Oliver Anthony‘s viral hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” was used as a major topic of discussion during the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday (August 23).
Videos by American Songwriter
Martha MacCallum, a Fox News host, first brought up the viral anthem. “As we sit here tonight, the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart is ‘Rich Men North of Richmond.’ It’s by a singer from Farmville, Virginia, named Oliver Anthony,” she said. “His lyrics speak of alienation, of deep frustration with the state of government and of this country. Washington, D.C., is about 100 miles north of Richmond.” A 30-second clip of the song was then played.
RELATED: “Rich Men North Of Richmond” Singer Oliver Anthony Releases Video for “I Want to Go Home”
“Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now? What do you think it means?” MacCallum asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “We cannot succeed as a country if you are working hard and you can’t afford groceries, a car or a new home while Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars on lousy paintings,” DeSantis responded. “We also cannot succeed when the Congress spends trillions and trillions of dollars. Those rich men north of Richmond have put us in this situation.”
Anthony‘s viral song has hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week. The singer recently spoke to Fox News about the song’s success. “People deal with depression and anxiety and misery and hopelessness no matter where they are at,” Anthony said.
“They don’t have to be blue-collar Americans. I mean I’ve gotten messages from people in countries that I don’t know how to pronounce,” Anthony continued. “This is something that has touched people globally and there’s a reason for that.”
Anthony also released an emotional Facebook statement recently. “I’m not a good musician, I’m not a very good person. I’ve spent the last 5 years struggling with mental health and using alcohol to drown it. I am sad to see the world in the state it’s in, with everyone fighting with each other,” he wrote. “I have spent many nights feeling hopeless, that the greatest country on Earth is quickly fading away.”
Anthony shared another new video for his song “I Want to Go Home” this week. The video has already garnered 2.3 million views on YouTube after being uploaded just one day ago.
Photo Courtesy of Youtube
