Jason Isbell is the subject of a recent feature in the Los Angeles Times. The singer-songwriter shared his pointed opinion of newcomer Oliver Anthony’s chart-topping, controversy-stirring hit song, “Rich Men North Of Richmond.”
Released independently in August 2023, “Rich Men North Of Richmond” became a viral sensation. The song debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, making it the first song to land at #1 on the Hot 100 by an artist with no prior charting singles.
In a separate Los Angeles Times piece, the outlet noted several “right-wing pundits and politicians” championed the song, though Oliver considers himself “pretty dead center down the aisle on politics.” Shortly after its viral success, the song was mentioned during the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee.
The success of the single, which stayed atop the Hot 100 for a second week and also went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, landed Oliver a deal with the Beverly Hills-based global management firm United Talent Agency.
The song’s controversial lyrics address political subject matters including wealthy politicians, wage inequality, high taxes and other topics, with one verse seemingly referencing alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Oliver follows that line by taking aim at the welfare system, singing:
I wish politicians would look out for miners
And not just minors on an island somewhere
Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothin’ to eat
And the obese milkin’ welfareGod, if you’re 5 foot 3 and you’re 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds
Young men are puttin’ themselves six feet in the ground
‘Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin’ them down
The Los Angeles Times’ Marissa R. Moss asked Isbell about Oliver and his meteoric rise in popularity. Isbell, the multiple Grammy Award winner who released his latest studio album Weathervanes earlier this year, shared his opinion of Oliver’s song, along with some songwriting advice.
“Buddy, there’s a reason you just don’t jump in the fucking pool,” Isbell said. “There’s something there. But that’s the song you should have written when you were 16, and then, when you were 19, you should have rewritten it without the part about hating people on welfare. And then when you are 20 you throw the whole thing out and write another song.”
Read Jason Isbell’s profile in the Los Angeles Times here.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit‘s annual residency at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium begins tomorrow, Thursday, October 12. The eight-show run features a different opening act each night, ending on October 22.
