Oliver Anthony has basically become an overnight sensation with one of his songs, it’s called “Rich Man North Of Richmond.” If you’re kinda fed up with Washington politics in general, this song is for you. This is the country music the founders intended. I’m sure it’s in the constitution somewhere. In the future, will famous people be singing this song through Artificial Intelligence, kind of like these timeless AI hits?
It’s so encouraging to hear music like this in a genre that’s been giving us shallow stuff like HARDY “Truck Bed” (I dish out my 2 cents on that one here) or virtuous songs like Brad Paisley’s “Same Here” (I explain how dumb it is here). Oliver Anthony calls a spade a spade, which is what sets country (or bluegrass, blues) music apart. I’ve said it before in a post called “Rap Music vs. Country Music, Polar Opposites” and it’s still true today. Country music, at its core, is about being relatable to the common American. Singers are singing our story. Oliver is a gritty example of the beauty of this type of music. And he did it without tan-legged girls! The horror. Somewhere Tyler Hubbard is rolling over in his Chevy Silverado.
I would’ve called it something like “Men Who Want More… South of Baltimore” but that’s why Oliver has the Gretsch Resonator Acoustic guitar and I’m in my camper typing on my computer. The sentiment would be the same, though: Politically, Washington, D.C. sucks. Doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican, the ones who are representing us (allegedly) seem to be slightly out of touch. And by slightly I mean there’s a giant chasm between what an every day American experiences and what a D.C. politician thinks an every day American experiences.
That’s a big part of why this song is everywhere right now.
This is the country music country music stations haven’t been playing on the radio in the last however many years but I sense the tide is shifting to songs with lyrics that are less phony, less shallow (songs like Zach Bryan “Oklahoma Smokeshow” and Tyler Childers “In Your Love”) It’s also pretty cool that one genre of music can have such a wide array of songs. On one hand, there’s Luke Bryan’s “But I Got A Beer In My Hand”, a song with more typical country clichés like a breakup, beer, and partying. There’s a time and a place for a song like that (ever heard of the “White Trash Bash” in north Florida?). Then there’s Oliver Anthony ripping into our elected officials with the struggles of blue collar people all across the nation. It won’t be played at your next kegger but can we all stop now for a moment of silence, showing our gratitude that the bro-country songs about tan legs, ripped blue jeans, trucks and truck tailgates, might officially and forever be over? It was real. It was fun. But it wasn’t real fun. Somewhere Cole Swindell is rolling over in his topless Chevy Blazer.
Some people will hate “Rich Men North Of Richmond,” that’s just how the world turns. But one thing is for certain, Brad Paisley’s song is pretty dumb.
-Out of the Wilderness
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