Hello everyone, Usually, I’d reply to people’s individual comments but there have been so many that I’ll struggle to do that. However, I still wanted to say something given that many comments have not been kind in their tone. So, here goes. Firstly, I didn’t say I didn’t like the song. I do like the song, and I do think that Oliver Anthony has a great voice, and that he sings with emotion and authenticity. My point was that the reason the song has gone viral isn’t because of those things (because there are many songs with those things that haven’t gone viral), it is because of the message. I don’t think that’s a controversial thing to say. However, some of the abuse I’ve had as a result of saying this seems extraordinary. Even if I said that I thought the song was rubbish, that’s just a difference of opinion, and if we think differently about a song then we don’t have to be enemies. Secondly, this is a blind reaction. The very nature of a blind reaction means that (1) I’ve done no research prior to watching something because I want to react to it at face value and (2) that I’ll definitely miss some stuff (in this case, the idea of governmental control). However, what you do get with blind reactions is my honest and sincere thoughts, given off the top of my head, on the spot. What I’ve found out over the last two days is that the way to get by as a reactor is not to do this, instead it is to give the people what they want (over the top positivity 100% of the time). By the way, having watched it back, I do think that I got the main point of the song, which is that working class people are trapped because of decision makers at governmental level. Thirdly, there are some people in the comments who think that I am different from you. I guess that the term ‘Professor’ helped to push people to the conclusion that I am from the elite and am therefore part of the problem. But I am you. I am from the dirt (from one of the most economically deprived areas in Wales). In fact, I spend much of my time at university trying to help disadvantaged students navigate their way through systems that were not built to support them. So please don’t think that I don’t love the message that Oliver Anthony is putting out there. I’ve lived his message for my whole life, and I love that he is holding people to account in his music. Finally, there were also many respectful comments, and some of them mentioned how Oliver Anthony isn’t talking about the rich but is talking about politicians. I do understand the distinction, but my experience is that politicians tend to come from affluent backgrounds and so have no idea about the struggles of real people, and my experience is that when those people get into power that a lot of the policy that gets through government has been influenced through the actions of rich people and rich corporations i.e. even if the rich are not in power, they do hold power over those in power. Listen, I get the frustration, but whether you believe it or not, we are on the same side, and want the same thing, which is systems in society that reduce the abuse of power, and support those in need of help. If you made it this far then thanks for reading, and best of luck to us all as we swim in these waters. Nic
It's a fragile individual who can't handle someone not falling in love with the things they love. I found this reaction to be the most fascinating because of one particular point; it's not a new world. It's easy for us to get lost in that echo chamber and accept something as a fact that resonates with you. I like it when I'm stopped in my tracks to think, because I was all about that lyric. I would disagree with you on the system being to blame for obesity. Yes, eating crap food is cheaper and I get that, but at the basic level there is personal responsibility.
That's kind of weird. I'm not a native English speaker and yet I understood your message in the video just as you wrote it here again. My English isn't that good and I need a translator for this text - but the deeply reflected statement in the video was understood by me. So why don't native speakers understand that? I agree with your analysis. In this sense, thank you for your different kind of reaction. Many greetings from Germany.
Some people didn't pay attention to what you said. You have a big heart and a good understanding of how the world works. I suppose you have to grow a thicker skin if you want to post your thoughts on TH-cam. I don't understand why people misunderstood what you said. To me it was very clear. I'm not religious but I share a lot with the Christian values like being kind and forgiving. Being kind is for others and forgiving is for myself so I can move on.
Hey, I loved your reaction. It's the whole point in my humble opinion. I'm not looking for more confirmation bias here. You also made me remember that there is nothing new under the sun. Most people just aren't used to being able to get to see how the sausage is made I guess.
@@lloydkeith3061 I don't know if letting people starve while we tax people to feed the obese is a red thread throughout history? There's a lot in this modern world that is old habits but there's also a lot of new things. Pharmacies creating illnesses to sell drugs is another thing I think is unheard of.
I’m a middle-aged white lady in the mountains of Virginia, just like him. I FEEL this song. I grew up poor (without government benefits, my parents were hippies who didn’t believe in that) and have managed to claw my way out of total poverty, at least compared to my neighbors. I have a few thousand in an “emergency fund” so can cover a car repair or emergency dental visit, but I live paycheck-to-paycheck. A “retirement fund” is out of the question, and I owe $50,000 in student loans. What amazes me is that this song resonates with everyone else too. I don’t usually even watch reaction videos, but I’ll bet in the last week I have watched 100 reaction videos to just this song.
You and I have taken very different paths and arrive at the same spot. Middle-aged white guy in Florida. Parents were not hippies but not wealthy. I remember as a kid in the 80s helping mom lick stamps to put on a grocery store card for cheaper groceries. At one point mom had bought a box of donuts as a luxury and dad had lost it and threw the box screaming "We can't! We need every cent!" I only heard the shouting realizing it best not to come out of my room. My college was free - heck I even had money left over from the money sent to me (from somewhere) but lived in fear not understanding where it came from and figuring I'd need to give it back. However, I am in the same amount of debt in credit cards due to OhShit moments when getting laid off from work or needing car repairs. From what I understand, I probably make more than most (not a boast, but a shock to learn about) and I live paycheck-to-paycheck. Retirement had only really just started and that's where as much of my money is going to (even though I'm convinced I'll be working until I'm dead - or as long as I'm employable) and putting in the maximum allowed without paying a penalty (which is crazy to me that a penalty for saving is even a thing). I haven't been to the doctors for a check-up or a dentist for a cleaning for fear of being cleaned out in almost 20 years. These things are both incredibly personal and embarrassing to mention, and I'd prefer not to but it needs saying because I'm sure SOMEONE can relate for both being embarrassed and not having the highest of views to the intent of doctors or dentists and being more like unquestionable sales people in that they are just like any sales person but using their high degree of professional stature to have you question why it's so expensive when you get a diagnosis like "I'm not quite sure what the problem is" for $900 (in 2008 money) WITH insurance for something that eventually cleared up on it's own anyway. Don't even get me started on insurance omfg. What really hits me in the chest are the reactions of people I would presume would have nothing in common with me or presume the same vice versa. Different combinations of race, sex and (most astonishingly) age almost all having the same reaction to the line "Living in the new world - with an old sole" and feeling completely alone and out of place and out of touch. But dammit, that's practically everyone and with some only being around 20 years old? What?! I felt my head physically ring as if it were a large, heavy bell being struck. It's incredibly surreal the reactions this is having. Even as I'd started typing this very response, I'd stepped out side to gather my thoughts (and I kid you not) my neighbor two doors down from me was playing this exact song from his stereo getting ready to mow the yard. I've never seen us all stop on a dime like this and ask wtf IS happening? This is truly a highlighter moment in human history and since it turns out that our division is only in our heads - where do we go from here? And what else is only in our heads?
@@eSh..This is a great comment. I too distrust the medical industrial complex Going thru hell with them. Diagnosed w/ 2 types of cancer in March and they scheduled surgery and chemo and radi just 6 wks later. I was on a conveyor belt of cutting and poisons! I cancelled everything and trying to find my way to kill it. I call on Jesus a lot. Doctors can only offer surgery chemo and radi. So zero help, even with an off label use prescription. Said no. So if you don't do their things, you get punished. OH! And they removed my Non Hodgkins diagnoses 2 months ago and still no one has told me why. They suck. Infrared saunas can kill cancer but I can't use it cause they've put 5 clips in my body, 3 that I know are not cancerous, but they'll heat up unevenly. SOB"s
The monetary system is completely broken. "Your dollar ain't shit," indeed. This is the end result of using fiat currency. Politicians know that taxation is unpopular, so they just inflate the money instead. It's a hidden tax. People have been conditioned to think that the price of everything continues to go up over time, but in reality the exact opposite should be happening. The purchasing power of a dollar in 1913 was equivalent to over $30 today. Go look at the US Debt Clock. The "debt" right now is 33 trillion dollars, which is eye-watering. But look at the bottom line of numbers, in particular "US Unfunded Liabilities." It's over $193 trillion. It's worse than the media pretends it is (no surprise there since it's ran by elites). The government doesn't have enough money to pay for any of this shit, so all they do is keep spending money they don't have and printing more of it, which devalues the dollar, stealing the wealth from anyone that saves in dollars (why do you think so many rich people own so much property?). The only way to opt out of this is to reject the dollar and save in a hard money. Something that can't be inflated at will. Gold is an option, but IMO the better option is bitcoin. I sell my dollars as soon as I get them. I only convert back when necessary to pay bills.
I'm a middle aged man also from the mountains of western Virginia, and I feel your struggle because it's so similar to mine. Took me a decade after college to find a good job, I'm actually very grateful though because I do something that has nothing to do with my degree but I figured out with family connections skilled labor pays better than white collar jobs. Keep your head down grind and save money it's the only way out.
its a damn shame honestly. America is in a shit place right now. Greed is at an all time high with these companies and nothing is being done on a government level to step in and help us as American Citizens to just live. im in my mid twenties right now and I have no idea how ill pay bills when im at an age where I cant even work because I KNOW that any government fund like social security wont be enough to cover basic living costs in my area.
People who don't know this, the importance of money, are people who have never truly struggled. Yes, money can't buy happiness... but a truly acute lack of money can screw your life up, a lot.
@@creoshin9082 The importance of money is what makes people be disgusted of it. Everything today depends on money and a way to make money. money has too much value in society, without money you're a nobody and with money you're the world. those with a lot of it, can decide everything for you, it can't be a democracy when a minority with the most sum of money can simply make decisions for you. regardless what your political belief may be. everything today is used to extract money and make you poor, kindness has been replaced with greed. In the recent years i keep saying, humanity lost its humanity. we have to regain our humanity, there should never be anything more important than a human life. while society exists the way it is, human life is equal for a few thousand dollars, at best... i'm not pulling that number out of my a-- , thats what "charities" get for housing homeless people in the worst imaginable conditions. (not all, but the biggest ones) Everything is broken.
I am a 57 year old male, born and raised in the US. When I was a child, my father worked an 8 hour shift at a blue collar, middle class job. We had a 2500 square foot home on 2.5 acres, 2 cars, a dog, a cat, a horse, a pony, and a gocart. My mom stayed home and raised myself and my 3 sisters. My dad was able to provide all this, and put money away at the same time. The middle class can no longer live this sort of life. I make about what my dad was making when he retired, and I can just get by with no room to get ahead of the paycheck to paycheck grind. This level of prosperity existed from just after WWII to possibly the mid 80s or so. It is disheartening that I the majority of middle class no longer have this level of prosperity.
Exactly what I was thinking. Yes there has always been the rich but after WWII, both in the US and across Europe there was a boom in manufacturing with strong unions creating good paying jobs, but from the early 1980's with Regan and Thatcher the tide started to turn. Corporations have been allowed to ship jobs overseas and with minimal import duties, steel mills and mines have closed. The good jobs are fewer and with the decline of the unions condition of employment have gone down the drain
@@martinkil50 Corporations were not "allowed" to ship jobs overseas. They were forced to do so. High taxes and forced wages and over regulations force them to leave.
@@randymiller3918 Exactly. And those "strong unions" had a lot to do with it. Unions may benefit the worker in the short run but over time are job killers.
@@sootikins I am not convinced it is the unions exactly. If the workers want to collectively negotiate and those who do not wish to participate can still work, then I see no issues. I think it is when the government makes rules regarding the negotiations that give the unions more power than they should have. That is why we see a lot of unions that donate to political candidates. I believe, and I could be wrong, that if the unions and the corporations had to negotiate without government interference it would not be so bad.
This man has talent and especially "SOUL". We as humanity are resonating 3000% with this. The world is under globalist control and privatized banking. I love this man.
These shills are the ones propping up this woke regime.He hates the song for the exact opposite reason that everyone loves and resonates to it. This song is a deadly threat to the woke cult and they know it. Their ships are sinking around them.
He’s validating the feelings of millions around the world. I watched a reaction video from 2 young ladies from Africa. The tears rolling down their faces.
He was struggling with alcohol and depression and gave his life to God about a couple of months ago. He talks about it a little bit in his first introductory video that he put out the day before this was released. Its an inspirational story really. He's turned down multimillion dollar contracts and lives in a rv with a tarp over it that he bought on Craigslist for $750 on his land with his dogs offgrid. 4 chords and the truth penetrates everyone's souls. Authentic, raw and heartfelt. The island does refer to human trafficking but is specifically addressing Epstein's island rather than the documentary The Sound of Freedom. Uk's Prince Andrew went there. The queen paid off his victim and protected him from prosecution the year before she died. Apparently America is the largest consumers when it comes to human trafficking. Our Chief Justice in the Supreme Court name is on the list. Chuck Schumer is a senator and his name is on the list but they list him as Chuck Schumi. Bill Clinton went 28 times. Oprah Winfrey went 11 times in her personal jet. They wont release the whole list and got it sealed in court. That means, to me, there are buttloads people on that list that are still in power. A bunch of sick, evil perverted bastards is what they are. This current administration has "lost" over 85,000 children from the border. Can't account for them. I can't imagine what kind of hell they're going through. One 8 yr old little boy from the border had to wear diapers because he was raped so many times. Its evil and our compromised government is involved.
By most counts there are at least 40 million slaves in the world today, and more than a dozen countries where it's still legal. There's another dozen where it's technically "illegal" but isn't actually prosecuted. And that number represents actual slaves (people laboring in chains... not just exploited s*x workers lured from overseas). In the US, it's mostly arising from illicit exploitation, and is actually prosecuted quite vigorously, with a few thousand per year charged and convicted (which is why the wealthy tend to travel out of the country).
I am 52 year old professional with a doctorate.. I am an American, and I believe this is part of the difference. I was raised in poverty, and worked my way upward since the age of 13. I put myself through college, paid off my loans, saved for my children's eduction, paid my bills without a single bit of help from anyone. I watch my tax dollars go overseas for wars I do not want, supporting people in other countries that hate me because I am an American, who has conservative traditional family values and a Christian. I am constantly told by the press, the media, Hollywood, and members of academia that I am oppressor, a racist, a sexist merely because of WHO I am, not because of anything that I have done or said. At 52, my best days are behind me already. My body is physically shot from the work I did as a young boy to get out of poverty. I am in physical and mental pain, and believe my sons will have a worse life even though that is not how it should be. I have went from poverty, to upper middle class, but with all stacked against me, this is as good as it will get. I am certain I will die in poverty, with nothing but wasted years of work, a broken body, and a broken heart knowing that my country turned on me for the benefit of others. That is America. That is the song. He is just a younger man who has realized what us older Americans know, regardless of race or creed.
The more I hear this song, the better I like it. I think the Dr. might like it a bit more as well if he gives it another spin or two. I think the Dr. misses out on one huge dynamic. This is the USA. Home of the free. Anyone can make it here, and the fact that so many people are feeling they can no longer make it...shows a current dystopia that a person from the UK may not be able to relate to.
you're right, you've been sold the American Dream and it's a big con. It's a giant pyramid scheme. As the Doc says it's nothing new and it's not just a US problem, it's universal. Used to be the Church and Monarchies that had all the power, now it's the corporations. The politicians are bought and paid for by the rich and powerful, get the money out of politics and maybe just maybe integrity can push it's way to prominence
That is a debate I have with my girlfriend, she is originally from Moldova and lived in Paris for 11 years; people from the socialist countries (Europe) cannot grasp the concept of Freedom because those countries have never known freedom. In the USA, we don't like our money that we earned, is stolen from our paychecks and given to those that don't choose to work and also given to other countries. I don't give a f**k about people in other countries who won't fight for their freedom and almost expect the USA to bail them out. Also, when he talks about obesity, he said our stolen money should not be buying the junk food for those who feel entitled to live off of our stolen money. I don't think the Dr. Understands from the viewpoint of the average U.S. citizen.
@@nicowest3249 - He knows what obesity does to a person, he knows the Gov. is helping them shorten their lives, and reduce the quality of the shortened life they have left, by facilitating their addiction. He knows that, but prefers not to face it . . so much more comfy to bad mouth those who do face the truth of what is being done to them . . (at the expense of those who provide him with a life of luxury even Kings could not conceive of just a few generations ago).
I live in the UK, and I have no idea who to vote FOR... I have a somewhat stronger desire to vote against some parties, but I don't want to not vote *against* any of them. The same issues - a single wage in a median job can no longer pay for the upkeep of a family and the purchase of a home as it did for the previous generation - are present here (though I manage to live comfortably as a single person in my 50s on a 'sub poverty line income' because I prefer a simpler life and without mobile phone contracts, a car and a need for a constant stream of new shit, I make ends meet with cash to spare). I have some modest 'luxuries' including fibre internet, and a membership of a fencing class (and the occasional 'sword = sword +1'), but I do have to consider the cost and value of each purchase, and retain a 6 month rent/significant purchase savings reserve, just in case. -
The Rich Men North Of Richmond, refers to the politicians in Washington DC. Oliver lives in Richmond Virgina. DC is north of Richmond Virginia. And yes, the island is the Epstien Island. Our country, America, is in a bad place right now. The message in this song, brings us together. Amazingly, it's touched the hearts around the world as well. A song like this, as simple as it is, has the potential to unite us all and mend the wounds. It softens are differences, allowing us to feel more like brothers and sisters... and that's a very positive and powerful thing! 🙏
he has a song which is more about mental health called "I Want To Go Home". i'm a 52 year old Englishman and i felt every word of it. it makes me weep.
Hello there, the message definitely resonated with me, as someone who from one of the lowest socio economic areas in Wales. Perhaps I needed to get that across more in the video. Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to comment. Nic
@@nichooper7 - "the message definitely resonated with me, as someone who from one of the lowest socio economic areas in Wales." You didn't even get that cliche across intelligibly. One who what from one of the lowest socio economic areas in Wales? Learned how to justify telling those you came from to just suck it up, and shut up when they're told to by their masters, because that's the way it's always been? What an accomplishment . . give yourself a pat on the head, kid.
@@nichooper7 lol... you're an "academic" psychologist. Your blerb on Amazon is pompous and takes unnecessary (and wrong) shots at "North Americans" with regards to Wales being a different "country" than England. Is it? Is it, really? It's a different "state," at best, like Texas is different than New York. Wales, Scotland, and England comprise the United Kingdom (Is Northern Ireland still in dispute? How's the Troubles going for ya?), which is a country recognized internationally. Wales is not a country that deals with international affairs, was actually just a principality of England after the English crown conquered it militarily, and has significantly less autonomy than a state like Texas, who has its own military outside of the chain of command of the United States federal government. So if Wales is a "country" then the U.S. has fifty countries.
@@nichooper7It's not really about the low socio-economic people though. And it's certainly not about living amongst them. It's a song for people who can't sleep because their body aches and they're waking up and choosing between pain and death every day. When I go to any job I will come across people who know men who have died on the job. And many more will know men who woke up one day and chose death over the pain. And the reason why it resonates so hard is because the inequality expressed in the song is the inequity of people who physically make your world what it is. It's the 20% of men (and their families and loved ones) who physically keep the roof over your head and the food on your table and the cars running. I don't think you can resonate with that because the UK parliament has progressively corroded your system to a point where the English, Welsh, Scots (obviously not the Irish have they ever done work?) men who built and maintained your country no longer do it. They sit on their arse while your taxes pay for their bags of fudge rounds. And now your system is broken, depending on foreigners, legal and illegal, to do your dirty work.
You know it's funny I'm a poor blue-collar worker for 39 years on the same job this guy in the people who have common known him to me or very simple 41 everything he said in his song was spot-on and we all know it now for the reactions we live in a unique country we're almost every nationality is represented and our government in the people in it had done everything they can do to separate us and pit us against one another the reason for all the reactions are we seeing each other as Americans but we're all very different in the way of our nationality and our background so everyone is looking at each other and are different nationalities in the fact that we all see one song in the same way everyone is checking everybody out and how they react to this one true song and how we all got the same feelings and emotions at the same time about the same topic that's just my perception has a GED graduate and blue-collar worker who has also graduated from the School of hard knocks with my 39 years dealing with all kinds of people I'm with maintenance hey school system in Florida I hope this helps😊
You nailed it. Because I reacted so strongly, I’m curious if others reacted in the same way, so I am fascinated to hear these reaction videos. And I’m hugely encouraged that the vast majority of folks of all backgrounds, nationalities, races, reacted similarly.
Have you listened to his song.. "I gotta get Sober".. it's so real and sad. Nobody knew of him.. The reaction is because ALL of us can relate to it.. His voice is emotionally REAL..
Because it resonates with American middle class and lower class people, something that anyone not an American will struggle with trying to understand and explain. Someone like you.
i kind of agree with you, and i believe he has misunderstood the meaning behind the song which is understandable having only listened to it once, this isnt a song about rich and poor, this is a song about Polititions and how they have abandened the attempt to represent the hard working people and taken the easy route of appealing the the donor class and the 1%...This occurred at a specific time in the UK, when Labour changed their name to 'New Labour' and abandoned the working class...(Tony Blair era)...this is an example of perfection in song writing,, taking simple words that hit hard because they speak the truth...back in my day in the UK we had Billy Brag, who spoke hard truths in a complicated way that never had a popular following because of the complexity of the message...
If you haven't actually paid attention, and apparently you haven't, this song is resonating with middle to lower class people all over the world. This issue is not just in the States but worldwide. But thank you for showing other countries how self-indulgent we are 🙄
@@vashthestampededragon9824I live in this country, with it's own unique history. This is the country I am most concerned about, not "B.F. Egypt", so if this "issue" is in their country, then they have to deal with it as they see fit, and it is their problem, just like we have our problems. Without a strong, vibrant, and honest, and genuine, America, the rest of the world is diminished. So, you, and they, can think how "self-indulgent" "we" are, until the cows come home...I could not care less. This song was written, and sung, by an American, to Americans, and the words he used, related to middle and lower class Americans, so obviously, YOU were not paying attention. IF the song resonates with non-Americans, then that is fine...if not, that is fine too. Each citizen of their own country should put their country first. So, to most of us, that haven't swallowed the marxist/socialist/climate-change/globalist B.S., we put America first. We have to be strong if we want to be able help anyone else. When are people going to stop worrying about what other countries think about us, and just concentrate on our own country and it's problems, which, by the way, are unique to America...(Our wide open southern border, for example)?
Anyone who doesn't get this song has a very carefree and easy life. Good for you ....... Anyone struggling, tired, in debt, realising the politicians helped cause this and won't fix it for the good of the people gets why this song hits so hard.
There’s a line about wish the government would be concerned about Miners and not just minors on an island somewhere. He is from an area that has been known for coal mining for 100s of years.
I also kinda wonder if it's also referring all the shit that's happening to the minors being exploited that the media is down playing or flat out denying or lying about...
Thank you Dr, great analysis. Rich oppression has always been here as you say. However, he sang at the heart of the song about something very dark that artists are afraid to sing of, about an island they can't name, the industrial abuse of little ones by the people that rule us, even royalty and there, he was not afraid to call them out. They will have to try and silence or discredit him or worse. He needs our prayer.x
Blue collar American here. First time watching your channel. I thought your reaction was honest, and to the point. The message speaks volumes to everyone who knows the struggle of living pay to pay. Didn’t see anything wrong with your reaction. You’re entitled to your own opinion, so I wouldn’t lose any sleep over viewer comments. ✌🏻
As someone from the UK, who has worked for hospitality for over a decade, doing the overtime and getting paid less than minimum wage, getting fired if you complain about wages or don;t arrive exactly on time. So yeah, sh*t needs to change, it's not just in America, it's around the world. And yes it attacks the government, but we need to. He's saying what most if not all working class people think. Doing min 18hr shifts for festival bars, working for companies that treat people like less than the mud covering people's boots in festival fields. It's sh*te but it's all I had for over a decade, now I'm trying to find something new as medically I'm not allowed to do the job anymore, the system has chewed me up and spat me out, and now I'm back living with my parents in a small room depressed as all hell on benefits. I had a job, I got treated like crap. At the same time, the education system in this country, also needs changing, I am struggling in my 5th year of trying to do a 3 year course as a mentally challenged student with sweet fa help from my university, but yes, I agree with this song, it;s accurate.
All joy has gone from this world, everybody is living with such pain from losing so many loved ones from Covid, to crime and so much hatred in Politics. Many people feel that they are just surviving rather than living.
This is the most Consequencal song of our lifetime! No matter your race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! This is now our nations rallying cry!🇺🇸
A big problem in the states is cost. And things HAVE changed. Now 2 people working 2 jobs each can't afford a house. We are losing our middle class fast. Large corporations are buying them to hold or rent at exorbitant prices. Thank You for your reaction video
It's always been this way, but a few years ago more people were able to get by, even if they didn't have much. Now we can't even get by and it's only getting worse. That is why it resonates with so many people across so many different nations, races, religions and political affiliations.
Dr. Nic . . . when Oliver Anthony sang about the "New World" . . . he was talking about America and the American dream. This place was supposed to be different from the "Old World." That's why millions came here. This is the disillusionment from someone who realized that nothing really changed.
6:30 The "New World" he's referring to isn't a new world of corruption. Think of what the world looks like today compared to 100 years ago. The "new" is this right here. This instantaneous and empty communication. Look where he is. He isn't in a subway, downtown street corner, coffee shop. No. He's in the woods. The "old soul" longs for a simple life and the world is hopelessly addicted to the revolving door of technology. Maybe not at an individual level, but certainly at a societal one.
Not just the message, but also the obvious pain conveyed by the singer. I am not sure you have your finger on what he meant by living in a new world. Only he knows what he meant for sure but there are differences, for example people did not always say words were literal violence and all the societal outcomes that then follow from that, that is not the same as at any other point in world history that I am aware of, at least not on the scale at which we currently see it in western nations.
Hi Dr Nic, I heard this song pretty recently. Actually following Black Pegasus's channel, which I came across via reactions to Ren's music. So I have listened to it a couple of times. I concur with a lot of what you said there. I think it is a trad protest song (like Woody Guthrie, "This our land " vibe) fitting for the current subjective experience of millions of downtrodden people right now, and the objective context is indeed nothing new. My initial response was , wow , he's got a resonator guitar. Then, after his performance I thought. Its heartfelt & this really will resonate with a lot of people, because its tapping into the common experience of many people/communities that have lost out, and are dealing with the fall out. They feel that their lives and livelihoods are worthless, and they don't have a voice and nothing in politics makes a difference to their everyday lives. I agree, mental & physical illness (related very often), are more likely to be found in in deprived areas, but its also an issue for more affluent people. Really just coping mechanisms, self medication, powerlessness. The thing that really gets to me is the waste of potential, and lack of reward , lack of empathy right now. Cheers and best wishes.
He was unknown, weeks earlier gave himself over to God. He never played for money. Now he has two #1 billboard and iTunes songs. It's just a pure and well versed song in a growing tech world. FYI - Mr. Anthony has turned down multi-million dollar signing offers. And opens his sessions with reading a passage from the Bible.
I don't think the popularity is about the words. It is (more) about his emotional voice - it is like he is crying and singing. There is a reason people are getting the chills non stop. You are right, he doesn't have the best voice (not refined or trained anyway) though the lyrics are catchy. VERY FEW PEOPLE have ever sang a song where it sounds like you can feel their pain. There are many songs that speak a similar message (e.g. Tom McDonald but not the pain in the voice) and don't have this effect. WE ALL FEEL OLIVER'S PAIN IN THIS SONG. Lyrics are integral but it's the pain in the voice. Almost like Country w/ some pain from Grunge thrown in, and a bit of gospel, soul and folk.
when he said "livin new world" he didnt mean the rich men holding the power, we all know its always been that way about rich men holding the power. what oliver meant was the working mans value in america which has gone down today and it has NOT always been that way. there was a time in america when the average working man could buy a house and a car and raise a family from his salary, a time when the american dream was reachable. today most workers cant afford to buy a house and will be renting for the rest of their lives while kids get into debt even before the start workin in the real world. that is what oliver meant when he said "living in a new world"
A voice out of Appalachia (app-uh-latch-uh) speaks truth to power. The "new world" he laments is the unprecedented Orwellian technology that tracks our every move and its invasion of privacy and its abuse by govt. This is an Appalachian ballad, but with tremendous universal appeal. His booming. soulful baritone is rich with his thick Appalachian accent (e.g. dollar H'aint shit) and he crushes it playing the resonator guitar, an Appalachian bluegrass instrument adding that soulful twang and richness. Being from Appalachia and southern Virginia in particular, he knows what happened to the miners in SW Virginia and eastern KY and delivers the line of the year juxtaposing miners and minors with great power, exposing the privilege, corruption and misplaced priorities of govt. Also, he contrasts hunger with obesity: obesity and its related health issues are a huge problem here in Appalachia and he is calling out the obese welfare abusers for their self destruction, and we all see it here at our local Food City or Dollar General. And he also addresses the opioid crisis and hopelessness here that is putting all these young men in the ground to early graves. Appalachian folk are unique, and while much of Appalachia is in the South, we're not southerners, but Appalachian, and that extends to WV, PA, MD, TN, VA, NC, KY, etc. He's one of us, but he speaks for all of us in this country and around the world.
Sadly your education has made you think to much and not feel enough!! Oliver has nailed it and if you think you need to nail it down... you missed it!!!
DrNicAnalyzes you can feel this song is from his soul. If you listen the Country music especially Chris Stapleton who’s labeled country but he’s soul,blues, R&B & Outlaw Country all in 1 amazing voice. Then you will understand why this song went viral here in US Especially with the tyrannical regime in power right now.
This is not a US issue, it's an international issue. Thank you good doctor, for being synthetic this man's pain, rather than trying to contradict his experience.
@@nichooper7 colorblindness is no longer enough. Now " social justice " is taking root. It is not egalitarianism at all that is sought. The middle class is being destroyed by current norms and government policies.
This song is fire because he speaks for all of us blue collar workers out here who are just trying to make it. Here in the US, taxes are high, inflation is higher. Food is so expensive and fuel is at stratospheric levels. It's hard to make it day by day. This song is for my grandparents, my parents, and now for me.
Dr, I respect your reaction. In this day and age so many people feel that they can't offend any group for fear of being ostracized. The time has come to stand up for your beliefs and the people who are offended be damned. Don't be afraid to have an opinion and express it. That is why this song is so popular and hits so deep with so many. The silent majority has been awakened.
If you look at a lot of areas here in America yes our men have always literally worked themselves to death to support us and our children their really good hard working men. And we are losing our young men the suicide rates and opiod crisis are completely out of control and theres a direct correlation to the same poor communities
Actually, it is a "new world" to many old souls such as myself. I never thought the day would come that my granddaughters would be competing in sports against boys that say they are girls until they win, and then they suddenly become boys again. I never thought the day would come that men claiming to be women would get on social media and tell other men claiming to be women to arm themselves and unalive any biological women or children in restrooms that ask them to leave. I never thought society would try to take my earned title of "mother" and try to force me to call myself a "birthing person." I never thought Roe vs. Wade would be overthrown, and women across this country would lose their rights to make decisions regarding their own bodies. I never thought an ex president would be charged with crime after crime after crime. I never thought mass shootings, especially at schools, would become common. I never thought a pandemic would shut the world down. The list goes on and on! So, yes, this new world is horrible, and I also wish I could wake up and it not be true.
He’s the innocent child who says out loud the kings naked ‘They don’t think that you know(kings naked) but I know you do’ Look at the reaction videos when he says ‘ Islands somewhere’ They can’t believe he said it out loud. Calling out the king NOW we can talk amongst our selves out loud about theses.things Now others we free free to talk about these things together This white male country ginger has slowed us to have discussions Most of the reaction tears are tears of joy that the dam has been broken and we can talk White black, blue or red, US UK, Australia Haiti, reactions from all over the world
I never even knew people did “ reaction videos about songs. Until Oliver Anthony came on the scene. NOW I know. Thanks for your work. Interesting that people do this. I’ve now watched at least a dozen different reactions to Richmond song ❤
I feel the bit about Welfare is mentioning how those are put there, in a position where they believe they need welfare to survive but all it is buying is more bad junk such as fudge rounds keeping those on welfare on welfare. It is a form of control. Many did not want Wal Mart but Wal Mart entered the town, gained support with cheap prices and now sells junk to the consumers who lost their job at the local store that Wal Mart displaced. They also lost access to better products because Wal Mart has poorer quality versions of the products. And, for the amount of money a store like this takes in per employee, the employees collectively earn less than if they were with the original store. I work in Medicine, as you, and I see how a poor dollar does not have access that a rich dollar does. It is a damn shame.
I really appreciate your thoughts and your honesty. I hope you continue to do honest reactions even if some people get upset about you challening their views on the world.
A fascinating reaction. My own interpretation of his lines regarding obese people milking welfare is this ... People who are receiving assistance are making their lives worse on the backs of those that work to provide for them. It feels ungrateful and manipulative. At the same time, I understand that poor food is cheaper than healthy food. Poor people with a full stomach feel more secure than they would if they were hungry. Working people sometimes resent that our tax dollars (ie hard work) is being used to make people's lives ultimately worse.
Especially because the cut off for assistance is so low, but cost for food is so high even lower middle class can't afford healthy food, but the extreme poor can. I have friends that have to cut their own salaries so they can feed their kids on paper. I work my ass off and scrape change for milk and cereal for the kids while fat people on scooters are buying up the snack isle. This guy is oblivious to that.
But, less poor food is still cheaper than excessive amounts of poor food.... An appropriate amount of food of a moderate quality better chosen wouldn't cost more, but would not make their disabilities worse.
Saying poor mental health and poverty are directly linked doesn't seem correct. Basically the entire contenant of Africa lives poverty and cant all have poor mental health. Also indegenous tribes seem to have some of the best mental health and are the most impovershed people on the planet.
The obesity part isn't necessarily about all obese people.. there are a portion of the people on welfare who milk the system. They've never put in an honest days work, and they are getting fat off at the expense of the tax payers. It's frustrating as a taxpayer, knowing there are people genuinely needing help and not getting it, while people who have never contributed abuse the system.
In the United states, if you file "single and none" on your taxes, your basically giving the state and federal government over 50% of your income. They higher the bracket (your total income amount) the higher your tax rate. We don't have free healthcare, with Obama care, if you make 15 $ an hour you will pay close to 1k a month for insurance that only covers 80%, with copays. Now on the flip side you have people on welfare that is using it as a life style instead of a hand up to a better life, with each kid they get more money. They also get free medical and don't have to file taxes or pay taxes with the money. This life style is making people old fast, they can afford soda, cakes, chips all kinds of stupid food. Not working is killing people, no purpose is killing people.. use to be that welfare was called "food stamps" and it was exactly that. People were ashamed to use them and tried their best to get off them. You could ONLY buy food with them. Now you can buy just about anything. I'm not judging people BUT I know a few girls, who absolutely milk the system. One has 5 kids, 5 different dads, ( 100 minimum on child support a week that is not considered income) $350 each kid a month in welfare, subsidized housing so no rent, a utility check, so no bill for that. All get free insurance since none if that counts as income. No copays. On the side she cleans houses for cash and doesn't claim it. In the meantime the working class are paying higher taxes, don't eat as well, usually can't afford insurance and sweating student loans because they did better themselves. Not every person on welfare is like this, but there are plenty..its the same with social security. The worker bee's are overwhelmed. NOW the people streaming across our border are getting checks and free healthcare and housing. Can you see ?
I get what you mean. I think because he’s just a self-described “nobody” as, just a regular dude living a regular life who lives these lyrics every day and it was unexpected plus it came at the right time. The emotion in his voice is unique and what hits me in the gut.
I think "The New World" refers to traditional values being erroded by the forced acceptance and normalization of what used to be considered depraved and deviant lifestyles and sexual aberrations. 'Normal" people have been branded as some sort of a threat to 'The new World" way of accepting things that degrade reality and integrity.
Its popular because you can feel his passion and emotion. Most artists and songs are commercialized, they dont write their own material, and that passion is missing. He obviously is passionate when he sings it, and the message resonates especially to the upper poor, lower to middle class.
I appreciate your reaction video and your analysis. Thank you. 🙏 I think the whole delivery along with the lyrics make it such a powerful resonator. The lyrics are simple and straight forward yet packed with meaning. The line "They think you don't know, but I know that you do" cuts through the gaslighting and lies by politicians and those who would seek to control others by any means necessary for their own personal benefit. The folksy, simple music is the antithesis to over done modern styles, and finally he sings with great passion and conviction. I think the combination is surprising and sort of sucker punches people.
It's not about all rich men it's very specifically about rich men north of Richmond meaning Washington DC. These politicians go into office from with less than a million dollars take a sallary of $100-200 thousand and some how in 2 years they have tens and hundreds of millions.
Oliver Anthony (Chris) is just another one of the regular people. You should watch a quick video of who he is. He's speaking for the people, some say its the song of the revolution
Plain and simple, most people feel the lyrics, a lot of us couldn't express them like he did. The power hungry have pushed the everyday people down to a point of breaking. Money is tight and inflation keeps rising, but the rich get richer and the middle class is disappearing. They want haves and have nots.
As a rich guy i was talking to one night at a bar said. "It's far easier being depressed in a mansion with a pool than a shitty rouch infected apartment. It doesn't make getting better or getting help easier though." I thought that was profound myself. Especially after robin Williams self deleted
For not knowing the personally, your insight were quite on point. Thanks for sharing. He is speaking of an underlying sense that resonates with all the world, and there is a growing swell anmong these people that crys out for change, even a revolution if necessary.
I appreciate you asking yourself why this song is so popular. To me, the message resonates for the following reason: as our society is evolving, we often focus on areas where we feel we need to evolve. Topics like support for refugees or minorities come to mind. These are important topics and we need to find our approach to dealing with them. Now while we do this, we loose focus on the majority of people that keep our society running on a day to day basis. We loose focus so bad that this large group of people feels left behind and not valued. And, as a matter of fact, if we look at wage distribution, free healthcare, etc. we are truly not taking care of the majority of people that have been carrying our society. We need to find a better balance on the topics we pay attention too and show appreciation for people like Oliver Anthony.
I'm not sure this is the best song for psychoanalysis. It's more socioeconomic. The songs, "I Want to Go Home" and "I Gotta Get Sober", I think, would be far more interesting to you and your profession. Those songs are also blowing up on the reaction channels, so probably worth your time.
Wow. You just demonstrated that you know nothing about music and poetry. Everything was special in the rendering of this song, the message by itself was said a million time, but, this one time, it was masterfully done with an extraordinary talent an sensibility. And that is why people are listening. Not the other way around.
Une des meilleures analyse que j'ai vue, mais il y a quelque chose de plus, ne maîtrisant pas totalement l'anglais, j'ai quand même ressenti profondément l'émotion que Chris vehiculait.
My grandfather was a slate picker in a coal mine when he was 12. 12! One of my favorite movies is How Green Was My Valley about coal miners in Wales. When he said the politicians should care about miners and not minors in an island somewhere (with Epstein), it was pretty poignant. He speaks truth. Politicians here live north of Richmond (Virginia) in Washington DC. They don’t help the common man that’s for sure.
Your reaction is fair enough and well said, only your thoughts dont really reflect the message in this song. You make valid points and they may have been well received had they actually applied to the song. Therefore I'm not surprised you recieved a lot of negativity in the comments after your reaction. I believe you are the first reactor I've watched (blind & foreign included) who didn't see straight to the core of this song.
Personally I like the song maybe because I'm American and can relate , but we all have our own opinions , I respect yours , if people don't like what you have to say they can kick rocks and move on . Great job man ❤ from INDIANA, USA.
That lead up to why it resonates , was too long man, you’ll lose some ppl with a long thing like that, happy travels on TH-cam , i of course dropped a like
One more observation: It's interesting how his lyric "They want to know what you think, want to know what you do" is never misinterpreted. After all, we WANT politicians to want to know what we think and take our concerns and needs seriously. We WANT them to know what we do, generally speaking, and to know what our lives are like and then to use that knowledge to create or reverse laws that so that our lives may be improved. Perhaps it was context, but we all knew what he meant: surveillance with a goal of oppression. No one heard that bar and thought: hey man, that's a good thing!
He sings it from his heart and his soul and it's the truth and that's why people in government fear this song cuz it touches so many people so many my friend
Hello everyone,
Usually, I’d reply to people’s individual comments but there have been so many that I’ll struggle to do that. However, I still wanted to say something given that many comments have not been kind in their tone. So, here goes.
Firstly, I didn’t say I didn’t like the song. I do like the song, and I do think that Oliver Anthony has a great voice, and that he sings with emotion and authenticity. My point was that the reason the song has gone viral isn’t because of those things (because there are many songs with those things that haven’t gone viral), it is because of the message.
I don’t think that’s a controversial thing to say. However, some of the abuse I’ve had as a result of saying this seems extraordinary. Even if I said that I thought the song was rubbish, that’s just a difference of opinion, and if we think differently about a song then we don’t have to be enemies.
Secondly, this is a blind reaction. The very nature of a blind reaction means that (1) I’ve done no research prior to watching something because I want to react to it at face value and (2) that I’ll definitely miss some stuff (in this case, the idea of governmental control). However, what you do get with blind reactions is my honest and sincere thoughts, given off the top of my head, on the spot. What I’ve found out over the last two days is that the way to get by as a reactor is not to do this, instead it is to give the people what they want (over the top positivity 100% of the time). By the way, having watched it back, I do think that I got the main point of the song, which is that working class people are trapped because of decision makers at governmental level.
Thirdly, there are some people in the comments who think that I am different from you. I guess that the term ‘Professor’ helped to push people to the conclusion that I am from the elite and am therefore part of the problem. But I am you. I am from the dirt (from one of the most economically deprived areas in Wales). In fact, I spend much of my time at university trying to help disadvantaged students navigate their way through systems that were not built to support them. So please don’t think that I don’t love the message that Oliver Anthony is putting out there. I’ve lived his message for my whole life, and I love that he is holding people to account in his music.
Finally, there were also many respectful comments, and some of them mentioned how Oliver Anthony isn’t talking about the rich but is talking about politicians. I do understand the distinction, but my experience is that politicians tend to come from affluent backgrounds and so have no idea about the struggles of real people, and my experience is that when those people get into power that a lot of the policy that gets through government has been influenced through the actions of rich people and rich corporations i.e. even if the rich are not in power, they do hold power over those in power.
Listen, I get the frustration, but whether you believe it or not, we are on the same side, and want the same thing, which is systems in society that reduce the abuse of power, and support those in need of help. If you made it this far then thanks for reading, and best of luck to us all as we swim in these waters.
Nic
It's a fragile individual who can't handle someone not falling in love with the things they love.
I found this reaction to be the most fascinating because of one particular point; it's not a new world. It's easy for us to get lost in that echo chamber and accept something as a fact that resonates with you. I like it when I'm stopped in my tracks to think, because I was all about that lyric.
I would disagree with you on the system being to blame for obesity. Yes, eating crap food is cheaper and I get that, but at the basic level there is personal responsibility.
That's kind of weird. I'm not a native English speaker and yet I understood your message in the video just as you wrote it here again. My English isn't that good and I need a translator for this text - but the deeply reflected statement in the video was understood by me. So why don't native speakers understand that?
I agree with your analysis. In this sense, thank you for your different kind of reaction.
Many greetings from Germany.
Some people didn't pay attention to what you said.
You have a big heart and a good understanding of how the world works.
I suppose you have to grow a thicker skin if you want to post your thoughts on TH-cam.
I don't understand why people misunderstood what you said.
To me it was very clear.
I'm not religious but I share a lot with the Christian values like being kind and forgiving. Being kind is for others and forgiving is for myself so I can move on.
Hey, I loved your reaction. It's the whole point in my humble opinion. I'm not looking for more confirmation bias here. You also made me remember that there is nothing new under the sun. Most people just aren't used to being able to get to see how the sausage is made I guess.
@@lloydkeith3061
I don't know if letting people starve while we tax people to feed the obese is a red thread throughout history?
There's a lot in this modern world that is old habits but there's also a lot of new things.
Pharmacies creating illnesses to sell drugs is another thing I think is unheard of.
I’m a middle-aged white lady in the mountains of Virginia, just like him. I FEEL this song. I grew up poor (without government benefits, my parents were hippies who didn’t believe in that) and have managed to claw my way out of total poverty, at least compared to my neighbors. I have a few thousand in an “emergency fund” so can cover a car repair or emergency dental visit, but I live paycheck-to-paycheck. A “retirement fund” is out of the question, and I owe $50,000 in student loans.
What amazes me is that this song resonates with everyone else too. I don’t usually even watch reaction videos, but I’ll bet in the last week I have watched 100 reaction videos to just this song.
You and I have taken very different paths and arrive at the same spot. Middle-aged white guy in Florida. Parents were not hippies but not wealthy. I remember as a kid in the 80s helping mom lick stamps to put on a grocery store card for cheaper groceries. At one point mom had bought a box of donuts as a luxury and dad had lost it and threw the box screaming "We can't! We need every cent!" I only heard the shouting realizing it best not to come out of my room. My college was free - heck I even had money left over from the money sent to me (from somewhere) but lived in fear not understanding where it came from and figuring I'd need to give it back. However, I am in the same amount of debt in credit cards due to OhShit moments when getting laid off from work or needing car repairs. From what I understand, I probably make more than most (not a boast, but a shock to learn about) and I live paycheck-to-paycheck. Retirement had only really just started and that's where as much of my money is going to (even though I'm convinced I'll be working until I'm dead - or as long as I'm employable) and putting in the maximum allowed without paying a penalty (which is crazy to me that a penalty for saving is even a thing). I haven't been to the doctors for a check-up or a dentist for a cleaning for fear of being cleaned out in almost 20 years. These things are both incredibly personal and embarrassing to mention, and I'd prefer not to but it needs saying because I'm sure SOMEONE can relate for both being embarrassed and not having the highest of views to the intent of doctors or dentists and being more like unquestionable sales people in that they are just like any sales person but using their high degree of professional stature to have you question why it's so expensive when you get a diagnosis like "I'm not quite sure what the problem is" for $900 (in 2008 money) WITH insurance for something that eventually cleared up on it's own anyway. Don't even get me started on insurance omfg.
What really hits me in the chest are the reactions of people I would presume would have nothing in common with me or presume the same vice versa. Different combinations of race, sex and (most astonishingly) age almost all having the same reaction to the line "Living in the new world - with an old sole" and feeling completely alone and out of place and out of touch. But dammit, that's practically everyone and with some only being around 20 years old? What?! I felt my head physically ring as if it were a large, heavy bell being struck. It's incredibly surreal the reactions this is having. Even as I'd started typing this very response, I'd stepped out side to gather my thoughts (and I kid you not) my neighbor two doors down from me was playing this exact song from his stereo getting ready to mow the yard. I've never seen us all stop on a dime like this and ask wtf IS happening? This is truly a highlighter moment in human history and since it turns out that our division is only in our heads - where do we go from here? And what else is only in our heads?
@@eSh..This is a great comment. I too distrust the medical industrial complex Going thru hell with them. Diagnosed w/ 2 types of cancer in March and they scheduled surgery and chemo and radi just 6 wks later. I was on a conveyor belt of cutting and poisons! I cancelled everything and trying to find my way to kill it. I call on Jesus a lot. Doctors can only offer surgery chemo and radi. So zero help, even with an off label use prescription. Said no. So if you don't do their things, you get punished. OH! And they removed my Non Hodgkins diagnoses 2 months ago and still no one has told me why. They suck. Infrared saunas can kill cancer but I can't use it cause they've put 5 clips in my body, 3 that I know are not cancerous, but they'll heat up unevenly. SOB"s
The monetary system is completely broken. "Your dollar ain't shit," indeed. This is the end result of using fiat currency. Politicians know that taxation is unpopular, so they just inflate the money instead. It's a hidden tax. People have been conditioned to think that the price of everything continues to go up over time, but in reality the exact opposite should be happening. The purchasing power of a dollar in 1913 was equivalent to over $30 today.
Go look at the US Debt Clock. The "debt" right now is 33 trillion dollars, which is eye-watering. But look at the bottom line of numbers, in particular "US Unfunded Liabilities." It's over $193 trillion. It's worse than the media pretends it is (no surprise there since it's ran by elites). The government doesn't have enough money to pay for any of this shit, so all they do is keep spending money they don't have and printing more of it, which devalues the dollar, stealing the wealth from anyone that saves in dollars (why do you think so many rich people own so much property?).
The only way to opt out of this is to reject the dollar and save in a hard money. Something that can't be inflated at will. Gold is an option, but IMO the better option is bitcoin. I sell my dollars as soon as I get them. I only convert back when necessary to pay bills.
I'm a middle aged man also from the mountains of western Virginia, and I feel your struggle because it's so similar to mine. Took me a decade after college to find a good job, I'm actually very grateful though because I do something that has nothing to do with my degree but I figured out with family connections skilled labor pays better than white collar jobs. Keep your head down grind and save money it's the only way out.
its a damn shame honestly. America is in a shit place right now. Greed is at an all time high with these companies and nothing is being done on a government level to step in and help us as American Citizens to just live. im in my mid twenties right now and I have no idea how ill pay bills when im at an age where I cant even work because I KNOW that any government fund like social security wont be enough to cover basic living costs in my area.
Because he's singing truth about the rich men of Washington DC having us all by the balls and we can all relate to that.
To be fair they only have us by the balls is because we allow it.
Exactly
Oh no, that's not just it. He's talking about rich m'en havi g the whole world by the balls. That's why it's making people cry WORLDWIDE
They don't have us by the balls! We can end their bullshit when we want
We can stop them if we all stay together.
As my dad said: “Money can’t buy happiness but a lack of money can cause a whole lot of problems”.
Money so often root of evil.. especially if MONEY controls a persons every day lives
@@LaLa-River Money is just money. Its people that are evil, because of what they DO with that money.
Money is just numbers, the problem with numbers is they go on forever, no number is enough.
People who don't know this, the importance of money, are people who have never truly struggled. Yes, money can't buy happiness... but a truly acute lack of money can screw your life up, a lot.
@@creoshin9082 The importance of money is what makes people be disgusted of it.
Everything today depends on money and a way to make money.
money has too much value in society, without money you're a nobody and with money you're the world.
those with a lot of it, can decide everything for you, it can't be a democracy when a minority with the most sum of money can simply make decisions for you.
regardless what your political belief may be.
everything today is used to extract money and make you poor, kindness has been replaced with greed.
In the recent years i keep saying, humanity lost its humanity.
we have to regain our humanity, there should never be anything more important than a human life.
while society exists the way it is, human life is equal for a few thousand dollars, at best...
i'm not pulling that number out of my a-- , thats what "charities" get for housing homeless people in the worst imaginable conditions. (not all, but the biggest ones)
Everything is broken.
I am a 57 year old male, born and raised in the US. When I was a child, my father worked an 8 hour shift at a blue collar, middle class job. We had a 2500 square foot home on 2.5 acres, 2 cars, a dog, a cat, a horse, a pony, and a gocart. My mom stayed home and raised myself and my 3 sisters. My dad was able to provide all this, and put money away at the same time. The middle class can no longer live this sort of life. I make about what my dad was making when he retired, and I can just get by with no room to get ahead of the paycheck to paycheck grind.
This level of prosperity existed from just after WWII to possibly the mid 80s or so. It is disheartening that I the majority of middle class no longer have this level of prosperity.
Truth
Exactly what I was thinking. Yes there has always been the rich but after WWII, both in the US and across Europe there was a boom in manufacturing with strong unions creating good paying jobs, but from the early 1980's with Regan and Thatcher the tide started to turn. Corporations have been allowed to ship jobs overseas and with minimal import duties, steel mills and mines have closed. The good jobs are fewer and with the decline of the unions condition of employment have gone down the drain
@@martinkil50 Corporations were not "allowed" to ship jobs overseas. They were forced to do so. High taxes and forced wages and over regulations force them to leave.
@@randymiller3918 Exactly. And those "strong unions" had a lot to do with it. Unions may benefit the worker in the short run but over time are job killers.
@@sootikins I am not convinced it is the unions exactly. If the workers want to collectively negotiate and those who do not wish to participate can still work, then I see no issues. I think it is when the government makes rules regarding the negotiations that give the unions more power than they should have. That is why we see a lot of unions that donate to political candidates.
I believe, and I could be wrong, that if the unions and the corporations had to negotiate without government interference it would not be so bad.
This man has talent and especially "SOUL". We as humanity are resonating 3000% with this. The world is under globalist control and privatized banking. I love this man.
Absolutely! Ran by Black Rock and the WEF (the head of the snake)
These shills are the ones propping up this woke regime.He hates the song for the exact opposite reason that everyone loves and resonates to it. This song is a deadly threat to the woke cult and they know it. Their ships are sinking around them.
He’s validating the feelings of millions around the world. I watched a reaction video from 2 young ladies from Africa. The tears rolling down their faces.
He isn't singing a song he is crying out in frustration, so many of us share those same tears
He was struggling with alcohol and depression and gave his life to God about a couple of months ago. He talks about it a little bit in his first introductory video that he put out the day before this was released. Its an inspirational story really. He's turned down multimillion dollar contracts and lives in a rv with a tarp over it that he bought on Craigslist for $750 on his land with his dogs offgrid.
4 chords and the truth penetrates everyone's souls. Authentic, raw and heartfelt.
The island does refer to human trafficking but is specifically addressing Epstein's island rather than the documentary The Sound of Freedom. Uk's Prince Andrew went there. The queen paid off his victim and protected him from prosecution the year before she died.
Apparently America is the largest consumers when it comes to human trafficking. Our Chief Justice in the Supreme Court name is on the list. Chuck Schumer is a senator and his name is on the list but they list him as Chuck Schumi. Bill Clinton went 28 times. Oprah Winfrey went 11 times in her personal jet. They wont release the whole list and got it sealed in court. That means, to me, there are buttloads people on that list that are still in power. A bunch of sick, evil perverted bastards is what they are. This current administration has "lost" over 85,000 children from the border. Can't account for them. I can't imagine what kind of hell they're going through. One 8 yr old little boy from the border had to wear diapers because he was raped so many times. Its evil and our compromised government is involved.
I wouldn't say us is the biggest consumer. What about Russia and those countries.
By most counts there are at least 40 million slaves in the world today, and more than a dozen countries where it's still legal. There's another dozen where it's technically "illegal" but isn't actually prosecuted. And that number represents actual slaves (people laboring in chains... not just exploited s*x workers lured from overseas).
In the US, it's mostly arising from illicit exploitation, and is actually prosecuted quite vigorously, with a few thousand per year charged and convicted (which is why the wealthy tend to travel out of the country).
Have you watched his discussion with Jordan Peterson? th-cam.com/video/UEWH2hnmfzc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=p83RaELxLVurbvL7
I hope one day to watch these corrupt evil sh1T$ as they walk across a bridge into he!! It makes me so angry
I am 52 year old professional with a doctorate.. I am an American, and I believe this is part of the difference. I was raised in poverty, and worked my way upward since the age of 13. I put myself through college, paid off my loans, saved for my children's eduction, paid my bills without a single bit of help from anyone. I watch my tax dollars go overseas for wars I do not want, supporting people in other countries that hate me because I am an American, who has conservative traditional family values and a Christian. I am constantly told by the press, the media, Hollywood, and members of academia that I am oppressor, a racist, a sexist merely because of WHO I am, not because of anything that I have done or said. At 52, my best days are behind me already. My body is physically shot from the work I did as a young boy to get out of poverty. I am in physical and mental pain, and believe my sons will have a worse life even though that is not how it should be. I have went from poverty, to upper middle class, but with all stacked against me, this is as good as it will get. I am certain I will die in poverty, with nothing but wasted years of work, a broken body, and a broken heart knowing that my country turned on me for the benefit of others. That is America. That is the song. He is just a younger man who has realized what us older Americans know, regardless of race or creed.
The more I hear this song, the better I like it. I think the Dr. might like it a bit more as well if he gives it another spin or two. I think the Dr. misses out on one huge dynamic. This is the USA. Home of the free. Anyone can make it here, and the fact that so many people are feeling they can no longer make it...shows a current dystopia that a person from the UK may not be able to relate to.
you're right, you've been sold the American Dream and it's a big con. It's a giant pyramid scheme.
As the Doc says it's nothing new and it's not just a US problem, it's universal. Used to be the Church and Monarchies that had all the power, now it's the corporations.
The politicians are bought and paid for by the rich and powerful, get the money out of politics and maybe just maybe integrity can push it's way to prominence
That is a debate I have with my girlfriend, she is originally from Moldova and lived in Paris for 11 years; people from the socialist countries (Europe) cannot grasp the concept of Freedom because those countries have never known freedom.
In the USA, we don't like our money that we earned, is stolen from our paychecks and given to those that don't choose to work and also given to other countries.
I don't give a f**k about people in other countries who won't fight for their freedom and almost expect the USA to bail them out.
Also, when he talks about obesity, he said our stolen money should not be buying the junk food for those who feel entitled to live off of our stolen money. I don't think the Dr. Understands from the viewpoint of the average U.S. citizen.
@@nicowest3249 - He knows what obesity does to a person, he knows the Gov. is helping them shorten their lives, and reduce the quality of the shortened life they have left, by facilitating their addiction. He knows that, but prefers not to face it . . so much more comfy to bad mouth those who do face the truth of what is being done to them . . (at the expense of those who provide him with a life of luxury even Kings could not conceive of just a few generations ago).
I live in the UK, and I have no idea who to vote FOR... I have a somewhat stronger desire to vote against some parties, but I don't want to not vote *against* any of them. The same issues - a single wage in a median job can no longer pay for the upkeep of a family and the purchase of a home as it did for the previous generation - are present here (though I manage to live comfortably as a single person in my 50s on a 'sub poverty line income' because I prefer a simpler life and without mobile phone contracts, a car and a need for a constant stream of new shit, I make ends meet with cash to spare). I have some modest 'luxuries' including fibre internet, and a membership of a fencing class (and the occasional 'sword = sword +1'), but I do have to consider the cost and value of each purchase, and retain a 6 month rent/significant purchase savings reserve, just in case. -
There are plenty of poor people in the UK who struggle they are as vocal as Americans.
The Rich Men North Of Richmond, refers to the politicians in Washington DC. Oliver lives in Richmond Virgina. DC is north of Richmond Virginia. And yes, the island is the Epstien Island. Our country, America, is in a bad place right now. The message in this song, brings us together. Amazingly, it's touched the hearts around the world as well. A song like this, as simple as it is, has the potential to unite us all and mend the wounds. It softens are differences, allowing us to feel more like brothers and sisters... and that's a very positive and powerful thing! 🙏
Pretty sure he knows how the hierarchy of wealth works, he’s mentioning a new world of social disintegration from his souls timeline.
he has a song which is more about mental health called "I Want To Go Home".
i'm a 52 year old Englishman and i felt every word of it. it makes me weep.
If you don't understand why so many are listening to him, it could be because you recognize he wasn't talking to you but rather about you.
Hello there, the message definitely resonated with me, as someone who from one of the lowest socio economic areas in Wales. Perhaps I needed to get that across more in the video. Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to comment. Nic
@@nichooper7 - "the message definitely resonated with me, as someone who from one of the lowest socio economic areas in Wales."
You didn't even get that cliche across intelligibly. One who what from one of the lowest socio economic areas in Wales? Learned how to justify telling those you came from to just suck it up, and shut up when they're told to by their masters, because that's the way it's always been? What an accomplishment . . give yourself a pat on the head, kid.
If this content creator had any integrity; this would be a pinned post.
@@nichooper7 lol... you're an "academic" psychologist. Your blerb on Amazon is pompous and takes unnecessary (and wrong) shots at "North Americans" with regards to Wales being a different "country" than England. Is it? Is it, really? It's a different "state," at best, like Texas is different than New York. Wales, Scotland, and England comprise the United Kingdom (Is Northern Ireland still in dispute? How's the Troubles going for ya?), which is a country recognized internationally. Wales is not a country that deals with international affairs, was actually just a principality of England after the English crown conquered it militarily, and has significantly less autonomy than a state like Texas, who has its own military outside of the chain of command of the United States federal government.
So if Wales is a "country" then the U.S. has fifty countries.
@@nichooper7It's not really about the low socio-economic people though.
And it's certainly not about living amongst them.
It's a song for people who can't sleep because their body aches and they're waking up and choosing between pain and death every day.
When I go to any job I will come across people who know men who have died on the job. And many more will know men who woke up one day and chose death over the pain.
And the reason why it resonates so hard is because the inequality expressed in the song is the inequity of people who physically make your world what it is.
It's the 20% of men (and their families and loved ones) who physically keep the roof over your head and the food on your table and the cars running.
I don't think you can resonate with that because the UK parliament has progressively corroded your system to a point where the English, Welsh, Scots (obviously not the Irish have they ever done work?) men who built and maintained your country no longer do it. They sit on their arse while your taxes pay for their bags of fudge rounds.
And now your system is broken, depending on foreigners, legal and illegal, to do your dirty work.
You know it's funny I'm a poor blue-collar worker for 39 years on the same job this guy in the people who have common known him to me or very simple 41 everything he said in his song was spot-on and we all know it now for the reactions we live in a unique country we're almost every nationality is represented and our government in the people in it had done everything they can do to separate us and pit us against one another the reason for all the reactions are we seeing each other as Americans but we're all very different in the way of our nationality and our background so everyone is looking at each other and are different nationalities in the fact that we all see one song in the same way everyone is checking everybody out and how they react to this one true song and how we all got the same feelings and emotions at the same time about the same topic that's just my perception has a GED graduate and blue-collar worker who has also graduated from the School of hard knocks with my 39 years dealing with all kinds of people I'm with maintenance hey school system in Florida I hope this helps😊
You nailed it. Because I reacted so strongly, I’m curious if others reacted in the same way, so I am fascinated to hear these reaction videos. And I’m hugely encouraged that the vast majority of folks of all backgrounds, nationalities, races, reacted similarly.
Wealth doesn’t equal happiness but poverty definitely leads to despair.
Try crying while you're riding a jet ski.
"money doesn't buy happiness but being broke doesn't buy shit"
He is authentic and truthful in a fake plastic world which is why he has resonated so with a wide variety of people all over the world.
It's the soul of the man...the depth of the message.
Have you listened to his song.. "I gotta get Sober".. it's so real and sad. Nobody knew of him.. The reaction is because ALL of us can relate to it.. His voice is emotionally REAL..
Because it resonates with American middle class and lower class people, something that anyone not an American will struggle with trying to understand and explain. Someone like you.
I am not middle class america, I am (was) middle class Germany. I resonate completely with this song.
i kind of agree with you, and i believe he has misunderstood the meaning behind the song which is understandable having only listened to it once, this isnt a song about rich and poor, this is a song about Polititions and how they have abandened the attempt to represent the hard working people and taken the easy route of appealing the the donor class and the 1%...This occurred at a specific time in the UK, when Labour changed their name to 'New Labour' and abandoned the working class...(Tony Blair era)...this is an example of perfection in song writing,, taking simple words that hit hard because they speak the truth...back in my day in the UK we had Billy Brag, who spoke hard truths in a complicated way that never had a popular following because of the complexity of the message...
If you haven't actually paid attention, and apparently you haven't, this song is resonating with middle to lower class people all over the world. This issue is not just in the States but worldwide. But thank you for showing other countries how self-indulgent we are 🙄
@@vashthestampededragon9824I live in this country, with it's own unique history. This is the country I am most concerned about, not "B.F. Egypt", so if this "issue" is in their country, then they have to deal with it as they see fit, and it is their problem, just like we have our problems. Without a strong, vibrant, and honest, and genuine, America, the rest of the world is diminished. So, you, and they, can think how "self-indulgent" "we" are, until the cows come home...I could not care less. This song was written, and sung, by an American, to Americans, and the words he used, related to middle and lower class Americans, so obviously, YOU were not paying attention. IF the song resonates with non-Americans, then that is fine...if not, that is fine too. Each citizen of their own country should put their country first. So, to most of us, that haven't swallowed the marxist/socialist/climate-change/globalist B.S., we put America first. We have to be strong if we want to be able help anyone else. When are people going to stop worrying about what other countries think about us, and just concentrate on our own country and it's problems, which, by the way, are unique to America...(Our wide open southern border, for example)?
I'm Canadian, I understand completely.
Anyone who doesn't get this song has a very carefree and easy life. Good for you ....... Anyone struggling, tired, in debt, realising the politicians helped cause this and won't fix it for the good of the people gets why this song hits so hard.
Listening to an elite completely get the sentiment of the song wrong is actually very satisfying.
There’s a line about wish the government would be concerned about Miners and not just minors on an island somewhere. He is from an area that has been known for coal mining for 100s of years.
I also kinda wonder if it's also referring all the shit that's happening to the minors being exploited that the media is down playing or flat out denying or lying about...
@@drugsmcsnortingtonHe is its a double entendre
"Minors on an island some where". The young women on epstien island for the pleasure of politicians and the elite.
Thank you Dr, great analysis. Rich oppression has always been here as you say. However, he sang at the heart of the song about something very dark that artists are afraid to sing of, about an island they can't name, the industrial abuse of little ones by the people that rule us, even royalty and there, he was not afraid to call them out. They will have to try and silence or discredit him or worse. He needs our prayer.x
Blue collar American here. First time watching your channel. I thought your reaction was honest, and to the point. The message speaks volumes to everyone who knows the struggle of living pay to pay. Didn’t see anything wrong with your reaction. You’re entitled to your own opinion, so I wouldn’t lose any sleep over viewer comments. ✌🏻
9 second into the song and I'm in tears.
They are my words.
It's the spirit and heart that it touches. The simplicity and directness of it. People have been afraid to stand up and say it. He did.
As someone from the UK, who has worked for hospitality for over a decade, doing the overtime and getting paid less than minimum wage, getting fired if you complain about wages or don;t arrive exactly on time. So yeah, sh*t needs to change, it's not just in America, it's around the world. And yes it attacks the government, but we need to. He's saying what most if not all working class people think. Doing min 18hr shifts for festival bars, working for companies that treat people like less than the mud covering people's boots in festival fields. It's sh*te but it's all I had for over a decade, now I'm trying to find something new as medically I'm not allowed to do the job anymore, the system has chewed me up and spat me out, and now I'm back living with my parents in a small room depressed as all hell on benefits. I had a job, I got treated like crap. At the same time, the education system in this country, also needs changing, I am struggling in my 5th year of trying to do a 3 year course as a mentally challenged student with sweet fa help from my university, but yes, I agree with this song, it;s accurate.
All joy has gone from this world, everybody is living with such pain from losing so many loved ones from Covid, to crime and so much hatred in Politics. Many people feel that they are just surviving rather than living.
Maybe time to stand up and be counted, demand some joy and just reward for ourselves and future generations.
This is the most Consequencal song of our lifetime! No matter your race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! This is now our nations rallying cry!🇺🇸
A big problem in the states is cost. And things HAVE changed. Now 2 people working 2 jobs each can't afford a house. We are losing our middle class fast. Large corporations are buying them to hold or rent at exorbitant prices. Thank You for your reaction video
The song touches a nerve!! Great song and so many people, all around the world, can relate!
Meet Oliver Anthony part 2 he gives an explanation of his lyrics on welfare. Thank you for giving a thoughtful reaction .
Thank you I was just about to say that. He explains it all.
It's always been this way, but a few years ago more people were able to get by, even if they didn't have much. Now we can't even get by and it's only getting worse. That is why it resonates with so many people across so many different nations, races, religions and political affiliations.
Dr. Nic . . . when Oliver Anthony sang about the "New World" . . . he was talking about America and the American dream. This place was supposed to be different from the "Old World." That's why millions came here. This is the disillusionment from someone who realized that nothing really changed.
6:30 The "New World" he's referring to isn't a new world of corruption. Think of what the world looks like today compared to 100 years ago. The "new" is this right here. This instantaneous and empty communication. Look where he is. He isn't in a subway, downtown street corner, coffee shop. No. He's in the woods. The "old soul" longs for a simple life and the world is hopelessly addicted to the revolving door of technology. Maybe not at an individual level, but certainly at a societal one.
Just found your channel, your facial expressions are genuine. Please don't doubt yourself. What is understood, is never said.
Not just the message, but also the obvious pain conveyed by the singer.
I am not sure you have your finger on what he meant by living in a new world. Only he knows what he meant for sure but there are differences, for example people did not always say words were literal violence and all the societal outcomes that then follow from that, that is not the same as at any other point in world history that I am aware of, at least not on the scale at which we currently see it in western nations.
Hi Dr Nic, I heard this song pretty recently. Actually following Black Pegasus's channel, which I came across via reactions to Ren's music. So I have listened to it a couple of times. I concur with a lot of what you said there.
I think it is a trad protest song (like Woody Guthrie, "This our land " vibe) fitting for the current subjective experience of millions of downtrodden people right now, and the objective context is indeed nothing new. My initial response was , wow , he's got a resonator guitar. Then, after his performance I thought. Its heartfelt & this really will resonate with a lot of people, because its tapping into the common experience of many people/communities that have lost out, and are dealing with the fall out. They feel that their lives and livelihoods are worthless, and they don't have a voice and nothing in politics makes a difference to their everyday lives. I agree, mental & physical illness (related very often), are more likely to be found in in deprived areas, but its also an issue for more affluent people. Really just coping mechanisms, self medication, powerlessness. The thing that really gets to me is the waste of potential, and lack of reward , lack of empathy right now.
Cheers and best wishes.
He was unknown, weeks earlier gave himself over to God. He never played for money. Now he has two #1 billboard and iTunes songs.
It's just a pure and well versed song in a growing tech world.
FYI - Mr. Anthony has turned down multi-million dollar signing offers. And opens his sessions with reading a passage from the Bible.
I don't think the popularity is about the words. It is (more) about his emotional voice - it is like he is crying and singing. There is a reason people are getting the chills non stop. You are right, he doesn't have the best voice (not refined or trained anyway) though the lyrics are catchy. VERY FEW PEOPLE have ever sang a song where it sounds like you can feel their pain. There are many songs that speak a similar message (e.g. Tom McDonald but not the pain in the voice) and don't have this effect.
WE ALL FEEL OLIVER'S PAIN IN THIS SONG. Lyrics are integral but it's the pain in the voice. Almost like Country w/ some pain from Grunge thrown in, and a bit of gospel, soul and folk.
It’s called the blues
@@Larry-h1e There are aspects of blues, but to see a no name artist shoot to #1 on Billboard top 100 is a bit more than that.
I don't think he is attacking obese people personally. He was saying that there's a problem with the system. I appreciate your views. Thank you.
when he said "livin new world" he didnt mean the rich men holding the power, we all know its always been that way about rich men holding the power. what oliver meant was the working mans value in america which has gone down today and it has NOT always been that way. there was a time in america when the average working man could buy a house and a car and raise a family from his salary, a time when the american dream was reachable. today most workers cant afford to buy a house and will be renting for the rest of their lives while kids get into debt even before the start workin in the real world. that is what oliver meant when he said "living in a new world"
A voice out of Appalachia (app-uh-latch-uh) speaks truth to power. The "new world" he laments is the unprecedented Orwellian technology that tracks our every move and its invasion of privacy and its abuse by govt. This is an Appalachian ballad, but with tremendous universal appeal. His booming. soulful baritone is rich with his thick Appalachian accent (e.g. dollar H'aint shit) and he crushes it playing the resonator guitar, an Appalachian bluegrass instrument adding that soulful twang and richness. Being from Appalachia and southern Virginia in particular, he knows what happened to the miners in SW Virginia and eastern KY and delivers the line of the year juxtaposing miners and minors with great power, exposing the privilege, corruption and misplaced priorities of govt. Also, he contrasts hunger with obesity: obesity and its related health issues are a huge problem here in Appalachia and he is calling out the obese welfare abusers for their self destruction, and we all see it here at our local Food City or Dollar General. And he also addresses the opioid crisis and hopelessness here that is putting all these young men in the ground to early graves. Appalachian folk are unique, and while much of Appalachia is in the South, we're not southerners, but Appalachian, and that extends to WV, PA, MD, TN, VA, NC, KY, etc. He's one of us, but he speaks for all of us in this country and around the world.
The music is simple, but his voice iS FANTASTIC! I think you misunderstood the new world line.
Beautiful! Song of truth.
Sadly your education has made you think to much and not feel enough!! Oliver has nailed it and if you think you need to nail it down... you missed it!!!
DrNicAnalyzes you can feel this song is from his soul. If you listen the Country music especially Chris Stapleton who’s labeled country but he’s soul,blues, R&B & Outlaw Country all in 1 amazing voice. Then you will understand why this song went viral here in US Especially with the tyrannical regime in power right now.
This is not a US issue, it's an international issue. Thank you good doctor, for being synthetic this man's pain, rather than trying to contradict his experience.
The last five years have changed a great deal in the United States.
Intersectionality has reset the game and ended any semblance of egalitarianism.
Interesting. I haven't been to the US for about 5 years funnily enough! Thanks for commenting!
@@nichooper7 colorblindness is no longer enough. Now " social justice " is taking root. It is not egalitarianism at all that is sought. The middle class is being destroyed by current norms and government policies.
@@nichooper7 From what I can see the UK is farther down this dark path than the US.
@@addictedtominisandlovingit3912 Everyone are on the same path sadly. but there will be a light in the end of this tunnel.
@@zloyboy8 communism is a bright light? They've already brainwashed 3 generations of kids.
This song is fire because he speaks for all of us blue collar workers out here who are just trying to make it. Here in the US, taxes are high, inflation is higher. Food is so expensive and fuel is at stratospheric levels. It's hard to make it day by day. This song is for my grandparents, my parents, and now for me.
Dr, I respect your reaction. In this day and age so many people feel that they can't offend any group for fear of being ostracized. The time has come to stand up for your beliefs and the people who are offended be damned.
Don't be afraid to have an opinion and express it. That is why this song is so popular and hits so deep with so many. The silent majority has been awakened.
Its popular because its true and needs to be said everyone knows it but too many are afraid to say it
If you look at a lot of areas here in America yes our men have always literally worked themselves to death to support us and our children their really good hard working men. And we are losing our young men the suicide rates and opiod crisis are completely out of control and theres a direct correlation to the same poor communities
Actually, it is a "new world" to many old souls such as myself. I never thought the day would come that my granddaughters would be competing in sports against boys that say they are girls until they win, and then they suddenly become boys again. I never thought the day would come that men claiming to be women would get on social media and tell other men claiming to be women to arm themselves and unalive any biological women or children in restrooms that ask them to leave. I never thought society would try to take my earned title of "mother" and try to force me to call myself a "birthing person." I never thought Roe vs. Wade would be overthrown, and women across this country would lose their rights to make decisions regarding their own bodies. I never thought an ex president would be charged with crime after crime after crime. I never thought mass shootings, especially at schools, would become common. I never thought a pandemic would shut the world down. The list goes on and on! So, yes, this new world is horrible, and I also wish I could wake up and it not be true.
He’s the innocent child who says out loud the kings naked
‘They don’t think that you know(kings naked) but I know you do’
Look at the reaction videos when he says ‘ Islands somewhere’
They can’t believe he said it out loud. Calling out the king
NOW we can talk amongst our selves out loud about theses.things
Now others we free free to talk about these things together
This white male country ginger has slowed us to have discussions
Most of the reaction tears are tears of joy that the dam has been broken and we can talk
White black, blue or red, US UK, Australia Haiti, reactions from all over the world
Great comment! Thank you for your thoughts!
I never even knew people did “ reaction videos about songs. Until Oliver Anthony came on the scene. NOW I know.
Thanks for your work.
Interesting that people do this. I’ve now watched at least a dozen different reactions to Richmond song ❤
I feel the bit about Welfare is mentioning how those are put there, in a position where they believe they need welfare to survive but all it is buying is more bad junk such as fudge rounds keeping those on welfare on welfare. It is a form of control. Many did not want Wal Mart but Wal Mart entered the town, gained support with cheap prices and now sells junk to the consumers who lost their job at the local store that Wal Mart displaced. They also lost access to better products because Wal Mart has poorer quality versions of the products. And, for the amount of money a store like this takes in per employee, the employees collectively earn less than if they were with the original store. I work in Medicine, as you, and I see how a poor dollar does not have access that a rich dollar does. It is a damn shame.
I really appreciate your thoughts and your honesty.
I hope you continue to do honest reactions even if some people get upset about you challening their views on the world.
A fascinating reaction. My own interpretation of his lines regarding obese people milking welfare is this ... People who are receiving assistance are making their lives worse on the backs of those that work to provide for them. It feels ungrateful and manipulative.
At the same time, I understand that poor food is cheaper than healthy food. Poor people with a full stomach feel more secure than they would if they were hungry.
Working people sometimes resent that our tax dollars (ie hard work) is being used to make people's lives ultimately worse.
Especially because the cut off for assistance is so low, but cost for food is so high even lower middle class can't afford healthy food, but the extreme poor can. I have friends that have to cut their own salaries so they can feed their kids on paper. I work my ass off and scrape change for milk and cereal for the kids while fat people on scooters are buying up the snack isle. This guy is oblivious to that.
But, less poor food is still cheaper than excessive amounts of poor food.... An appropriate amount of food of a moderate quality better chosen wouldn't cost more, but would not make their disabilities worse.
Saying poor mental health and poverty are directly linked doesn't seem correct. Basically the entire contenant of Africa lives poverty and cant all have poor mental health. Also indegenous tribes seem to have some of the best mental health and are the most impovershed people on the planet.
He’s got a video on TH-cam depicting the meaning of these topics. Well worth a look.
The obesity part isn't necessarily about all obese people.. there are a portion of the people on welfare who milk the system. They've never put in an honest days work, and they are getting fat off at the expense of the tax payers. It's frustrating as a taxpayer, knowing there are people genuinely needing help and not getting it, while people who have never contributed abuse the system.
I enjoyed your critical analysis. You are the first person I have watched that deconstructed the song on a deep level
In the United states, if you file "single and none" on your taxes, your basically giving the state and federal government over 50% of your income. They higher the bracket (your total income amount) the higher your tax rate. We don't have free healthcare, with Obama care, if you make 15 $ an hour you will pay close to 1k a month for insurance that only covers 80%, with copays. Now on the flip side you have people on welfare that is using it as a life style instead of a hand up to a better life, with each kid they get more money. They also get free medical and don't have to file taxes or pay taxes with the money. This life style is making people old fast, they can afford soda, cakes, chips all kinds of stupid food. Not working is killing people, no purpose is killing people.. use to be that welfare was called "food stamps" and it was exactly that. People were ashamed to use them and tried their best to get off them. You could ONLY buy food with them. Now you can buy just about anything. I'm not judging people BUT I know a few girls, who absolutely milk the system. One has 5 kids, 5 different dads, ( 100 minimum on child support a week that is not considered income) $350 each kid a month in welfare, subsidized housing so no rent, a utility check, so no bill for that. All get free insurance since none if that counts as income. No copays. On the side she cleans houses for cash and doesn't claim it. In the meantime the working class are paying higher taxes, don't eat as well, usually can't afford insurance and sweating student loans because they did better themselves. Not every person on welfare is like this, but there are plenty..its the same with social security. The worker bee's are overwhelmed. NOW the people streaming across our border are getting checks and free healthcare and housing. Can you see ?
I get what you mean. I think because he’s just a self-described “nobody” as, just a regular dude living a regular life who lives these lyrics every day and it was unexpected plus it came at the right time. The emotion in his voice is unique and what hits me in the gut.
Don't be so patronising. It is a new world . The common man knows it and Oliver Anthony speaks for the many.
I think "The New World" refers to traditional values being erroded by the forced acceptance and normalization of what used to be considered depraved and deviant lifestyles and sexual aberrations. 'Normal" people have been branded as some sort of a threat to 'The new World" way of accepting things that degrade reality and integrity.
Exactly
Almost completely unknown before this song was droped
The good Lord and his dogs got him through bad times. Screw the government.
Its popular because you can feel his passion and emotion. Most artists and songs are commercialized, they dont write their own material, and that passion is missing. He obviously is passionate when he sings it, and the message resonates especially to the upper poor, lower to middle class.
I got it the first time. Thanks for posting such an appropriate reaction.
"Man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest"
Love from across the pond ❤️
I appreciate your reaction video and your analysis. Thank you. 🙏
I think the whole delivery along with the lyrics make it such a powerful resonator. The lyrics are simple and straight forward yet packed with meaning. The line "They think you don't know, but I know that you do" cuts through the gaslighting and lies by politicians and those who would seek to control others by any means necessary for their own personal benefit. The folksy, simple music is the antithesis to over done modern styles, and finally he sings with great passion and conviction. I think the combination is surprising and sort of sucker punches people.
It's not about all rich men it's very specifically about rich men north of Richmond meaning Washington DC. These politicians go into office from with less than a million dollars take a sallary of $100-200 thousand and some how in 2 years they have tens and hundreds of millions.
Oliver Anthony (Chris) is just another one of the regular people. You should watch a quick video of who he is. He's speaking for the people, some say its the song of the revolution
Money doesn’t buy you happiness…. It gets you options. 😢
Plain and simple, most people feel the lyrics, a lot of us couldn't express them like he did. The power hungry have pushed the everyday people down to a point of breaking. Money is tight and inflation keeps rising, but the rich get richer and the middle class is disappearing. They want haves and have nots.
As a rich guy i was talking to one night at a bar said. "It's far easier being depressed in a mansion with a pool than a shitty rouch infected apartment. It doesn't make getting better or getting help easier though." I thought that was profound myself. Especially after robin Williams self deleted
Jeffrey Epstein is the guy you couldn't think of
Yes that's the fella. The whole thing was disgusting. Thanks for messaging with the reminder! Nic
For not knowing the personally, your insight were quite on point. Thanks for sharing. He is speaking of an underlying sense that resonates with all the world, and there is a growing swell anmong these people that crys out for change, even a revolution if necessary.
It's the Holy Spirit 🎉
I appreciate you asking yourself why this song is so popular.
To me, the message resonates for the following reason: as our society is evolving, we often focus on areas where we feel we need to evolve. Topics like support for refugees or minorities come to mind. These are important topics and we need to find our approach to dealing with them.
Now while we do this, we loose focus on the majority of people that keep our society running on a day to day basis. We loose focus so bad that this large group of people feels left behind and not valued. And, as a matter of fact, if we look at wage distribution, free healthcare, etc. we are truly not taking care of the majority of people that have been carrying our society. We need to find a better balance on the topics we pay attention too and show appreciation for people like Oliver Anthony.
I'm not sure this is the best song for psychoanalysis. It's more socioeconomic. The songs, "I Want to Go Home" and "I Gotta Get Sober", I think, would be far more interesting to you and your profession. Those songs are also blowing up on the reaction channels, so probably worth your time.
I agree. I actually like them even better than Rich men North of Richmond.
This was his first post on TH-cam. That's stunning.
Wow. You just demonstrated that you know nothing about music and poetry. Everything was special in the rendering of this song, the message by itself was said a million time, but, this one time, it was masterfully done with an extraordinary talent an sensibility. And that is why people are listening. Not the other way around.
If you dont understand why the song is popular, its message isn't meant for you
my first reaction was "whoa, that's a neumann U87 Ai microphone!" (check the price tag on them... anywhere)
People like me and people like you. Thanks eh 🇨🇦
Une des meilleures analyse que j'ai vue, mais il y a quelque chose de plus, ne maîtrisant pas totalement l'anglais, j'ai quand même ressenti profondément l'émotion que Chris vehiculait.
Viva la France
Love,
USA
My grandfather was a slate picker in a coal mine when he was 12. 12! One of my favorite movies is How Green Was My Valley about coal miners in Wales. When he said the politicians should care about miners and not minors in an island somewhere (with Epstein), it was pretty poignant. He speaks truth. Politicians here live north of Richmond (Virginia) in Washington DC. They don’t help the common man that’s for sure.
Your reaction is fair enough and well said, only your thoughts dont really reflect the message in this song. You make valid points and they may have been well received had they actually applied to the song. Therefore I'm not surprised you recieved a lot of negativity in the comments after your reaction. I believe you are the first reactor I've watched (blind & foreign included) who didn't see straight to the core of this song.
At Least you let the Song play and then Commented , big Thumbs up
Personally I like the song maybe because I'm American and can relate , but we all have our own opinions , I respect yours , if people don't like what you have to say they can kick rocks and move on . Great job man ❤ from INDIANA, USA.
Simple truths spoken by Oliver Anthony and by Dr Nic ⚖Well done!
That lead up to why it resonates , was too long man, you’ll lose some ppl with a long thing like that, happy travels on TH-cam , i of course dropped a like
One more observation: It's interesting how his lyric "They want to know what you think, want to know what you do" is never misinterpreted. After all, we WANT politicians to want to know what we think and take our concerns and needs seriously. We WANT them to know what we do, generally speaking, and to know what our lives are like and then to use that knowledge to create or reverse laws that so that our lives may be improved. Perhaps it was context, but we all knew what he meant: surveillance with a goal of oppression. No one heard that bar and thought: hey man, that's a good thing!
familiar feelings put into powerful words.
He sings it from his heart and his soul and it's the truth and that's why people in government fear this song cuz it touches so many people so many my friend