Bongino and Matt Walsh, as well as Barstool Sports and conservative outlet Breitbart posting it on social media.

“The main reason this song resonates with so many people isn’t political. It’s because the song is raw and authentic. We are suffocated by artificiality,” tweeted Walsh.

In a video where Anthony discussed his now-viral song, he said his personal beliefs are "pretty dead center down the aisle on politics, and always have."

"It seems like both sides serve the same master," he continued, "and that master is not someone of any good to the people of this country."

Will Oliver Anthony keep making music?

In a video Anthony posted to YouTube earlier this month, he says he started writing songs in 2021

He uploaded “Ain’t Gotta Dollar” last year and notes he’s since put out approximately a dozen songs he recorded on his cell phone, including “90 Some Chevy” and “Living in the New World.”

He has hinted that there is a full project on the way, which will include several "positive songs."

Anthony’s grizzly, acoustic sound is already being compared to artists like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers.

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