Lyrics:
https://genius.com/Oliver-anthony-rich-men-north-of-richmond-lyrics
[Verse 1]
I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day
Overtime hours for bulls*** pay
So I can sit out here and waste my life away
Drag back home and drown my troubles away
[Pre-Chorus]
It's a damn shame what the world's gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it is
[Chorus]
Livin' in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don't think you know, but I know that you do
'Cause your dollar ain't s*** and it's taxed to no end
'Cause of rich men north of Richmond
[Verse 2]
I wish politicians would look out for miners
And not just minors on an island somewhere
Lord, we got folks in the street, ain't got nothin' to eat
And the obese milkin' welfare
[Verse 3]
Well, God, if you're five-foot-three and you're three-hundred pounds
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds
Young men are puttin' themselves six feet in the ground
'Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin' them down
[Pre-Chorus]
Lord, it's a damn shame what the world's gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it is
[Chorus]
Livin' in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don't think you know, but I know that you do
'Cause your dollar ain't s*** and it's taxed to no end
'Cause of rich men north of Richmond
[Outro]
I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day
Overtime hours for bulls*** pay
Dude complains about welfare and fat people, the song lacks class solidarity. I understand why people like it, but I still think his lyrics miss the mark.
That’s a symptom, not the cause. The anger is misdirected.
The corporations. The ones that bribe the rich men north of Richmond to not enact laws so they can keep making a dishonest dollar on the suffering of these 5'3" 300 lb sugar addicted people without money.
I don't get how this part of this song exists within the rest of the song. It's entirely antithetical.
So you should control what poor people eat?
Isn't that the complete opposite of the rest of the songs message?
The songs message is a class struggle.
Except instead of us vs the rich people, he did us vs the rich people and us vs the poors. Which makes no sense.