By Jack Davis, The Western Journal
County music singer Oliver Anthony unleashed his new vision of a world gone wrong overnight, with 1 million people viewing “I Want to Go Home” on Anthony’s YouTube page in less than a day.
The video is shot out in the woods, with a backdrop of trees, dogs and a Chevy, as Anthony plays guitar and sings into a mic.
The video ends with the words of Mark 8:36 on the screen: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
“Well, if it [weren’t] for my old dogs and the good Lord; They’d have me strung up in the psych ward; ‘Cause every day livin’ in this new world; Is one too many days to me,” the song began, according to AZLyrics.
“Son, we’re on the brink of the next world war; And I don’t think nobody’s prayin’ no more; And I ain’t sayin I know it’s for sure; I’m just down on my knees,” Anthony sang.
The song makes a slight reference to the subject of Anthony’s first hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” in lyrics that go, “People just doin’ what the rich men say; I wanna go home.”
After citing the tragedy of generations of farmland turned into urban sprawl, Anthony captures what he sees as an underlying problem with the nation: “People have really gone and lost their way. They all just do what the TV say.”
According to Billboard, “Rich Men North of Richmond” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, making Anthony the first to top the chart without any type of previous chart history.
In assessing the impact of the song, Anthony told Billboard, “The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song. The song itself is not anything special, but the people who have supported it are incredible and deserve to be heard.”