The country singer who broke out in the first Republican presidential primary debate with his hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond” dropped a bomb on Friday at those who have promoted the song as a conservative anthem.
“It was interesting to see my song in the presidential debate,” Oliver Anthony said in a video he made while sitting in the cab of a truck on his official YouTube channel. “Because I wrote that song about those guys.”
Anthony delivered a video broadside after the first Republican debate began on Wednesday. Anthony's songs topped the charts with their vulgar laments about the frustrations of working-class people who work for low wages and have their meager income eaten up by taxes.
“It's infuriating to see people in conservative news trying to identify with me as if I'm one of them,” Anthony said.
This will come as a shock to politicians who have promoted the song, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). called it “It's a paean to the forgotten Americans who truly support this country with their hard-earned tax dollars.”
Other Republicans used the song to attack the policies of President Joe Biden, who defeated Donald Trump and took office amid an economic downturn and a pandemic.
“This song has nothing to do with Joe Biden. It's a much bigger song than Joe Biden,” Anthony said. “That song is about the people on that stage, and so much more, but it’s definitely about them.”
Anthony added that he was grateful for the attention he was getting for “Rich Men North of Richmond,” but was disappointed that his songs had been “weaponized.”
“I see the right trying to label me as one of their own,” he said. “And I see that the left is trying to discredit me. I think it's retaliation. It has to stop.”
Anthony said in a previous video that his political views tend to be “pretty central” and that both sides “serve the same master.”
“People are just tired of being fed up,” he said. “Well, I want to be a voice for those people.”
Anthony was virtually unknown until Aug. 8, when a YouTube channel that shares footage of outdoor performances by Appalachian musicians posted a video of him singing “Rich Men North of Richmond.”
Almost overnight, the video received over 20 million views. By August 19, Anthony's song had reached No. 1 on Apple Music's US and World Top 100 charts.
And on Wednesday, when the eight Republican presidential candidates took to the stage in Milwaukee for the first Republican debate, the first question from one of the two moderators, FOX News' Martha McCollum, You mentioned Anthony's song.
“It's by a singer from Farmville, Virginia named Oliver Anthony. His lyrics talk about alienation, the state of government and the deep discontent in this country,” said McCallum, who was on the receiving end of the song. He spoke to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The question is, “Why is this song touching so many nerves in this country right now?”
Anthony said he plans to continue writing music and feels “amazingly calm and peaceful.” He said he tries to stay grounded.
“I don’t want to go on a roller coaster and end up being a different person,” he said.
