"Old Men North of Richmond" -- Revolution Song

Marauder06

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I made a few posts about the song "Rich Men North of Richmond" before noticing that @RackMaster had beat me to it in another thread (my bad). Since this song is apparently something that is going to be in the news for a while (see below), I thought it might be worth its own consolidated thread. If I could move the other posts in here, I would.

This guy went from "nobody" to having multiple top-ten songs in both iTunes and Spotify almost overnight. O_o

What's been particularly telling to me is the positive response from people outside of the country music/bro-vet/conservative community. I've seen numerous reaction videos of people who normally review anything but country music, giving this guy all kinds of props. There has been at least one rap remix. "Rich Men" (haven't listened to any of his others) is utterly relatable to anyone in the working and middle classes. This is a transcendent political statement.

It's a revolution song.


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Bread and circuses.

It currently poses NO threat to the rich men and women north of Richmond...
...because let's not forget ekwalitee and ekwitee
-It's not just names like Biden, McConnell, Romney, Fetterman, and Schumer that he is singing about. He is also singing about names like Warren, Harris, Murkowski, Fienstein, Clinton, Collins, Jackson-Lee, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, and Pelosi.

He's good for now because he hasn't called out a protected class - but the instant that bearded Hillbilly offends someone inside the Beltway, you can bet your cis-gendered white middle-aged ass that the news stories will start rolling about his tax returns, his affinity for scary guns, his harassment of protected social classes, and whatever else it takes to get rid of him.

For now, he's just a redneck with a fancy banjo - the 24 hour news cycle will push him to the rear in a few more days - even if they have to incinerate an entire island paradise to put a new story in the headlines.
In fact, if his song starts to draw any liberal approval - I fully expect to see another state attorney indict Donald Trump on some more charges of doubting election results to flip the news cycle but for now, the pimps whores and child molesters inside the beltway aren't at all worried about this guys music causing a "red wave" or a sudden return to baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet
 
Bread and circuses.

It currently poses NO threat to the rich men and women north of Richmond...
...because let's not forget ekwalitee and ekwitee
-It's not just names like Biden, McConnell, Romney, Fetterman, and Schumer that he is singing about. He is also singing about names like Warren, Harris, Murkowski, Fienstein, Clinton, Collins, Jackson-Lee, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, and Pelosi.

He's good for now because he hasn't called out a protected class - but the instant that bearded Hillbilly offends someone inside the Beltway, you can bet your cis-gendered white middle-aged ass that the news stories will start rolling about his tax returns, his affinity for scary guns, his harassment of protected social classes, and whatever else it takes to get rid of him.

For now, he's just a redneck with a fancy banjo - the 24 hour news cycle will push him to the rear in a few more days - even if they have to incinerate an entire island paradise to put a new story in the headlines.
In fact, if his song starts to draw any liberal approval - I fully expect to see another state attorney indict Donald Trump on some more charges of doubting election results to flip the news cycle but for now, the pimps whores and child molesters inside the beltway aren't at all worried about this guys music causing a "red wave" or a sudden return to baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet
I strongly disagree brother. I think we are having a national moment.

Also, as a point of clarification "bread and circuses" were what the Roman government provided to keep the plebs in line. This is the exact opposite of that. To me it's more analogous to a local minstrel writing a song that inspired Spartacus than it is a public handout from a purple-robed emperor.

Despite what the haters are predictably saying about it, this song has universal appeal. Anyone in the middle or working classes can relate and find meaning in it. It transcends racial, political, and socio-economic grounds. Check this out:

HEARTWARMING: Black Americans react to VIRAL off-the-grid farmer Oliver Anthony who recorded protest song against DC elites that broke the internet🥲 | You gotta see this! 🥹 | By Benny Johnson | Facebook

I'm not embarrassed to say that the above video brought tears to my eyes.

I also don't get what you mean about not going after protected classes. There is no more-protected class than the political elite. Note that I said "political elite," not just "liberal elite." The whole group is part of the problem. Also, welfare recipients and people with health problems are protected classes socially, if not politically, and he goes after both. In fact, that's one the things that the left is currently attacking him over. This song is a shotgun blast to the face of the entire political-media complex, and I'm here for it.

As for the news stories, the attacks are already coming in fast and furious. Here are some examples:

oliver anthony.png

"Punches down," "Smash among conservatives." "The right wing loves it." "Right-wing pundits." "Populist, polarizing." Typical. I haven't seen any "it's racist" headlines out there but I'm sure they're coming, along with "confederacy" and "white supremacy." Because that's what they always do.

So yeah, conservatives like me love this song. But do you know know else does? Every-fucking-body-else. People are falling over themselves to remix, add to, share, and promote the song. Major labels and producers want to sign Oliver Anthony, the singer, including Gucci Mane. Now Gucci isn't my favorite rapper, in fact I think the only lyrics of his I can quote are from "Freaky Gurl." But I have to acknowledge his power and influence. And I'm pretty sure no one would consider him right-wing or a white supremacist. Why do these labels and artists want in on this? Because the whole country loves it.

Additionally, Oliver Anthony is now competing for the #1 song on the charts with people like Taylor Swift, who is in the middle of promoting her biggest tour ever, an epic production that's set to generate billions of dollars in revenue, through a fan base that took decades to build. And yet there this guy is...

Real movement in social revolutions may seem like it happens overnight, but it takes a long time to steer a social ship. The Arab Spring blew up after a single fruit vendor self-immolated in Tunisia, but the seeds that bore that fruit germinated for a long time before that. No one thought that a meth'ed-out felon who pulled a gun on a pregnant woman and died because of an overdose after trying to pass a counterfeit bill and fighting the cops would result in the violence of the BLM movement. But it did. Because it wasn't about him necessarily, it was about the social undercurrent. He was just the broader symbol of a national mood.

Most of America, including me, thought that there was no way that an outspoken, controversial, amoral outsider could become President of the United States on the Republican ticket, not when matched up against the most powerful political dynasty of our time. But we got Trump. Why? Because the powerful misjudged the moment.

surprise threaten GIF


We didn't wake up one morning with "equity" and corporate ESG and wokeism being dominant. It happened over time, through symbols and moments and in increments. And we did nothing to stop it. So here we are now. It's easy to fall back on cynicism and throw up one's hands. But to me, this national moment gives me hope. There's opportunity in this symbol, in this moment. So what are we--we the People, not "we the people on my side politically"--going to do with it?

It very well may be that this is a flash in the pan; we could find out tomorrow that Oliver is a commie pedo who is in bed with China and hates everything about America and everything I value. But today... today I'm going to take the wins where I can find them, brother.

I'll close by saying I haven't felt this much enthusiasm and optimism since I heard General McChrystal was taking over the war in Afghanistan.

Hopefully this one will have a better ending.
 
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Most of America, including me, thought that there was no way that an outspoken, controversial, amoral outsider could become President of the United States on the Republican ticket, not when matched up against the most powerful political dynasty of our time. But we got Trump. Why? Because the powerful misjudged the moment.
Hate to be that guy, but I no longer have faith in elections. Maybe its just because things didn't go my way.. but...Fetterman? For fucks sake.
 
Hate to be that guy, but I no longer have faith in elections. Maybe its just because things didn't go my way.. but...Fetterman? For fucks sake.
It's like being fat. You (well, "I") didn't get there all at once, you're not going to get back from it all at once. The difference is, are you going to stay on the couch this time around or are you going to jump up and run a few laps? I know which of those options the opposition wants for you...
 
I strongly disagree brother. I think we are having a national moment.

I sincerely hope you are right. You're post is both inspiring and hopeful.
I have just become jaded and cynical beyond my years - time after time I see the career drug addicted criminal get more public attention than a decent person speaking truth to power in the public square.

Time after time it seems like our very own government and some of its supporting institutions is eager to leak just enough fabricated information to "suggest" that today's hero is just a commie pedo who is in bed with China and hates everything about America - and the media picks up the fumbled ball and runs with it.

Like you said - it didn't happen overnight - this current state we are in has been building since the counter culture movement of the late 60's and early 70's and now it isn't just those hippies in charge - the nepotism built into the system has empowered the children of those hippies as well. I've been a cynical prick for most of the last twenty years and I am desperately looking forward to that day when I have no choice but to say - damn, I did NOT see that coming.

Looking forward to it - dreaming of it - praying for it - but not about to hold my breath waiting for it.
 
I sincerely hope you are right. Your post is both inspiring and hopeful.
I have just become jaded and cynical beyond my years - time after time I see the career drug addicted criminal get more public attention than a decent person speaking truth to power in the public square.

Time after time it seems like our very own government and some of its supporting institutions is eager to leak just enough fabricated information to "suggest" that today's hero is just a commie pedo who is in bed with China and hates everything about America - and the media picks up the fumbled ball and runs with it.

Like you said - it didn't happen overnight - this current state we are in has been building since the counter culture movement of the late 60's and early 70's and now it isn't just those hippies in charge - the nepotism built into the system has empowered the children of those hippies as well. I've been a cynical prick for most of the last twenty years and I am desperately looking forward to that day when I have no choice but to say - damn, I did NOT see that coming.

Looking forward to it - dreaming of it - praying for it - but not about to hold my breath waiting for it.
I totally get it. But I wonder if what's happening now is really all that different than major cultural upheavals we've had in the past, or if it's just a different manifestation of it? Or maybe we're just more-aware of it now, between our advanced ages and the Internet?

Yeah things are bad now, but at the formation of our country, a major foreign power was chasing patriots across our country, patriots who knew that a firing squad or a rope awaited them if they failed. They didn't fail.

The Civil War involved the greatest loss of US life we've ever seen. This isn't as bad as that.

The Depression. WWI, WWII. The Counter-Culture. 9/11. BLM. We survived all of that. Because we're America... at least for now.

I've experienced--and expressed here on the site--plenty of cynicism of my own. I don't like the current state of our country and I'm still pissed off about Afghanistan and Iraq. But I'm not going to let that push me into a mental cage of my own making and end up rage-typing alone in my mom's basement or whatever. Nor am I going to let it guide me into extremism. Like almost everyone here, I'm a moderate. And like almost everyone here--and IMO most of America--I'm willing to work with any flavor of moderate to get our country back to where I think it needs to be.

As far as "I didn't see that coming," brother we're already there. Some no-name hillbilly conservative just crashed the entire music industry with a song that takes on the entire political-media complex. And the whole country LOVES IT. This one event, perhaps more than anything else that has happened since the Trump election, makes me realize that I'm not alone. The establishment just wants me to think that I am.

I'm going to stop before I start channeling my inner Obama and start chanting "Hope and Change." ;)
 
I love the song, frankly, he has a channel on I heart media that I Bluetooth to my truck, he has cool songs.

Will it make a difference? I don't know. I do know, despite the cunts in media say, there are plenty of patriots, (I hate the term, MAGA, it's retarded) but them patriots, those like us, moderates, represent more than the media portrays.

The fact that Rolling Stone, the rag of a media consider this, "right wing", the same cunts that considered the movie "Sound of Freedom" right wing, cause, who would be against child pedo shit, right?

I don't consider myself far right, somethings are moderate, others, far like 2A and our freedoms.

This song has nothing to do with right or left. It's everything to do with the working man and woman that bleeds/sacrifices only to be fucking robbed, extorted under the threat of violence (change my mind on that), blaming all political parties.

It's our song, our voice. Dare, I say, our rally cry, though, do I think things will change? No. It will not.
 
I guess I'm MAGA because I want to make the country great again and I liked Trumps policy, but whats retarded is how the media has spun it into a derogatory term.

Exactly. The fucking media made it sound like an enemy force, just like how they made anyone who questioned the scandemic, the enemy.

Last year, I get a phone call about voting. Usually, I hang up but sometimes for shits and giggles, I play along and then say something that should have put me on a watch list, you know, for shock factor.

The cunt on phone asked if I was a "MAGA republican" or Democrat. I flipped my lid, went on a 1 min rant.

Division, government propagated division fed by media, straight out of 1939 Germany.

And retards fall for it.
 
No. This song won't make a difference. Songs aren't people. Songs don't do anything on their own.

WE will make the difference we want to see.

I agree with your larger point, but I strongly disagree that songs don't do anything on their own. Songs - like flags - have a long history of strengthening and galvanizing groups of people as well as contributing to their collective identity. For ages, people have marched into battle (and we can extend that to a large number of peaceful movements) chanting or singing *something* that boldly proclaimed who they were. I doubt it was *the* decisive factor in success or failure, but it strengthened their collective will, gave them confidence in what they were doing, and united them in their effort.

So I think that yes, the song is absolutely small part of a larger thing - the "national moment" you mentioned, and that the moment itself is more important, but I think it's shortsighted to so quickly dismiss the power it can have.
 
I agree with your larger point, but I strongly disagree that songs don't do anything on their own. Songs - like flags - have a long history of strengthening and galvanizing groups of people as well as contributing to their collective identity. For ages, people have marched into battle (and we can extend that to a large number of peaceful movements) chanting or singing *something* that boldly proclaimed who they were. I doubt it was *the* decisive factor in success or failure, but it strengthened their collective will, gave them confidence in what they were doing, and united them in their effort.

So I think that yes, the song is absolutely small part of a larger thing - the "national moment" you mentioned, and that the moment itself is more important, but I think it's shortsighted to so quickly dismiss the power it can have.
Songs don't do anything on their own just like guns don't kill people on their own. Inanimate objects and ephemeral noises can't do anything unless they're acted on by an outside force.

Guns and songs help enormously, of course, in any revolution. They may be necessary, but they are insufficient.

The gun isn't the revolution. The song isn't the revolution. The people are the revolution.
 
Is this any different than the blues songs talking about inequality and black men hanging from trees? Or Peter, Paul, and Mary? Or any number of songs that were tied to a time in which there was a national movement?

No. Does the song in and of itself represent the stepping off of a national movement? Also no. But it does represent what many Americans are feeling, and if that number were simply a few thousand, I could see how it would be swept into obscurity; however, millions of people have seen it and shared it and downloaded it. Millions and millions of people are pissed off.
 
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