Oliver Anthony's Viral Song Now Dominates Global Charts

Leah Barkoukis | August 21, 2023 9:00 AM

Oliver Anthony’s viral song, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” now takes the top spot on Apple Music’s global charts.

The song, released by the Virginia factory worker earlier this month, is sitting alongside pieces by Taylor Swift, Doja Cat, and Travis Scott.

Lyrics from the piece have struct a chord with fans as it masterfully portrays the struggles the everyday American faces.

I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day / Overtime hours for bullshit 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 shit and it's taxed to no end / 'Cause of rich men north of Richmond.
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.
Well, God, if you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 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.
Repeat Pre-Chorus
Repeat Chorus
I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day / Overtime hours for bullshit pay. (Lyrics via Taste of Country)

"The universal thing I see is no matter how much effort they put into whatever it is they're doing, they can't quite get ahead because the dollar's not worth enough, they are being over-taxed," Anthony has said about the song. "I want to be a voice for those people. And not just them, but humans in general."

He added: "As long as you're above the dirt, you've got a fightin' chance."