‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ singer Oliver Anthony panders to sold-out Fort Worth crowd | Opinion
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Oliver Anthony may not be “religious” in the traditional sense of the word. But he’s making a career out of preaching to the choir.
As he took the stage for his sold-out Billy Bob’s Texas show Thursday night, the “Rich Men North of Richmond” viral sensation said that he doesn’t go to church and that he swears a little bit. He joked about how everyone assumes when you make it big in music you have to sell your soul to the devil, but he “kind of sold his soul to God” after a video of him singing “Rich Men” in a field went viral last year and skyrocketed him to fame.
Anthony said he’s not religious, but he opened his set with a joke about “those sick freaks running our country” and then opened a Bible to perform a reading — a normal beginning for his shows. Thursday night’s passage was from Psalms 37:12-20, which includes the verse “The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.”
He then led America’s largest honky tonk in a rendition of “Amazing Grace.” For someone who says he’s not very religious, his performance felt like going to a church service.
That interspersing of Bible verses is an extension of Anthony’s first full-length album, which he surprise-released on Easter Sunday. “Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind” features one new song — “Momma’s Been Hurting” — and polished-up versions of nine other songs Oliver previously released online. In between, he reads selections from the Bible, mostly passages from the book of Ecclesiastes that focus on eschewing the trappings of wealth.
Anthony, née Chris Anthony Lunsford (his stage name is his grandfather’s name), says he released the album independently. None other than producer Dave Cobb — who has helmed albums by Jason Isbell, Chris Stapeton John Prine and Brandi Carlile, among many others — helped out at the controls.
‘Rich Men North of Richmond’
“Rich Men North of Richmond,” a sparse song about Washington elites who have lost touch with the people they represent, sparked controversy for two reasons. One was because of its lyrics, notably this one about people on welfare: “If you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds/Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of Fudge Rounds.” The other reason was the nature of the song’s success. It went viral so fast, people accused Anthony of being an industry plant.
The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Anthony the first artist to debut at the top of that chart with no prior Billboard chart history. Conservatives latched onto him as a potential country music savior; liberals disdained him as a fat-shaming libertarian. “Rich Men” was discussed at the first Republican primary debate. Anthony rejected any attempts by politicians to “weaponize” his song. “I wrote that song about those people,” he said in a 10-minute YouTube video posted after the debate.
Sold-out Billy Bob’s crowd
It was no surprise that most of the crowd Thursday night was there to hear a live version of “Rich Men North of Richmond” (the Bible verse preceding that was a selection from Matthew 10: “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”) That and two Lynyrd Skynyrd covers is what got everyone singing along. But there were several songs that many people knew word-for-word, like “90 Some Chevy,” “Doggonit” and “I Want to Go Home.”
In addition to the Bible readings and the hymn singing, the night felt a bit like a church service in other ways. Most of Anthony’s songs revolve around fights with the devil and facing your demons. His band, Joey Davis on guitar and Caleb Dillard on upright bass, created some wonderful arrangements around Anthony’s earlier songs that considerably expanded the material. Davis improvised some solos when the moment was right, to the delight of the crowd. Anthony even invited up another fellow musician whom he met in Kentucky years ago to share one of his own songs on stage. It all had the feeling of a singing night at a country church.
But singing nights also have preaching. And, whether he admits it or not, Anthony is preaching.
“Rich Men” went viral because it tapped into a universal feeling: Your money doesn’t go as far anymore, it feels like the government doesn’t care, and nobody looks out for the regular people anymore. But it endures because it’s exactly what Anthony’s audience wants to hear. Most of his songs lament government, eschew wealth, and promote a simple, country life. “You weren’t born to just pay bills and die/All you need is a dog, a shack, a creek in the back/And a good woman to hold,” he sings in “Rich Man’s Gold.”
No, we weren’t born to just pay bills and die, but what were we born to do instead? Anyone can complain about the government; that’s why everybody does it. Anthony has a distinct, commanding and vibrant singing voice, a real musical talent, and an even better understanding of his audience. But he has no distinct point of view other than saying the same “simple life is better” ethos that country musicians have said for decades.
But his audience loves it. “I Want To Go Home” and “Rich Men” were greeted with chants of “U-S-A!” from the crowd. A line in “Doggonit” about how both Republicans and Democrats are “full of crap” got almost as many cheers as “Rich Men.” It’s not a new observation. So, politicians are full of crap. What else?
A few songs Anthony played Thursday night, like “Cobwebs and Cocaine” and “VCR Kid,” start to move away from his typical themes to something more personal. He said he has much more material to come, so hopefully he can make music that’s more interior and not just repeating tired talking points.
Until then, he’s just pandering.
OLIVER ANTHONY SETLIST, BILLY BOB’S TEXAS, FORT WORTH TEXAS (APRIL 4, 2024)
Amazing Grace (Hymn cover) [solo]
Hell on Earth (solo)
Rich Man’s Gold
Cobwebs and Cocaine
Ain’t Gotta Dollar
Always Love You Like a Good Ole Dog
Guest song with Kentucky musician
Will the Circle Be Unbroken (Hymn cover)
90 Some Chevy
Virginia
Between You & Me
VCR Kid
Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
I’ve Got to Get Sober
Doggonit
I Want to Go Home
Rich Men North of Richmond
Momma’s Been Hurting
Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
