Rich Men North of Richmond - Makes Pop Chart History

As I alluded to in the woke thread there's a void in this particular area of pop culture. All the best rock music historically has been made by angry young men. The wussified rock establishment these days won't go for that so country has kind of taken up the mantle with all these controversial songs lately. Which is a shame since these are not good songs and that Jason Aldean song in particular is just nasty lyrically, a rare example where I'll agree with something being called "problematic". The disaffected young men these days need a John Lennon, a Ray Davies, or even a Johnny Rotten to speak for them but instead they've just got this.

Saw someone compare this guy to Woody Guthrie and I nearly had an aneurysm.

"Back then,” he says, “the term Okie was a put-down, like hick or redneck. Merle Haggard changed that," - Los Angeles Times

mikediastavrone96 , The_Cake_of_Roth , Martin Stett - all of whom have offered POV on "ownership" of words in the other thread.........and countjohn who just likes music and stuff and may just like contemplating such things

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* These songs are kind of fascinating (neither is good) from a viewpoint on Country music history:
Aldean didn't write his song - if he wanted to (maybe he doesn't) he could argue that he's merely expressing the songwriters (4 of them, wtf!) feelings......and as has been mentioned, he can sing and his music is polished and weirdly palatable though thoroughly unpleasant the closer you look imo.

* Rich Men North of Richmond is clearly written by this singer - if someone else sang it - it wouldn't resonate, and his performance - unpolished, seemingly off the cuff means more to the people who like it.

* Lyrically it is as confused as the audience may likely be also - with its unfocused and incongruous swipes at the overweight and the random displeasure with government and what people don't know but they really do (vague, much?) - it's hardly a "patriotic" song........but could be described as one simultaneously ........

* Both songs are similar and also the opposite of the most famous song in this sub-genre: Merle Haggard's Okie From Muskogee - Haggard defiantly reclaims the (Leftist) putdown for himself, (by extension) his / a communty, (by extension) his / a town, flips a jovial middle finger and is maybe good naturedly being a bit tongue in cheek all at the same time - after all  you could picture him having more in common with the other side in many ways - and he sung it with a knowing wink live (see below)...............which never, at all, compromised its surface level point - neat trick, huh?

This song is over 50 years old.......eveything was better ........and more complex.......before ........our awful now.......