Posted on 08/23/2023 9:23:39 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
Overnight music sensation Oliver Anthony just made history atop the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart this week with his working-class anthem "Rich Men North of Richmond," which took off out of nowhere less than two weeks ago courtesy of a video shot in the woods with a single microphone.
As readers of TheBlaze know, leftists in the media quickly took notice of Anthony's meteoric rise and, not surprisingly, criticized him as well as conservatives supporting his message.
Now joining in on the predictable pushback is veteran left-wing singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, who just penned a pro-union response to Anthony's tune titled “Rich Men Earning North of a Million."
What are the details? First, the good news. Billboard said with "Rich Men North of Richmond" debuting at number 1 on the Hot 100 songs chart, Anthony's the "first artist ever to launch atop the list with no prior chart history in any form."
“The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song," Anthony told Billboard exclusively. "The song itself is not anything special, but the people who have supported it are incredible and deserve to be heard.”
Billboard added that Anthony is only the sixth artist ever to debut a first solo Hot 100 entry at No. 1 and that "Rich Men North of Richmond" is the first song by a solo male to start atop both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs simultaneously.
What's with the Billy Bragg song? Bragg — a 65-year-old U.K. artist — has been a fixture on the music scene fringes for decades and is arguably as well known for his left-wing activism as for his songwriting.
“Since I saw that clip of Oliver Anthony singing his song ‘Rich Men North of Richmond,' the ghost of Woody Guthrie has been whispering in my ear. 'Help that guy out’ Woody keeps telling me; ‘Let him know there’s a way to deal with those problems he’s singing about.’ So today I sat down and wrote this response to Mr. Anthony’s song, for people like him and people like you," Bragg wrote in the description of his song "Rich Men Earning North of a Million," which was posted Monday on YouTube.
Bragg's song — which uses the same melody as Anthony's tune — urges folks to "join a union, fight for better pay" and "organize today." He specifically pushes back at Anthony's dig against those who take advantage of welfare with the following lyrics: "So we ain’t gonna punch down on those who need. A bit of understanding and some solidarity. That ain’t right, friend. If you’re struggling with your health, putting on the pounds, doctor gives you opiates to help you get around. Wouldn’t it be better for folks like you and me if medicine was subsidized and health care was free?"
Bragg also sings, "We know your culture wars are there to distract while libertarian billionaires avoid paying tax. You want to talk about bathrooms while the flood waters rise. The forest is on fire and the wind burns our eyes. Something’s wrong here. They want to divide us, because together we’re strong. Are you gonna take action now you’ve sung your damn song?"
Anything else? A little over a week ago, Anthony played his first concert since "Rich Men North of Richmond" went viral — a free show at the Morris Farm Market on the northeastern edge of North Carolina. He told the overflow audience clamoring to see him that in June he played there for a crowd of "about 20 people."
Before he began singing, Anthony read from Psalm 37: "The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming ..." The crowd cheered as he concluded.
Last week Anthony said he's rejected $8 million deals from music executives in the wake of his breakout anthem.
"I don't want 6 tour buses, 15 tractor trailers and a jet," Anthony wrote on Facebook. "I don't want to play stadium shows, I don't want to be in the spotlight. I wrote the music I wrote because I was suffering with mental health and depression. These songs have connected with millions of people on such a deep level because they're being sung by someone feeling the words in the very moment they were being sung. No editing, no agent, no bulls**t. Just some idiot and his guitar. The style of music that we should have never gotten away from in the first place."
Unions are the answer?
Has Bragg ever heard of the likes of Jimmy Hoffa?
You think to yourself, “No one could be this dumb”, and yet there’s Bragg yodeling into a microphone with the exact crap Oliver was complaining about.
This guys song is a lot like a Billy Bragg song.
The song has only been out about a week.
Here is a high school sports team singing the song while on a bus trip to a game.
https://rumble.com/v3azwcf-these-boys-are-being-raised-right-.html
Music can unite and move a nation. No wonder the left hates it.
Is that even legal? Is that a copyright violation?
I thought YouTube took down content that violated copyright.
-PJ
Billy Bragg seems to be ignorant of the fact that the labor movement has been very active in western Virginia, West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky for about 100 years. There’s a reason this area was heavily union Democrat for ages until they went off the environmental deep end recently.
Woodie was an inveterate communist and fellow traveler. He should be assiduously ignored at all times.
CC
“Bragg’s song — which uses the same melody as Anthony’s tune —“
Oh…I see…
“he first question at the debate was about his song.”
“And that, among many other things, is why this was anything but a “debate”
On a side note: I noticed Me-Again Kelly was in back in rare form yesterday. Apparently she took confused umbrage to Swami’s explanations on the J6/9-11 Q when he was pushed by Kaitlyn Collins... in which he pragmatically decapitated Kaitlyn and dropped her scowling head back in her lap.
To Me-Again Kelly’s credit she recently declared that she uses the pill because she enjoys having sex 🙄 - she still has big feet though. I’m so releived...
and now... back to the thrilla’ in Milwaukee... er... Oliver Anthony and Billy Braggs love trist.
Song parodies may be ok but possibly
if it’s to be sold, the original
songwriter will receive credit and
royalties.
Weird Al Yankovic personally makes
sure to ask the original artist/writer
for “permission”.
Not familiar too much with Bragg’s music
though years ago I saw him as well as
the Fleshtones opening up for Echo
and the Bunnymen.
Beatles had their own tale of being
shafted by the “Taxman”
>>The previous month, a socialist Labour government led by Harold Wilson was re-elected with a landslide majority in the UK and immediately upped tax rates for the country’s highest earners. It was a move that profoundly affected The Beatles. That it was instigated by a prime minister who only a year previously had been instrumental in awarding the four Beatles MBEs – for their services to entertainment as well as helping bolster the British economy – came with a bittersweet
irony.
In the UK’s currency of the time, there were 20 shillings in a pound; and under the Labour government, The Beatles began paying the top tax rate, which meant that for every pound they earned, 90% of it – 19 shillings and six-pence to be exact – would be taken by the government.
George Harrison was more interested in the group’s business affairs at that point than the other Beatles, and was alarmed to learn that the fruits of their labors were being taken; a situation that might even lead to the group’s bankruptcy. He was also concerned that the government would use the money to fund the manufacture of weapons. As a direct consequence, he vented his frustration by writing “Taxman,” which had the distinction of being The Beatles’ first protest song. (Although the song was credited to Harrison alone, he did have a little assistance: “George wrote it, and I helped him with it,” John Lennon revealed in 1968, later adding that “I threw in a few one-liners to help the song along because that’s what he asked for.”)
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/the-beatles-taxman-feature/
Oingo Boingo?
.
It told the location of the crooks,
It told where one was to look
The words were full of truth and irony,
And how these people poorly spent our money
They used our taxes for perversion,
And reported the spending with subversion
Spent it for their own personal gain,
And when the money disappeared gave others the blame
The song has really struck a chord
And people are having to examine their own accord,
It's about time we put a stop to this
And live using the term, Simper Fidelis.
August 24, 2023.
Piss be upon him.
A union of people working for whom? Will they let all the 10 million illegals in the union, or will they just be on strike as the illegals take their jobs for bullshit pay?
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