“Rich Men North Of Richmond” Singer Laments GOP Embrace Of Song At Fox News Debate, Suggests Critics On Left “Misunderstood My Words”
deadline.comThe singer-songwriter responsible for the unexpected summer hit Rich Men North Of Richmond released a video statement on Friday that lamented the way that it has been “weaponized” by political figures, including the way that GOP candidates addressed it at Wednesday night’s presidential debate. “It was funny seeing it at the presidential debate, because it’s like I wrote that song about those people.
So for them to have to sit there and listen to that, that cracks me up,” said the singer-songwriter, Oliver Anthony. “It was funny kind of seeing the response to it.” The song was the topic of the first question at the debate, with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum noting that it speaks “of alienation, of deep frustration with the state of government and of this country.
Washington DC is about 100 miles north of Richmond.” The song was essentially a jumping off point for the candidates to deliver introductory messages, including attacks on President Joe Biden.
But in his statement, Anthony said that the song “has nothing to do with Joe Biden. It’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden. That song was written about the people on that stage, and a lot more too, not just them, but definitely them.” He added, “I do hate seeing that song being weaponized, like I see the right trying to characterize me as one of their own.
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