SONG BECOMES A HUGE VIRAL HIT

Oliver Anthony's Rich Men North of Richmond has become a huge viral hit, and the latest in a series of cultural flashpoints that reflect a deeply divided America, writes Caryn James.

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In the culture wars that continue to divide US politics, the right wing may have found its latest hero in Oliver Anthony, whether he likes it or not. Last week, Anthony's song Rich Men North of Richmond, which criticises Washington and big government, dropped on a West Virginia radio station's YouTube channel and the unknown singer-songwriter became a viral sensation with more than two million views over two days and more than 20 million so far. In the roughly produced video, Anthony, a burly guy with a big red beard and a guitar, stands in a wooded area, looking and sounding like an everyday blue-collar worker. "I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day/ Overtime hours for bullshit pay," he sings. "It's a damn shame what the world's gotten to/ For people like me and people like you." 

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