Lyrics:

https://genius.com/Oliver-anthony-rich-men-north-of-richmond-lyrics

[Verse 1] I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day Overtime hours for bulls*** pay So I can sit out here and waste my life away Drag back home and drown my troubles away

[Pre-Chorus] It’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to For people like me and people like you Wish I could just wake up and it not be true But it is, oh, it is

[Chorus] Livin’ in the new world With an old soul These rich men north of Richmond Lord knows they all just wanna have total control Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do And they don’t think you know, but I know that you do 'Cause your dollar ain’t s*** and it’s taxed to no end 'Cause of rich men north of Richmond

[Verse 2] 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’ welfare

[Verse 3] Well, God, if you’re five-foot-three and you’re three-hundred 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

[Pre-Chorus] Lord, it’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to For people like me and people like you Wish I could just wake up and it not be true But it is, oh, it is

[Chorus] Livin’ in the new world With an old soul These rich men north of Richmond Lord knows they all just wanna have total control Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do And they don’t think you know, but I know that you do 'Cause your dollar ain’t s*** and it’s taxed to no end 'Cause of rich men north of Richmond

[Outro] I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day Overtime hours for bulls*** pay

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    You kind of sound like you’re arguing against yourself with your analogy. There is a at a minimum a degree of victim blaming when it comes to shaming people who are overweight. Food deserts exist, as does a massive marketing machine that promotes unhealthy food nonstop. Add the addiction aspect and no, I don’t assume someone is overweight solely because they lack conviction.

    • walnutwalrus@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      Could perhaps a charitable interpretation of the song be that there are some people on welfare who could work but choose not to (sloth) and choose to eat excessively when they could choose otherwise (gluttony), and that the musician is complaining about these specific people, and not people who may simply be overweight due to poisoning or unemployed due to bad luck?