Meghan McCain is a self-described rabble-rouser, TV personality, writer and daughter of late maverick Senator John McCain and Cindy McCain, a philanthropist and heiress to a family fortune built on the beer business. Meghan McCain is a Republican standard bearer who expresses some MAGA views while harboring a distaste for the MAGA movement’s main man Donald Trump, who famously insulted her father.
McCain is also an influencer with a Daily Mail column and nearly 800K followers on X (formerly Twitter). On that platform in recent days she has been pushing the story of musician Oliver Anthony and his viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” — in which Anthony sings that the men of the title don’t give a hoot about him and people like him, and leave him to “drown my troubles away” — as the lyric goes.
Rich Men North of Richmond has been uploaded to all major streaming platforms and will show up there in a few days.
— Oliver Anthony (@AintGottaDollar) August 11, 2023
Im still in a state of shock at the outpouring of love I've seen in the comments, messages and emails. I'm working to respond to everyone as quickly as possible. pic.twitter.com/iScaYp9AWQ
In the lyrics, Anthony laments “selling my soul, working all day, overtime hours, and BS pay.” That’s before he goes home and drowns his troubles. It’s a dirge, a lament, a country blues in the long tradition, and it’s hitting a nerve with people who feel modern life has left them behind.
McCain shared twice about Anthony’s viral sensation in the same day, moved no doubt by the sentiments and the searing performance, even if her family would be — socioeconomically, if not geographically — clearly among the subjects of Anthony’s ire. In McCain’s case, her family didn’t just live high on the hog, but did so by supplying the suds the downtrodden of Anthony’s ilk drown their sorrows in.
McCain’s other share about Anthony’s story contained a thread by Jason Howerton, who claims he interviewed Anthony and reveals the musician’s hard luck story and remarkably swift turnaround, which he’s busy turning into audio gold. Howerton has just 100K followers, so McCain’s amplification moves the story further into the info stream.
This song is called "Rich Men North of Richmond." It has been viewed MILLIONS of times.
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) August 11, 2023
The artist's name is Oliver Anthony. I just got off the phone with him.
With his permission, I'd like to share the story he told me that moved the deepest parts of my soul…
Thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/sPb7Iylx3d
In the thread McCain shared, Howerton says Anthony “was struggling with mental health & coping with alcohol. In depths of despair, just about a month ago, Oliver got to his knees & broke down in tears. Though he’s wasn’t a religious man, that night he promised God to get sober if he helped him follow his dream.”
Howerton continues: “Here is a man who broke down & surrendered everything to God & within 30 days, he became an overnight sensation with an offer from @johnrich to produce his record.”
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