"Rich Men North of Richmond"
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@jon-nyc said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
I don’t know enough country to know how common this is, but 5 minutes ago this would have had a left-leaning valence, not right.
I don't think that's true. If Merle Haggard, Hank Jr, Jerry Reed, Dolly Parton, etc. are any indication, you can't listen to country music without hearing about working class struggles. But their music has always been appreciated much more heavily by the right than the left.
In other words, the style of music sets the politics, not the message.
As a contrast, rap music is (1) also very "masculine" in its elements (celebrates community pride and traditions, is boastful, etc), (2) is all about working class struggles and (3) is listened to almost exclusively by a left-leaning audience.
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@Aqua-Letifer said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
@jon-nyc said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
I don’t know enough country to know how common this is, but 5 minutes ago this would have had a left-leaning valence, not right.
I don't think that's true. If Merle Haggard, Hank Jr, Jerry Reed, Dolly Parton, etc. are any indication, you can't listen to country music without hearing about working class struggles. But their music has always been appreciated much more heavily by the right than the left.
In other words, the style of music sets the politics, not the message.
As a contrast, rap music is (1) also very "masculine" in its elements (celebrates community pride and traditions, is boastful, etc), (2) is all about working class struggles and (3) is listened to almost exclusively by a left-leaning audience.
"Black culture" has always been a carve-out of the leftist agenda, and the fit has never been an easy one. There's a great deal of looking the other way, and not thinking or talking about certain things.
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@Jolly said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
@89th said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
Am I the only one that thought his singing was a little annoying and yell-y? It's also whiny lyrics...like, live your life and stop worrying about politics or the wealth of others. I actually really enjoy folk music but I don't think I could listen to that a second time. Instead, let's listen to good music like: https://nodebb.the-new-coffee-room.club/post/231350
Born with a silver foot in your mouth?
I was born in the south, my parents didn't have money, and I'm not sure anything I said was a malapropism, so.... maybe I need to get my ears checked?
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@jon-nyc said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
By the way, does he dye his beard? Or is that color mismatch something that happens to gingers?
Only when they’ve successfully acquired a soul.
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@89th said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
@Jolly said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
@89th said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
Am I the only one that thought his singing was a little annoying and yell-y? It's also whiny lyrics...like, live your life and stop worrying about politics or the wealth of others. I actually really enjoy folk music but I don't think I could listen to that a second time. Instead, let's listen to good music like: https://nodebb.the-new-coffee-room.club/post/231350
Born with a silver foot in your mouth?
I was born in the south, my parents didn't have money, and I'm not sure anything I said was a malapropism, so.... maybe I need to get my ears checked?
You're talking like somebody that's either nouveau rich or the manor born.
Working people will complain about their wages when times are tough. When there's more month than money. When they see people seemingly doing nothing, but making plenty of money and dictating actions and policy to those not as smart or are not as "good" as the rich people are.
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@Jolly said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
@89th said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
@Jolly said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
@89th said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
Am I the only one that thought his singing was a little annoying and yell-y? It's also whiny lyrics...like, live your life and stop worrying about politics or the wealth of others. I actually really enjoy folk music but I don't think I could listen to that a second time. Instead, let's listen to good music like: https://nodebb.the-new-coffee-room.club/post/231350
Born with a silver foot in your mouth?
I was born in the south, my parents didn't have money, and I'm not sure anything I said was a malapropism, so.... maybe I need to get my ears checked?
You're talking like somebody that's either nouveau rich or the manor born.
Working people will complain about their wages when times are tough. When there's more month than money. When they see people seemingly doing nothing, but making plenty of money and dictating actions and policy to those not as smart or are not as "good" as the rich people are.
I think I'm talking like someone who has absorbed the wit and wording of TNCR for almost 20 years. Sincerely, my time on the various coffee room iterations is one I think would serve many people well. How to debate, respect, new words, learn, dig in...
I guess you could say, which ironically is a term I had to google, that I'm "nouveau rich" (or at least, compared to my dad who's parents abandoned him at 10, only had ketchup to eat at home during most nights in middle and high school, and in college worked [some weeks] over 90 hours to pay his way through... he now has a Masters and Doctorate, although the 2008 financial crisis wiped him out, but that's another story). Anyway, my career path in IT has been helpful with getting good wages, but even back when I asked a friend in 2005 for a few bucks because my credit card was due and I had literally zero in the bank, I had the same perspective... that lyrics like these are whiny and folks should stop caring what others thing, what politicians say, and what happens in the world that doesn't directly impact their life:
Livin' in the new world / With an old soul / These rich men north of Richmond / Lord knows they all just wanna have total control / Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do / And they don't think you know, but I know that you do
Ok, who gives a shit about what politicians think?
'Cause your dollar ain't shit and it's taxed to no end / 'Cause of rich men north of Richmond.
Not really. The dollar is still strong and isn't taxed to no end, especially if you're referring to those with lower income. It feels good in a lyric, but is demonstrably untrue.
I wish politicians would look out for miners / And not just minors on an island somewhere / Lord, we got folks in the street, ain't got nothin' to eat / And the obese milkin' welfare.
Agree with him there.
Well, God, if you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 pounds / Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds / Young men are puttin' themselves six feet in the ground / 'Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin' them down.
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Holy shit man just stop before you dig to China.
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That strong dollar has fallen in terms of real purchasing power for what, 24 months in a row? And things that working people aspire to, a piece of land, a house/home, a new car or truck, enough income to marry and have children...Well, that slice of the American Dream seems to be a lot less obtainable than just a few years ago.
Whether you like the lyrics or technical aspects of the song mean little. The fact is that the song has struck a nerve. Guy was doing a little set this last week, one of those things where maybe a handful of people drop by, and he drew 1000 people.
89 may be sociologically blind 🦮, but the song resonates with a lot of people. I guess millions are whiners and just enjoy a swim in a pool of misery.
Yeah, right. Nothing to see here, just move along ...
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No country is perfect, and there are abuses of the system in the US by both the rich, middle class, and poor. A lot of it just lost perspective. In the US, it seems like the definition of poor is having to go from two streaming services down to one. LOL
But, I don't think that it is fair to "bash" the rich either. I don't think that anyone ever aspires to make less money. Sure, there are people who earn money the old fashioned way (they inherit it), but for most people, striving to do well is a goal. So, just because someone becomes rich is not a reason to look down on them.
For example, Bill Gates has given so much money to causes that is mind boggling. It is possible you may not agree with some of his donations, but holy cow, he is trying to do something with his money, AND at the same time, living a lifestyle that 99.999% of the population could only dream about.
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@taiwan_girl said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
In the US, it seems like the definition of poor is having to go from two streaming services down to one. LOL
Nice.
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@89th said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
Yeah the song struck a nerve no doubt. I just didn’t care for the yelling sound, and whiny misery lyrics have always sold well.
I would have thought you were quite used to whiny misery lyrics, you being from the south and all. Did they not listen to country music down in Stripmall Holler?
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@taiwan_girl said in "Rich Men North of Richmond":
No country is perfect, and there are abuses of the system in the US by both the rich, middle class, and poor. A lot of it just lost perspective. In the US, it seems like the definition of poor is having to go from two streaming services down to one. LOL
But, I don't think that it is fair to "bash" the rich either. I don't think that anyone ever aspires to make less money. Sure, there are people who earn money the old fashioned way (they inherit it), but for most people, striving to do well is a goal. So, just because someone becomes rich is not a reason to look down on them.
For example, Bill Gates has given so much money to causes that is mind boggling. It is possible you may not agree with some of his donations, but holy cow, he is trying to do something with his money, AND at the same time, living a lifestyle that 99.999% of the population could only dream about.
You do realize this is not an anti-rich song, per se?
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Secondly, let's talk about the U.S. standard of living...
I don't really care about the rest of the world (actually I do, but it is an unsolvable problem for us), I care about America. I want us to be the most wealthy, most powerful nation in the world.
And once obtained, I do want us to maintain that spot.
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