The Political Legacy and the Singing Sensation
Last week, “Rich Men North of Richmond” songwriter Oliver Anthony met with presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“Striking a deep chord with millions of increasingly desperate Americans, Oliver Anthony’s self-recorded musical lament, ‘Rich Men North of Richmond,’ rocketed to the number one spot on the charts in August, amassing more than 66 million views on YouTube alone,” began Robert F. Kennedy, JR. last week on the popular publishing platform, Substack.
“Oliver Anthony’s anthem captures the overwhelming sense of despair among our working poor as they watch the American Dream disintegrate along with any hope that their children will lead better lives,” lamented Kennedy. “Oliver’s song is an anthem of angst representing hitherto invisible men in a declining empire whose dream has become a nightmare.”
“His song vividly depicts the nexus of state and corporate power that resides inside the D.C. Beltway, 110 miles north of Richmond,” Kennedy continued poetically. “Oliver understands how this power complex has systematically strip-mined Americans of their equity, their hope, even their sanity.”
Oliver Anthony’s surprise hit song, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” won him cheers from the conservative press and Republicans on the right, even as Mr. Anthony disavowed any loyalty to them.