This Week with David Rovics
This Week with David Rovics
Rich Men North of Richmond (adapted)
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Rich Men North of Richmond (adapted)

So many people keep asking me what a leftwing version of this extremely popular new song by Oliver Anthony would be like. How about this one? I only had to change a couple lines.
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So many people have asked me over the past few weeks what a leftwing version of the song, "Rich Men North of Richmond" would sound like, that this morning I actually got around to listening to this beautiful, powerful song in full.  There were a couple lines i changed -- but just a couple.  Just the ones where Oliver Anthony was punching down instead of up.    

I haven't improved at all on Anthony's gorgeous voice and delivery, or the excellent quality of his overall songwriting, but hopefully I've made a minor improvement on this song with these little changes.  This is called the folk process, this is what people do to my songs all the time as well.  I don't know Oliver Anthony and I'm sure he's very busy lately, with his song having gotten tens of millions of views all of a sudden, but I hope if he ever discovers my slightly revised version of his song, he'll like it.  

For the record, here is Oliver Anthony's original second verse section:  

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  

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  

Here's how I changed it:  

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 corporations milkin' welfare  

If you got a silver spoon in your mouth and a private jet
Taxes ought not to pay for all the money you get
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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This Week with David Rovics
This Week with David Rovics
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