Who's the man behind the song? 'Rich Men North of Richmond' singer shares how his experiences inspire his lyrics

The Farmville Herald Photo

Oliver Anthony's song "Rich Men North of Richmond” exploded onto the charts shortly after he and a friend posted it. The song is heartfelt and includes political insults for just about everyone, but it also leaves questions about its singer. Who is Anthony Oliver? What does he want the song to say to listeners? "Anthony said that he wrote this music for his mental health, as he was dealing with depression, Brian Carlton of The Farmville Herald reports. "And he believes they connect with people because listeners know he believes what he’s singing."

The singer gave the country insight into his views with a post on his social media accounts, Carlton writes. "'I’m sitting in such a weird place in my life right now. I never wanted to be a full-time musician, much less sit at the top of the iTunes charts. Draven from RadioWv and I filmed these tunes on my land with the hope that it may hit 300k views. I still don’t quite believe what has gone on since we uploaded that. It’s just strange to me.'”

Carlton reports, "'First off, Anthony wrote, his legal name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford. His musical handle was done as a tribute. 'My grandfather was Oliver Anthony, and Oliver Anthony Music is a dedication not only to him but 1930’s Appalachia where he was born and raised. . . . Dirt floors, seven kids, hard times. At this point, I’ll gladly go by Oliver because everyone knows me as such. But my friends and family still call me Chris. You can decide for yourself; either is fine.' . . . Anthony said he dropped out of school at age 17 in 2010, later earning his GED in North Carolina."

Hard work with little to show for it is one of the song's themes--its lyrics cry out from Anthony's personal experiences. Carlton adds Anthony's post: “'I worked multiple plant jobs in Western NC, my last being at the paper mill in McDowell County. I worked the 3rd shift, six days a week, for $14.50 an hour in a living hell. In 2013, I had a bad fall at work and fractured my skull. It forced me to move back home to Virginia. Due to complications from the injury, it took me six months or so before I could work again.'”