Oliver Anthony - Rich Men North of Richmond : music

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What’s unfortunate is that he’s a great songwriter and has a fantastic voice. Then he goes and uses those gifts to write a song signaling to the most wretched among us.

Also, this is blowing up because far-right agitators like Matt Walsh and co. timed a coordinated promotion. The only part that’s “true” is that everything sucks. The real reasons aren’t in the song.

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 11 points 1 year ago

Yup, it's so obviously astroturfed it's not even funny

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Lmao this guy is such a fucking clown.

Sure buddy, it's definitely fat people on welfare who are holding you back on your 90 acres of property, dipshit picard

[–] couragethebravedog@lemmy.ml -2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

And he lives in a camper on that 90 acres, so it's not like he's living some extravagant life on his land.

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Meanwhile, there are people who own nothing but the clothes they wear and sleep on the streets.

Fuck this guy.

[–] purahna@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/Merriwood-Farms-Rd-Farmville-VA-23901/2065396588_zpid/

Here's 54 acres of undeveloped land in the town he lives in for $475K. He could parcel his 90 acres ($792k at this rate, and by far not the most expensive lot per acre I found when browsing), build a 5000 sq. foot home with a 3 car garage with 100% contractor labor, and keep 20 acres to have it on.

[–] couragethebravedog@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's about $169 sq/ft to build in Richmond. A 5000 sq/ft home would run you $845,000, without the garage. So no, he couldn't do that.

[–] purahna@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Sorry, you're right, he could only own a 3,000 sq. ft. three car garage home on his 20 acres. Definitely much more working class.

[–] couragethebravedog@lemmy.ml -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That is more than your typical working class individual but what was the overall point you were trying to make? He currently lives in a camper, he could sell it all and have a decent home but he hasn't. Are you implying he's only posing as a working class man because of the potential wealth he has in his land? I'm just not understanding the point you are chasing after here.

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago

Are you implying he's only posing as a working class man because of the potential wealth he has in his land?

Yes.

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 1 points 1 year ago

Just take the L ffs

[+] couragethebravedog@lemmy.ml -9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure he's not hating on welfare as a whole, just people who are using it who don't need it. I know a handful of people who under report earnings just so they can get food stamps and take advantage of other government programs.

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I know a handful of people who under report earnings just so they can get food stamps and take advantage of other government programs.

Good for them. Get that bag.

[+] couragethebravedog@lemmy.ml -6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I was trying to figure out why you were such a POS, then I noticed you're from hexabear. Just gonna block you real quick.

[–] Hexagons@hexbear.net 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

He's right though, the song is basically saying "life is hard for conservative cishet white men because of the got dang politicians taxing us", and that's a fundamentally reactionary view of the world.

If you want recommendations for good, actually working class country songs, might I recommend Woodie Guthrie? Or Peggy Seeger? They're a little more on the folk side, but they're really good.

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

This seems like a good time to post some of my favorite Woody Guthrie songs:

All You Fascists Bound To Lose

Miss Pavlichenko

[–] couragethebravedog@lemmy.ml -2 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I lean about as far left as you can go and the song resonates with me. I thought the song was a little deeper, talking about how the rich men (I'm assuming politicians) aren't looking out for people. I feel like saying the song is only about taxes is taking a lot away from it. He talks on important issues like homelessness, male suicide rates, and that no one pays a living wage.

[–] betelgeuse@hexbear.net 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't know why other people are giving you a hard time. I'm about as far left as you can go as well. This is absolutely a far-left song. This is the kind of thing Mao would have played when liquidating landlords or Stalin would have used as a soundtrack to confiscating Kulak farms.

This is probably the anthem of the far left and I'm glad you, as a fellow far leftist, enjoy it.

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

miyazaki-laugh

[–] purahna@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure he's not hating on welfare as a whole, just people who are using it who don't need it

I lean about as far left as you can go

you know there are people who think everyone should have welfare, right? And that they're dramatically to the left of you?

[–] couragethebravedog@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Oh yes, I'm a major supporter of UBI.

Edit: I'm not hating on people who use welfare, earlier I just stated what I thought he meant in his song by the phrase "milking welfare" to mean people who do not currently need it, using it.

[–] Hexagons@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago

As far left as you can go, huh? I'd suggest trying to push that envelope a little bit. Instead of being disappointed/mad/sad that rich people aren't looking out for other people, try asking why rich people exist in the first place? Where did their wealth come from? And should they be allowed to keep it?

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

I lean about as far left as you can go

Oh here we go che-smile

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

God forbid you'd ever have to deal with the truth of how the world works.

[–] purahna@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 year ago

Consider this perspective: People work for seven, ten, fifteen dollars an hour. The companies they work for - Walmart, Kroger, Amazon, McDonalds - have a bottom line that amounts to hundreds of dollars per employee hour. Welfare is paid for by taxes that everyone pays (except corporations, who have the lowest tax rates of any entity, including the poor) and inflates the effective income of these low wage folks to maybe twenty an hour.

Through this lens, welfare transfers income from middle and lower class people to only lower class people to keep them barely floating above destitution, while most of the actual profits that the working classes produce with their labor go into corporate coffers, upper class stock holders, and executive's pockets. Welfare is a corporate bailout because it means corporations can pay less to workers and the difference is made up for by the working class.

When we think like this, there are 2 very natural conclusions:

Anything that anyone can get through welfare is legitimate, because anyone eligible for it is so screwed over by corporations that they deserve whatever they can get
Welfare as a system is built to favor the rich, and ultimately needs to be replaced by a system that favors the poor and funds the necessities of everyone from those who have benefitted the most from everyone else's work (corporations and the wealthy)

[–] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Oh yay, the guy being astroturfed and loved by mask off fascists like Matt Walsh.

This shit is garbage

[–] TanakaAsuka@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

This astro turfed guy again? Yikes

[–] purahna@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago

https://hexbear.net/post/385055?scrollToComments=false

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

Also, the song is mediocre at best.

[–] king_dead@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I thought lemmy would be free of scumbags like him. Guess not. These phony working class pricks are the worst

[–] squiblet@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Just looking at this guy’s shitty beard upsets me.

[+] Runningwild85@lemmy.world -7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This song hits on so many levels.

[–] Ddubz@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Only if you sincerely think that punching down at overweight Americans eating Debbie Cakes is an accurate criticism of anything worthwhile.

Try listening to Sturgil Simpson Turtles all the Way Down instead. Or Holy Shit by Father John Misty.

Or if you just want to listen to newer bluegrass and country/western that isn't astroturfed by wealthy capitalists or white nationalist influencers, you can check out Tyler Childers - the entire album Ballad of Janita and the Dood is a masterpiece. Michael Davies is also an incredible musician and vocalist that "Oliver Anthony" could never be.

Music