RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Oliver Anthony, a Virginia factory worker, has taken the Internet by storm with his emotionally-charged rendition of a self-composed song titled 'Rich Men North of Richmond'.
The poignant lyrics include lines like, "Lord, it's a damn shame / What the world's gotten to / For people like me and people like you / Wish I could just wake up and it not be true / But it is, oh, it is." With his loyal dog by his side, Anthony continues, "Living in the new world / With an old soul / These rich men north of Richmond / Lord knows they all just want to have total control."
The video has rapidly garnered over 1.5 million views in just three days on YouTube. Thousands of viewers have flooded the comments section with praise for Anthony's ability to convey working class rage through his lyrics.
Why did Oliver Anthony's song strike a chord with working class Americans?
Anthony's YouTube song video attracted several thousand comments. Many went into the reasons why 'Rich Men North of Richmond' resonated with them so deeply.
One commenter shared, "I’m a 39-year-old Iraq vet and construction worker, struggling like a dog to take care of two kids and keep a farm going when I’m not working 11-hour days. This hit so hard today I had to stop my old Peterbilt and tear up. Preach brother."
"I haven't heard a bone-chilling original song in what seems like decades. You speak for millions of us," another applauded, while another comment read, "So Awesome! You're singing it with truth and soul, telling it like it is! Man, this is what America needs. It makes me feel like we have our voice back. Keep bringing it."
The outpouring of appreciation continued with comments like, "Absolutely outstanding," and "This song touched me deep to my soul and I can’t wait to hear more."
Why did Oliver Anthony write the song 'Rich Men North of Richmond'?
Among the responses on the video was a comment by a man named Jason Howerton who had spoken with Anthony about his musical journey.
Howerton revealed that just a month ago, Anthony was struggling with mental health issues and using alcohol to cope. In a moment of despair, after reaching rock bottom, Anthony decided to get sober.
Roughly 30 days later, he recorded 'Rich Men North of Richmond' for the YouTube video.
TV host Laura Ingraham is an Oliver Anthony fan!
With the song going viral, plans are in motion for Anthony to record his debut album. TV host Laura Ingraham also joined the chorus of supporters, tweeting, 'Haunting sound and commentary on what's happened to America's working class."
Oliver Anthony expressed his gratitude on his Facebook page, saying, "I'm so thankful for the support my music has gotten so far. I'm working on getting gigs scheduled and will post a calendar when it's available."
Encouraged by the continued support, fans expressed their eagerness to see him succeed.
Anthony, an off-the-grid farmer, has been consistently sharing music on his YouTube channel for the past five months. He lives with his three dogs on a plot of land he aspires to turn into a livestock farm.
Anthony attributes much of his musical inspiration to Hank Williams Jr. His music is available on platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora, reaching fans far and wide, even outside America.
