Oliver Anthony (real name Christopher Anthony Lunsford; Oliver was his grandfather’s name) came out of nowhere.
While he had been independently releasing songs through digital stores since 2022, his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” exploded in August 2023 and became an instant connection with the masses.
Anthony uploaded a video of him singing the song to YouTube on Aug. 8 and tweeted that he uploaded the song to stores on Aug. 10. The song started spreading through X, and people started taking notice, including folks such as country star John Rich, who offered to produce an album for the singer/songwriter.
The song’s message about the politicians in Washington stepping on the necks of the average citizen, told through the eyes of the working man, struck a raw nerve.
The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Aug. 26 and remained on the chart for 20 weeks. Anthony is the first artist to debut at number one with no prior charting history.
The first time I heard the song, I was blown away. It had an authenticity in delivery and tapped into the undercurrent of frustration about the state of the country. Anthony smacked me across the face with his hard-hitting lyrics and brought tears to my eyes. Others reacted the same – from all walks of life and backgrounds.
It was obvious just how much the song spoke to people when a video appeared on YouTube of Anthony singing the song in concert on Aug. 14. You could clearly hear the crowd singing every word loudly. There was a song they literally just discovered, and they connected that much with it that they already knew the words.
A few days later I was on the boardwalk of Ocean City, New Jersey, where musicians provide entertainment. A teenager sat down next to me with his guitar and started belting out the song for the passersby. A man yelled, “Alright, Oliver!” I tipped the kid $20 for being aware. Anthony’s message spread across the country like wildfire.
Anthony struck a nerve in a way we hadn’t seen in a long time. The right embraced him and heralded him. The left worked to discredit him for daring to criticize their god of big government. And the truth is, for people who listened closely to those lyrics, Anthony was saying they all suck. Because they do. Our country is a mess because of inept and sell-out politicians on both sides.
In YouTube videos to fans, Anthony proclaimed, “ I sit pretty dead center down the aisle on politics and always have… I see the right trying to characterize me as one of their own, and I see the left trying to discredit me, I guess in retaliation. That shit's got to stop.”
Amen, brother.
Anthony is a storyteller and a good one at that. He observes the world around him and draws from personal experiences to connect with his audiences. His organic, backwoods delivery brings a simplicity to the music that draws you in.
“Variety” described Anthony as an Appalachian singer, and that’s a good descriptor of the musical style and delivery. It’s salt of the earth with hints of classic country, bluegrass, and folk. Anthony is tapping into a persona that speaks to an inner desire to connect with our more simple past, to simpler times.
Anthony just released his first full-length album, “Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind.” That he released it on Easter can’t be by coincidence. Anthony is a man of faith, a practical faith that may resonate with many people.
In an interview with X user Jason Howerton, Anthony revealed that he made a deal with God that he would get sober in exchange for help following his dream. While bargaining with God isn’t typically a good idea, “Rich Men North of Richmond” took off 30 days later.
To his credit, Anthony hasn’t backed down from that promise and uses his platform to share about God. He’s talked about the Bible with Joe Rogan. His songs subtly infuse faith-based messages with depth – not the shallow, trite expression of it that appears in so much Christian pop music these days. And the album includes Anthony reading Bible verses to reinforce the album’s themes.
“Hymnal of a Troubled Man’s Mind” kicks off with Anthony reciting Ecclesiastes 5, which leads into “Rich Man’s Gold”:
Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless…
Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.
In “Rich Man’s Gold,” Anthony drives the scripture home by tapping into the simple life with the right priorities that he espouses:
You weren't born to just pay bills and die
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, a good woman to hold
Don't need that rich man's gold
In “Doggonit,” Anthony continues his focus on the working men left behind by a system that has come to resent them:
And people's cryin' 'bout burnin' coal
But not the poor souls who's diggin' it
I reckon there's been a many good man in the grave
Tryna keep our houses lit
Down in the oilfields and the pipelines
And the linemen and the coal mines
So we can sit at home and plug in a newfangled bullshit
And republicans and democrats
Lord, I swear, they're all just full of crap
I ain't ever met a good city slickin’ bureaucrat
And really, I could quote something from every song on the album, because it’s storytelling where Anthony shines. His songs are simple, which is where his genius lies. His lyrics are just enough to whet the appetite and make you take notice and reflect.
Of the album’s 10 songs, nine were released prior in Anthony’s raw single form that featured just him and his guitar.
According to “Variety,” Anthony worked with producer Dave Cobb for the album. Cobb has produced some big names in country/folk music, including Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile.
Cobb smartly kept Anthony to a restrained delivery. The songs still have that independently produced, stripped-down feel from when Anthony recorded things on his own. However, there are embellishments throughout, including percussion, intricate guitar work, and fiddle.
What Cobb did was polish Anthony’s songs and hone his style in a way that kept them feeling authentic and organic.
For example, “Cobwebs and Cocaine” includes a foreboding distorted electric guitar. The focus remains on Anthony’s voice and lyrics, but with just enough extra to make the song sound more complete. The sound matches the heaviness of the song’s lyrics and enhances the song’s message:
My poor old wife grabbed a shot box of lead
Ran a four-ten slug plum through her head
She said she'd rather be living in hell than with me instead
I can't find fault in that
'Cause these cobwebs and cocaine are the only things left in my brain
I'm shoveling coal on the midnight train
Headin' straight towards the depths of hell
For me, I keep coming back to the beautiful “I Want to Go Home.” It’s a reminder that we are created for something better, but must live through a broken, painful world. At times, we want to give up and cry to God to take us back home.
If it weren't for my old dogs and the good Lord
They'd have me strung up in the psych ward
'Cause every day livin' in this new world
Is one too many days to me
Son, we're on the brink of the next world war
And I don't think nobody's praying no more
And I ain't sayin' I know it for sure
I'm just down on my knees
Begging, Lord, take me home
I just wanna go home
I don't know which road to go
It's been so long
Anthony didn’t include “Rich Men North of Richmond” on the album, and I think it was a smart choice. The song already achieved number one and influenced thousands. There was no reason to revisit it.
The album, instead, focuses on taking Anthony’s scattershot singles and puts them into a more cohesive package that gives a fuller and richer picture of the messages he wants to share. It shows he has much more to say than a viral hit song and is a spectacular album from start to finish.
I want to see him in concert, but every show within driving distance either aligns with tickets for another show I already have or is sold out. He’s selling out large venues as the headliner – again, Anthony has struck a nerve with a lot of people.
I just love this guy, and have from the moment I first heard “Rich Men North of Richmond.” He seems genuine and grounded. He also has some important things to say.
Oliver Anthony is the voice in the wilderness we need.
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