(NewsNation) — A Virginia man’s blue-collar political anthem went viral on the internet over the weekend.
Catering to conservatives, the song “Rich Men North of Richmond” is now at the top of the U.S. Apple Music and iTunes country charts.
Oliver Anthony, a former factory worker, shares the frustrations and struggles of working-class Americans. The song touches on key issues such as poor wages, high taxes, social welfare systems and suicide rates.
“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,” he sings. “It’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to for people like me and people like you.”
He blames his hardships on “rich men north of Richmond” for high taxes and inflation. He also criticizes welfare programs and says his taxes are paying for “obese” people’s groceries.
“If you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds, taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds,” Anthony sings. Axios News notes that making this link is dubious.
The response to the song has been overwhelming and has racked up more than 9 million views on YouTube.
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted, “This is the anthem of the forgotten Americans who truly support this nation and unfortunately the world with their hard-earned tax dollars and incredibly hard work.”