Rich Men North of Richmond
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Anonymous
| Congressman Goldman (Levi Strauss heir) |
Anonymous
Of course there are rich people in DC but none of those people have control or authority over the things he is crying about in the song. They didn’t set his wages in the factory or turn him into a shithead punching down at people on welfare. They didn’t make him quit high school and “learn” dumb stereotypes from 4chan or wherever he got his self-pity fix and old stereotypes. Good for him that he has found success. He can pay more taxes and write more songs about how unfair that is. |
Anonymous
If you're going to pretend that congressmen, senators, and presidents ("DC") don't have power and don't make decisions that affect us all, then you'll have to find someone else to try to convince. I'm too old and have been around too long to believe your nonsense. |
Anonymous
NP born and raised in RVA (which is relevant). In Richmond, and in other parts of the state, they don’t like people from NOVA coming down to the general assembly and acting as if their votes matter more, they deserve more of the tax money, etc. There is an us vs them. There is a NOVA vs ROVA (and I hate that term, but it’s been used many times on these forums before, in derogatory ways to describe all the Virginians that live outside of NOVA as if we can be lumped into one “other” pile. So the writer/singer is from Farmville. I imagine he grew up hearing similar sentiment that people from NOVA think they’re better and smarter than us and look down on everyone else not from NOVA. That the delegates and state senators from NOVA are entitled when they come down to Richmond. So all of those people NORTH of Richmond (probably really north of Fredericksburg) are snobs and we are tired of them trying to tell us what to do because in fact they’re not smarter or better. That’s it. It’s pretty simple. |
Anonymous
I'm envious OP. Sounds like you were there there at the beginning of something. I just looked at YouTube. Since this was posted, there have been more than 33 million views and it's the number one song in America. I've read some of the posts here. Everybody getting lost in the weeds about policy and blah blah blah. This is a song about frustration. About feeling left out. About feeling like you're being taken advantage of. About financial stress. About hopelessness. And the anger that accompanies it. These are feelings that resonate across America. Republicans play a cynical game, manipulating low information voters to hate the "other" while laughing all the way to the bank. Democrats don't even know how to talk to blue collar Americans anymore. The fact is a very large percentage of Americans feel completely detached from the "system." It's not working for them. Songs like this hit a nerve. And that doesn't portend anything good. |
Anonymous
Those who reside and work in DCUM land are some of the wealthiest Americans in the nation. The average American does not make anywhere near $200,000 per year. Many get by on $30,000 per year. |
Anonymous
Exactly. It's why so many of the posters here have completely lost touch (if they ever did) with the average working person. |
Anonymous
The guy dropped out of high school and did drop-out things and had drop-out jobs and was a substance abuser living in a camper. Nancy Pelosi didn’t do any of that to him. He did it. Now he’s found the magic formula - punch down at poor people on welfare and food stamps and whine about paying taxes and other imaginary grievances. It’s just indulgent self-pity disguised as a political statement. |
Anonymous
+ a thousand to all of this. I'm another NP also born and raised just outside of Richmond. There is a strong us vs them mentality between NoVA and the rest of the state, and that's been the case for decades; nothing new there, and completely regardless of political persuasion, as well, in my experience. This PP hit the nail on the head. If you aren't familiar with the more rural parts of Virginia (and I'm not referring to western Loudoun here), then you don't really understand this guy's background. I don't agree with him, but I can see where he may have been approaching this from a more apolitical outlook. |
Anonymous
And most of us who work in government spend our time trying to make things better in this country while dipshit Governors and state legislatures spend their time laundering the federal money through their crony patronage networks and obstructing any progress or assistance from reaching the people in their states who need help. |
Anonymous
Just hesh up and vote for an R or D candidate like you've always done without questioning anything. Status quo is perfect! |
Anonymous
Not by complete chance. He lives right outside of Richmond. |
Anonymous
There's that vanity and we're better than you viewpoint. We hear you loud and clear. Enjoy your government paycheck and retirement. |
Anonymous
You don't think any of the poor people on welfare and food stamps dropped out of high school and did drop-out things and had drop-out jobs and have been substance abusers? |