Oliver Anthony’s Song Resonating With Everyday Utahns

His song is reaching people at a level no other song has in years, perhaps decades.

When Oliver Anthony sings his new song, "He is saying what we are all feeling," said one listener to the Andy Griffin Show Friday.

Anthony's song, "Rich Men North of Richmond," (video below) has touched a nerve in Utah and around the world.

It became the first song EVER to go from uncharted to No. 1 in the history of Billboard Magazine's charting history.

This from the national news wire:

"The singer-songwriter behind the viral hit "Rich Men North of Richmond" is making Billboard chart history.  Oliver Anthony's song has debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  He is the first artist to earn the top spot with no prior chart history in any form.  A video of Anthony performing the song in the woods has racked up 30 million views on YouTube.  The song was streamed 17-and-a-half million times and sold 147-thousand downloads during the week ending August 17th.  "Rich Men" has been praised by conservatives and criticized by the left for lyrics about taxes and welfare."

Although Anthony's anti-establishment anthem has been widely panned by the liberal left, Anthony himself says he is not a Democrat nor a Republican, but is right down the middle politically.

And while the mainstream media seems to feel nothing but disdain for "Rich Men," it is resonating with the people of Southern Utah and around the world.

"I think people are just feeling fed up," said Rick from Ivins.

"It's not slick, it's not pre-produced. It's just raw emotion. It hits home for all of us," said Melodee from Santa Clara.

Many who view the video for the first time don't immediately recognize that the "Rich Men North of Richmond," Anthony is talking about are the elite politicians in Washington, D.C.

But as the message settles in, everyday people know that confidence in economic leaders and the state of the economy is incredibly low -- gas costs more than four bucks a gallon right now!.

To quote David Waugh from AIER.org, "The song works because it is ... a refreshing depiction of the harms a runaway federal government has inflicted on working Americans, sung by a working American."

Anthony had never recorded a song before, except on his cell phone. Even in the video you can tell he is not comfortable with the microphone and cameras (he stays away from the mic and never does look at the camera).

He's not a recording artist. What Anthony is is a passionate everyday American who is tired of seeing his paycheck getting eaten up by government that has run amok.