{"id":1999502,"date":"2023-08-13T18:20:59","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T22:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-songwriters-working-class-anthem-rich-men-north-of-richmond-soars-to-top-of-charts\/"},"modified":"2023-08-13T18:23:38","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T22:23:38","slug":"virginia-songwriters-working-class-anthem-rich-men-north-of-richmond-soars-to-top-of-charts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-songwriters-working-class-anthem-rich-men-north-of-richmond-soars-to-top-of-charts\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia songwriter&#8217;s anthem &#8216;Rich Men North of Richmond&#8217; tops charts."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginia-songwriters-working-class-anthem-rich-men-north-of-richmond-soars-to-top-of-charts%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1999502&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<h2>In\u2062 a sign of the enduring power of music to\u2062 capture the essence of social struggles, a new country song titled &#8220;Rich Men\u200b North of Richmond&#8221; \u200bhas \u2064taken the \u200binternet by storm, resonating as a poignant\u200b working-class anthem and hitting number one on iTunes \u2064in \u200dAmerica.<\/h2>\n<p>Composed \u2064and performed \u2064by Virginia musician Oliver Anthony, the song laments the challenges\u2062 and pitfalls\u200b of modernity while offering a visceral \u2062insight into the \u2063often gritty and thankless lives of people who rarely if\u200d ever brush elbows with Beltway or coastal elites.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Just to\u200d be clear:\u200d &#8216;Rich \u2062Men \u200bNorth of \u2062Richmond&#8217; refers to Washington DC \u200bpoliticians. This\u200c is in no way a knock against people from up North,&#8221; Mr. Anthony \u200dwrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W5x35Ee1ftE&#038;lc=UgzLHTsOkc9r8kh25ut4AaABAg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in a comment<\/a> on his YouTube\u200b channel,\u200d where on Aug. 1 he posted \u200da teaser version of the song.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border border-[#D3D3D3] px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-rises-to-billboards-no-1-spot-5437694\">Jason Aldean&#8217;s &#8216;Try \u200dThat in a Small Town&#8217; Rises to Billboard&#8217;s No. 1 Spot<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-[14px] leading-[18px] text-[#737373]\">8\/2\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gop-candidates-play-try-that-in-a-small-town-at-rallies-in-show-of-support-to-jason-aldean-5415175\">GOP Candidates Play &#8216;Try That in a Small Town&#8217; at \u200dRallies in Show of Support to Jason Aldean<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-[14px] leading-[18px] text-[#737373]\">7\/21\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The full version\u2064 was posted on the radiowv YouTube channel on Aug. 8, where at the time of reporting\u2062 it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sqSA-SY5Hro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">had\u200b already\u200c amassed<\/a> nearly 4.4 million views.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Oliver wants to \u200dgive hope to the working class\u2062 and your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-songwriters-working-class-anthem-rich-men-north-of-richmond-soars-to-top-of-charts\/\" title=\"Virginia songwriter's anthem 'Rich Men North of Richmond' tops charts.\">average hard \u200cworking young man<\/a> who may have lost hope in the\u2063 grind\u200c of trying to get by,&#8221; reads an explanatory note\u200b by\u2063 the radiowv channel.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;You Speak for Millions of Us&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Thousands \u2064of viewers took to the comments section to praise the musician and\u2062 his soul-stirring verses (&#8220;I&#8217;ve\u200c been sellin&#8217; my soul, \u2063workin&#8217; all day, overtime \u2062hours for [expletive] pay&#8221;)\u2062 that convey\u200d a\u200b sense of exhaustion and frustration that increasingly reflect the everyday reality of the common\u200c man in today&#8217;s America.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I haven&#8217;t\u200c heard a bone-chilling \u200boriginal song in\u200b what seems like decades,&#8221; one user wrote. &#8220;You speak for millions of us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m a\u2062 39-year-old Iraq vet and construction worker, struggling like a dog \u200cto take care of two kids and keep a farm going when I&#8217;m\u200b not working 11 \u2064hour days,&#8221; another shared.<\/p>\n<p>In the lyrics\u200d of the song,\u2062 Mr. \u200dAnthony\u2062 identifies trends buffeting the lives of many Americans, like the rise of the surveillance state, debasement of the\u200d dollar, high \u200btaxes, and cancel culture:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Livin&#8217; in the new world<br \/>With \u2064an old soul<br \/>These <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-factory-worker-becomes-overnight-sensation-as-blue-collar-anthem-rich-men-north-of-richmond-blows-up\/\" title=\"Virginia factory worker becomes viral sensation with hit blue-collar anthem \"Rich Men North of Richmond.\"\">rich men north<\/a> of Richmond<br \/>Lord knows they all just wanna have\u200d total control<br \/>Wanna\u2063 know what you think, wanna know what you do<br \/>And they don&#8217;t think you know, but I know that you do<br \/>&#8216;Cause your dollar ain&#8217;t [expletive] \u200dand it&#8217;s taxed to no end<br \/>&#8216;Cause of rich\u2064 men north of Richmond<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On Thursday, \u2063Mr. Anthony took to\u200c X, the\u2064 platform formerly \u200dknown as Twitter, to announce that \u2064the song had been uploaded to all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/star-of-new-pro-life-movie-says-pro-choice-screen-actors-guild-attempted-to-crush-their-production\/\" title=\"Star Of New Pro-Life Movie Says Pro-Choice Screen Actors Guild Attempted To Crush Their Production\">major streaming platforms<\/a> and\u200b thanked \u200cfans for their\u200b support in making \u200cthe song go viral.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m still in a state of shock at the outpouring of love \u200bI&#8217;ve \u2062seen in the comments, messages \u200dand emails. I&#8217;m \u2063working to\u200d respond to everyone as quickly\u200b as possible,&#8221; Mr. Anthony wrote.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;We&#8217;re Going to\u2063 Change Culture&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Conservative influencers and other social media\u2063 personalities have \u2064taken note, helping boost Mr. Anthony&#8217;s song across platforms.<\/p>\n<p>Podcast host Joe Rogan\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joerogan\/status\/1690023361106055170?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shared the song<\/a> in a \u2063post \u2062on\u2064 X,\u2062 while \u200bconservative social media personality Benny Johnson <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bennyjohnson\/status\/1690342220107268096?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted in \u2063a post<\/a> that, \u2064besides clinching the\u200d top spot on iTunes, \u2063Mr. Anthony has\u2062 three songs in the top ten.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The most\u200b famous musicians on earth often never achieve this,&#8221; Mr. Johnson wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Some said Mr. Anthony&#8217;s song\u2063 has \u200dmanaged to capture a sentiment pervasive in U.S. politics, namely a backlash\u2063 to the business-as-usual platform pushed by \u200destablishment\u2063 politicians and power elites.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Rich Men North of Richmond is a key example of the populist-nationalist vs \u200bestablishment paradigm,&#8221; wrote conservative media \u200bpersonality Jack Posobiec in \u200da <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JackPosobiec\/status\/1690360052979257344?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">post on X<\/a>. &#8220;The anti-establishment\u200b message is gaining traction right now,\u2062 and explains the dynamic\u200c we see in the GOP primary where career\u200d politicians are\u2062 struggling against\u200d outsiders.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Jason Howerton, a conservative influencer <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jason_howerton\/status\/1689836693967560704?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">who said<\/a> he offered\u2064 to foot the bill for \u200cMr. \u200dAnthony to\u2063 produce a \u200brecord, \u200csaid \u2064in a thread on X\u200b that he believes songs like &#8220;Rich Men\u2062 North of \u2063Richmond&#8221; are how &#8220;we&#8217;re going to\u200c change culture.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Howerton <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jason_howerton\/status\/1689836683943116800?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">revealed the \u200bbackground<\/a> to the song, namely that Mr. Anthony had struggled with mental health and alcohol issues before\u200b he &#8220;surrendered everything to God&#8221; and \u200dpromised to get sober.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Oliver was about 30 days \u200dsober when someone reached out &#038; asked him to come record a song\u200c for his\u2063 YouTube channel,&#8221; Mr. Howerton wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That song was \u2063&#8217;Rich Men North of Richmond.&#8217; Within days, the \u200bsong was going \u200cVIRAL\u200b on\u200d social \u2062media,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>The chart-topping \u2064and viral success \u2062of Mr. Anthony&#8217;s\u200d song \u2063follows\u200d a \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/jason-aldeans-try-that-in-a-small-town-rises-to-billboards-no-1-spot-5437694\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">similar surge in \u2064popularity<\/a> of the song &#8220;Try That in a Small Town,&#8221; by country star \u2063Jason Aldean, which at the time of reporting was in\u2064 the top three most popular songs on iTunes.<\/p>\n<p>The full \u2063lyrics to the song &#8220;Rich Men North of Richmond&#8221;\u200d are as \u2064follows:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been \u200csellin&#8217; my soul, workin&#8217; \u200dall \u2062day<br \/>Overtime hours for [expletive] pay<br \/>So\u200b I can sit out here \u200band \u200bwaste my life away<br \/>Drive back home and drown my troubles\u2063 away<br \/>It&#8217;s a damn shame what the\u2064 world&#8217;s gotten to<br \/>For people like me \u200band people like you<br \/>Wish I<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Rich Men North of Richmond,&#8221; a new country song by Virginia musician Oliver Anthony, has become an internet sensation. It has struck a chord as a powerful working-class anthem, reaching number one on iTunes in America. This demonstrates music&#8217;s ability to encapsulate social struggles and its lasting impact on society.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":1999503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1999502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1999502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1999503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1999502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1999502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1999502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}