Amidst the press and media storm over Donald Trump’s (in addition to 18 others) booking in the Georgia election case, the right wing has lost its mind over a viral country song called “Rich Men North of Richmond”. 

The song was recorded by a previously unknown artist Oliver Anthony, and since its release earlier this month, the tune has gone viral on YouTube (viewed more than 17 million times on that platform) and is on track to enter the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

So what is it about this song that’s got everybody’s knickers in a knot? Well, the song isn’t exactly gold record material, and looking at some of the lyrics I can understand the barrage of mixed reactions. For example, there’s the lyric “Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothin’ to eat / And the obese milkin’ welfare.” Yes, this could be construed as the common conservative view of overweight welfare recipients.  Then there’s the classic country working man’s line, “I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day / Overtime hours for bullshit pay,” and another conservative anti-tax mantra “Cause your dollar ain’t shit, and it’s taxed to no end.” Then finally, “I wish politicians would look out for miners / And not just minors on an island somewhere.” Perhaps a reference to Jeffery Epstein?

For some reason, the song has become the latest right-wing anthem celebrating the working class and calling out oligarchs in Washington and has been shared on social media by several conservative influencers such as Joe Rogan, and New Mexico state congresswoman Stefani Lord. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene labeled his tune an “anthem of the forgotten Americans.” Falied Arizona Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said the song gives her “chills,” writing on X: “It’s raw, it’s true, & it’s touching the hearts of men & women across this great nation.”

It also came up as a talking point during the Republican debate last week.

During the debate, Fox News Presenter Martha MacCallum asked the candidates onstage why “Rich Men” was “striking such a nerve” with Americans. Florida governor Ron DeSantis answered: “Our country is in decline. This decline is not inevitable, it’s a choice. We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline.” 

However, the artist spoke out recently that his song is not a right-wing anthem at all, and criticized Republicans and Democrats alike for weaponizing the song. In his YouTube video, Anthony dropped a bomb and stated that his song was about those very people on the stage. 

In the video he says, “It’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me, like I’m one of them.” He added, “It was funny seeing my song … at the presidential debate because it’s like I wrote that song about those people, you know, so for them to have to sit there and have to listen to that, that cracks me up.”

Anthony describes himself as sitting “pretty dead center down the aisle” politically, and he did post a statement on Facebook that his song criticized “corporate-owned D.C. politicians on both sides. … It’s knocking the system collectively.”

Although Mr. Anthony has been lauded as a protest folk singer, honestly, if you check out his YouTube channel, some of his songs are indeed QAnon-ish, promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories as well as anti-semitic sentiments. Not exactly “dead center down the aisle” stuff. 

Sorry GOP and Breitbart, when it comes to protest songs, I’d rather listen to Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.