Cowboy

Another song co-opted relentlessly by the far right in the same year, 2023, was “Rich Men North of Richmond”, by Oliver Anthony. Sounding more like Appalachian folk than bro-country, Anthony’s song came out of left field but soon landed on the political right’s plate. Bypassing the Nashville superstructure, “Rich Men North of Richmond” signaled a return to roots music after decades of country rock and pop dominance. It also evoked the same feelings of anger, grievance, and nostalgia Aldean had in “Try That in a Small Town”.

Like that song, Anthony’s struck a chord with heartland America, and it, too, shot to the top of the national Trump country music charts. Both songs tapped into populist appeals, and both spoke to and stoked working-class resentments by targeting perceived elites.

Early in the song, the populism appears to come from the left as the singer rages against low pay and greedy politicians in Washington. Then, though, the lyrics take a rightward turn as Anthony shifts the blame to a section of the poor by calling out “the obese milking welfare”, an update of Reagan’s “welfare queen” scapegoat. 

By the time of the Republican primaries in 2023, Anthony’s song had gone viral, becoming a topic of national discussion. It was brought up in the first question of the primary debate on August 23rd when moderator Martha MacCallum of Fox News said, “As we sit here tonight, the number one song on the Billboard chart is called ‘Rich Men North of Richmond.’ It is by a singer from Farmville, Virginia, named Oliver Anthony. His lyrics speak of alienation, of deep frustration with the state of government and of this country.”

MacCallum then asked why the song was resonating so strongly, noting that Washington, D.C. is approximately 100 miles north of Richmond. This set up the participants to co-opt the song by aligning it with their own proposals for less government and less welfare spending.

Georgia U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene later jumped on the bandwagon, giving the song a nationalistic spin by calling it “the anthem of the forgotten Americans who truly support this nation.” In the ensuing weeks, it seemed that “Rich Men North of Richmond” was embraced by as many far-right influencers as MAGA voters.

Dismayed by the political exploitation of his song, Anthony’s protestations of misinterpretation and misappropriation were ultimately drowned out by the tsunami of far-right voices—as right-wing political strategist Steve Bannon would say, flooding the zone. Progressive country songwriter Nick Shoulders summarized, “It’s a song about the people who were trying to present [Anthony] as one of them, and it shows how insidious and intense the far right is when it attempts to co-opt country music and rural grievances.”

When co-opting country artists as their own, the far right gives them protected status. Thus, just as Trump is always pardoned for his “sins” and his indiscretions rationalized, so country singer Morgan Wallen was treated similarly when TMZ posted footage of him shouting out racial slurs. Although initially condemned within the industry, the singer was soon cast as a victim of the “gotcha” left.

Furthermore, Trump’s America rallied around the country star such that sales of his music shot up 339% the day after the incident. As with Aldean’s song, purchasing became part of the protest against cancel culture, a way of showing which side you are on. Trump country music, like Trump himself, essentially means that as long as your hurtful words or actions provoke or “own” the liberals, you will not face negative consequences for them. In fact, those moral failings can boost your career and make you a hero of the MAGA masses.

Hick-Hop’s Bro Country Beat