Oliver Anthony, the singer and songwriter of the viral “Rich Men North Of Richmond” was amused and aggravated by Fox News’s use of his song during the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday night.
In a statement released on YouTube Friday, Anthony said that the song was meant as a critique of the very candidates on stage Wednesday.
“If there is anything for me to address at all with you it’s that, the one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up in this. I’m disappointed to see, like it’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me like I’m one of them. It’s aggravating seeing certain musicians and politicians act like we’re buddies and act like we’re fighting the same struggle here,” said Anthony.“It seems like certain people wanna just ride the attention of this song to maybe make their own selves relevant and that’s aggravating as hell. The other thing that I find aggravating is, well, you know it was funny seeing my song, it was funny seeing it at the presidential debate cause it’s like I wrote that song about those people,” he continued. “So for them to have to sit there and listen to that, that cracks me up.”
“That song has nothing to do with Joe Biden, it’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden. That song is written about the people on that stage — and a lot more too, not just them — but definitely them,” explained Anthony. “I do hate to see that song being weaponized, like I see the right trying to characterize me as one of their own and I see the left trying to discredit me, I guess in retaliation.”
“I don’t know that I’ve seen anything get such positive response from such a diverse group of people, and I think that terrifies the people that I sing about in that song. And they’ve done everything they can the last two weeks to make me look like a fool, to spin my words, to try to stick me in a political bucket, and they can keep trying but I’m just gonna keep on writing,” he added.During the debate, Fox’s Martha MacCallum asked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis why Anthony’s song was “striking such a nerve in this country right now?”
“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,” replied DeSantis.
MacCallum also noted to Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) that “the song goes after welfare programs.”
In his statement, Anthony disputed that characterization.
“Since I have addressed the conservatives, I do need to address the left as well,” he began:Because they’re sending a message out that that initial song that sort of shot me up the radar, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” is an attack against the poor. If you listen to my other music, it’s obvious that all of my songs that reference class defend the poor. “Doggonit” is a good example of that.“I’ve gotta be clear that my message with any of my songs, it references the inefficiencies of the government because of the politicians within it that are engulfed in bribes and extortion,” said Anthony.
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