Anew country song titled “Rich Men North of Richmond” is taking the right-wing spotlight away from Jason Aldean’s controversial “Try That in a Small Town.”
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The song — released by Oliver Anthony, a little-known artist from Farmville, Virginia — has garnered nearly 5 million views on YouTube in just three days, as well as praise from Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“This is the anthem of the forgotten Americans who truly support this nation and unfortunately the world with their hard-earned tax dollars and incredibly hard work,” Greene wrote in a tweet Friday.
The title of the song seemingly refers to politicians in Washington, D.C., who Anthony claims want to suck Americans dry and “have total control.”
With lyrics that tout some of the most common right-wing talking points, it’s no surprise that the song is drumming up support from Republicans.
“‘Cause your dollar ain’t s–t and it’s taxed to no end, ‘cause the rich men north of Richmond,” Anthony sings in the video.
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“God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds, taxes ought not to pay for your bags of Fudge Rounds,” Anthony continues, appearing to slam the welfare system.
In just three days, the song quite literally supplanted Aldean’s “Small Town,” when it jumped to No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart, Billboard reports. And the comments on YouTube have been rolling in.
“This is not a song. It’s an anthem for 80+ million Americans who have been smeared, ignored, mocked, slandered, and robbed by their own government,” wrote one listener.
“It’s exactly how all of us are feeling!” said another. “God bless the hard-working, middle-class Americans, and God bless this great country!”
In another video posted to YouTube, Anthony claimed to be “pretty dead center down the aisle on politics,” but then elaborated on the issue of human trafficking, which has often been found at the center of many right-wing conspiracy theories.
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“I can’t begin to conceptualize what has to happen to someone in order for them to think that’s OK,” he said. “I think I drew the line on being quiet when I started to see that becoming normalized and I’ll leave that at that.”
