Music sensation Oliver Anthony of hit Rich Men North of Virginia says government will not ‘save us’
Music sensation Oliver Anthony has revealed the inspiration behind his hit song ‘Rich Men North of Virginia’.
The blue-collar singer said he hopes his song will make Americans realize that “the federal government is not going to save us,” he said. The free press in an interview Thursday.
Released on YouTube less than two weeks ago, the viral country track has skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Anthony the first artist ever to climb to the top without any prior chart history.
With his song, he wanted to make it clear to the public that relying on someone in government will not improve their lives, the country singer emphasized to The Free Press.
“What I want from this for the general public is that people are no longer dependent on someone 150 or 300 miles away to solve their problems for them,” he added.
Oliver Anthony has revealed the inspiration behind his hit song ‘Rich Men North of Virginia’. He said he hopes his song will make Americans realize that “the federal government is not going to save us,” in a Free Press interview on Thursday.
“As no one is Washington DC, no one in the federal government is coming to save us,” he added.
Anthony emphasized the importance of forming relationships and bonds within local communities, saying, “The people who are going to save us are each other, local relationships.”
He also noted the disturbing trend of increasing disconnection, even between families.
“Even families are torn apart. I’ve seen this in my old household, where you have a whole family under one roof and instead of spending time together and taking care of each other, they’re all just sitting there looking at their own piece of technology, there completely merged and not into each other.’
This detachment, he says, is at the heart of the problem in communities across America.
‘That’s the real problem. Only at the community level are we very far apart.’
The Farmville, Virginia, factory worker has beaten the Beatles and Elvis after his self-penned song attacking politicians racked up 17.5 million streams and 147,000 downloads last week.
The song captivated millions of disillusioned listeners and Anthony was hailed as a hero by conservative commentators who were already enthusiastic about the chart success of Jason Aldean’s Try That in a Small Town.
Oliver Anthony had a lot to laugh about at his free concert in North Carolina last weekend
Top of the pops: The country anthem has anticipated Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift’s offerings
The song, which was released in early August, has topped the Apple Music charts
Hundreds came to see Anthony on his free concert days before he stormed to the top of the charts
The factory worker lives with his dog on a small farm outside of Farmville
The song, which was released in early August, tops the chart alongside household names such as Taylor Swift, Doja Cat, Travis Scott and compatriot Morgan Wallen.
‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ has gained mass acclaim for its ‘chilling’ depiction of the life of the ‘average man’ in the United States.
The lyrics include, “Lord it’s a damn shame / What the world’s come to / For people like me and people like you / I wish I could just wake up and it wasn’t true.”
The music video for the song, which features Anthony strumming a guitar and singing soulfully to the camera, has racked up more than 18 million views in a week.
“The universal thing I see is that no matter how much effort they put into whatever they’re doing, they can’t get all the way ahead because the dollar isn’t worth enough, they’re overstretched,” Anthony said.
“I want to be a voice for those people. And not just them, but people in general,” the singer-songwriter explained of “Rich Men North of Richmond.”
“As long as you’re above the dirt, you have a fighting chance,” he continued.
On Spotify, the song was listened to almost 6 million times in just five days.
He cites one of his biggest influences as Hank Williams Jr
He could be a rich man south of Richmond if merchandising sales take off
The populist anthem has already attracted a legion of devoted followers
The song is also currently predicted to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by the end of August.
The tune has been adopted as the working class anthem by many conservatives, while some progressives have remained skeptical due to its lyrics.
The song is about child trafficking and even references the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein and his illegal activities involving minors.
“I wish politicians on an island paid attention to miners and not just minors,” Anthony sings in the song, which lasts just over three minutes.
The singer also talks about out-of-touch politicians, high taxes and those who abuse the system by “milking the wealth.”
“Lord, we have people on the street, we have nothing to eat and the obese milk welfare,” he sings. “Well God, if you’re six feet tall and weigh 300 pounds, there shouldn’t be any tax on your bags of fudge.”
The message was amplified by big voices, including Fox News’ Laura Ingraham and popular podcast host Joe Rogan.
The song was also mentioned in the first question during Wednesday’s Republican debate in Milwaukee.
Earlier this week, Anthony released a new song titled “I Want To Go Home.” The hit contains similar messages and uses a Bible verse at the end
Earlier this week, Anthony released a new song titled “I Want To Go Home.” The hit contains similar messages and uses a Bible verse at the end.
“Every day in this new world is one day too many for me,” sings Anthony.
“Son, we are on the verge of the next world war and I don’t think anyone is praying anymore.
“And I’m not saying I’m sure, I’m just on my knees begging the Lord to take me home. I want to go home.’
He adds: ‘Seven generations till the land, grandson sells it to a man from out of town.
“Two weeks later the trees are going down and nothing but concrete grows.”
The singer closes the video clip of his latest song with the verse Mark 8:36 from the Bible.
It says, “For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”