Living In A New World With An Old Soul

Live from Oliver Anthony's Debut Performance

When was the last time a new musician released a song on a Tuesday, and by Sunday had four hits on the iTunes’ Top 10? 

Oliver Anthony made a splash this week with his viral hit Rich Men North of Richmond.

By Friday evening, my phone was exploding with texts and emails from friends and colleagues encouraging me to watch the now viral video of a tall, redheaded Virginian signing his heart out. By Saturday morning, I had scoured the internet for everything I could find on the guy. And by Sunday, my kids were loaded in our SUV on our way to see if Oliver Anthony lived up to the hype of the past five days.

The answer was yes.

I’m no stranger to high-energy entertainment environments. I've been behind-the-scenes at NASCAR races and electronic dance music festivals. I’ve seen raves where everyone dances in unison, and national anthem fly-overs that make everyone proud to be an American to their core. The electricity at that little farm stand in Currituck, North Carolina was strangely similar to both.

Oliver Anthony, live in North Carolina on Aug. 12. Liz Stiff, Common Sense Society.

Morris Farm Stand booked Oliver Anthony weeks ago, before they knew he would be the viral musical talent on everyone’s lips. And now even Joe Rogan is singing his praises.

If you haven't heard, Rich Men North of Richmond speaks to our fellow citizens’ pride and hope as they fight to make a life outside of the country’s capital, while also lamenting the lack of purpose and dignity that has developed from selling our souls to consumerism and identity politics.

He insists he isn't political, and I agree. A strong dollar and the ability to feed your kids aren’t ideological agendas. High suicide rates and child trafficking aren’t political issues. Or at least they shouldn't be.

And maybe that is why Oliver’s songs uniquely resonate with the majority of the middle of the country. These ideas haven’t always been political, but they became political when we abdicated our role as citizens and culture makers, zip code by zip code. If culture is conversations then we shouldn't be surprised to find a culture confused by pronouns and fake meats.

Poor boy in a doorway in Appalachia, 2013. Alexandra Stevenson/Flickr.

America is a nation in distress. It’s clear that we are suffering from cultural, personal, and political problems. What’s not clear? Who is responsible for offering solutions?

Many of us are hoping the next latest and greatest, new and sparkling elected official will save us—and we will somehow manage to be surprised when he doesn’t. In reality, no politicians ever can, even if they want to.

The responsibility belongs to us, the American people.

In a raw, humble introductory video, Oliver shares that “at all costs, no matter what, I’m going to write, create, and produce as much original and authentic music as I can in the hopes that it’ll at least help somebody out there who needs it.” 

He is a voice for those who are working “the third shift, twelve hours a day, six days a week,” those who “no matter how hard they push, and no matter how much effort they put into whatever it is they’re doing, they just can’t quite get ahead.”

Politicians have taxed-reformed and inflated the dollar to death, and they’ve failed to address the aching exhaustion, isolation, loneliness, and frustration many of us feel as a result. Are we sure it’s the best idea to rely on those same folks to make laws about our children's bodies or what we are allowed to put on the dinner table? 

These aren’t political issues for the ballot box to solve. They’re personal, cultural issues that need to be discussed over dinner with neighbors.

So let’s have more genuine, honest, humble conversations. Like Oliver, let’s buckle down and use our gifts and talents to build the local culture that fuels a nation.

Young migratory mother from Texas in Edison California, 1940. Dorothea Lange/Farm Bureau/National Archives.

Can you imagine how our communities could flourish if men and women make music, films, and art that champions good and beautiful things? Or how much unity we could build if we see diversity and creativity as tools to build off of our best values rather than settling for consumerism and identity politics?

We can come together. We can celebrate our stories, recognize our differences, and leave our communities better than we found them—one musician, one poem, one novel at a time. Our values matter, they build our culture. Our culture births our government and our government is the leadership we deserve. If we want better then we have to do better, one neighbor, one song, one farm stand at a time.

America is not one election or piece of legislation away from reversing our country’s decline. It is up to each of us to invest upstream in culture before political divisiveness wreaks havoc on families, neighborhoods, and communities.

This is why Common Sense Society is working so hard to connect artists, authors, dissidents, scholars, and local civic leaders to one another. Learn more about what we are doing in partnership with our citizens initiative The Virginia Council in Virginia, or share in the comments what you’re doing in your community! We would love to hear about it.