During the primary Republican presidential candidate debate in Wisconsin this week, Fox played a snippet of the wonder chart-topper, during which Anthony sings in regards to the burden of taxes, the rigors of “working all day” for deficient pay, and the “rich men north of Richmond” who “just wanna have total control.”
Presenter Martha MacCallum then requested the applicants onstage why “Rich Men” was once “striking such a nerve” with other people.
Florida governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis answered: “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.”
But in his YouTube video, Anthony disputed that he was once “fighting the same struggle” because the conservative politicians onstage. “That song has nothing to do with Joe Biden, you know?” he mentioned. “It’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden. That song was written about the people on that stage and a lot more, not just them.”
Such feedback recommend that Anthony — a little-known singer sooner than “Rich Men North of Richmond” went viral this month, racking up greater than 42 million views on YouTube and hitting the highest of the Billboard Hot 100 chart — doesn’t essentially align with Republicans who wish to flip his tune’s recognition into votes for his or her birthday party.
At least one Fox News journalist, alternatively, has instructed that Anthony gave the community approval to play the song at the debate. Host Bret Baier told Politico that “we tracked him down” and discovered “two days before the debate that we got approval.”
Republicans equivalent to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia have labeled his song an “anthem of the forgotten Americans,” whilst Kari Lake, former Republican candidate for Arizona governor, said the song offers her “chills.” She wrote on X, previously Twitter: “It’s raw, it’s true, & it’s touching the hearts of men & women across this great nation.”
But Anthony has up to now described himself as sitting “pretty dead center down the aisle” politically. In a statement posted to Facebook after his truck-cab video made headlines, he clarified that he was once now not a Biden supporter, both. He mentioned his song criticized “corporate owned D.C. politicians on both sides. … It’s knocking the system collectively.”
Artists such because the Rolling Stones, Adele and Neil Young have up to now lamented using their tune via Donald Trump, whilst Sam Moore (of the musical duo Sam & Dave) referred to as out then-Sen. Barack Obama for the use of his song, “Hold On, I’m Comin’.”
“Musicians have long complained about their music being appropriated by presidential contenders,” John Street, emeritus professor of politics, philosophy, language and conversation research at the University of East Anglia, mentioned in an electronic mail Saturday. “As to the song itself, it strikes me in sound and lyrics as part of a very long tradition of protest songs.”
Anthony’s unexpected upward thrust from obscurity to reputation has sparked intense pastime — in addition to skepticism in regards to the singer’s anti-establishment recognition. “Rich Men” received traction on-line partly as a result of right-wing influencers extolled it on other platforms, whilst critics picked up on obvious nods to conspiracy theories within the lyrics.
His song additionally stoked controversy with the ones at the political left, who charged that some lyrics dehumanized deficient other people: “Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothin’ to eat/And the obese milkin’ welfare.”
Anthony touched at the grievance in his YouTube video, announcing, “I see the left trying to discredit me, I guess in retaliation.” He denied claims that his song was once “an attack against the poor.” He mentioned that “all of my songs that reference class defend the poor” and that his lyrics centered “the inefficiencies of the government.”
Anthony, who has up to now described himself as “not a good musician” and “not a very good person,” gave the impression amused via the level of unexpected pastime — from media retailers, tune manufacturers and commentators — in him and his tune.
In a Friday night statement on X, he reiterated that he didn’t enhance both political birthday party, then joked: “Now, go breath some fresh air and relax. Please? 🙂 I’m not worth obsessing over, I promise.”