Why has it gone viral? I guess because the lyrics start off kind of relatable.

Sing some to me. “I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day / Overtime hours for bullshit pay.”

So far, so good. When do the rich men come into it? The rich men north of Richmond refers to politicians in Washington, DC (which is north of Richmond, Virginia). Anthony sings that they want to have “total control” and then goes on to explain that “your dollar ain’t shit and it’s taxed to no end”.

That sounds all right to me. More like the alt-right.

Sorry? Here’s where it gets weird. Country music is often associated with conservatives (see also: Jason Aldean’s recent hit Try That In A Small Town), and the rally cries against political elites have a hint of Drain-The-Swamp-ism.

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Unsurprisingly, it has been embraced by right-wing pundits and commentators, including Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham and Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene who called Rich Men North of Richmond the “anthem of the forgotten Americans”.

Interesting. Indeed. The longer the song goes on, the more strange it gets. There are lyrics that seem to hint at Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous private island.

Wow. What does he say? “I wish politicians would look out for miners / And not just minors on an island somewhere.”

OK, that feels like a strange inclusion. Then there are some shots at overweight people: “Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothin’ to eat/ And the obese milkin’ welfare,” he sings in the second verse. “Well, God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds / Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of Fudge Rounds.”

Did not think the words “Fudge Rounds” would be part of this chat. Has Anthony made any comment about his political leanings since the song went viral? Yes. Anthony stated in a YouTube video he is politically “dead centre” and that “it seems like both sides serve the same master – and that master is not someone of any good to the people of this country”.

However, on Anthony’s official YouTube channel, he has shared several videos that promote conspiracy theories, including claims that Israelis were involved in the September 11 attacks.

Ah, my least favourite corner of the internet. Do you know what’s annoying, though? What’s that?

The song is incredibly catchy. Yes, it is. So catchy, in fact, that it has debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making him the first artist to ever notch a top single with no prior chart history in any form. Ironically, Anthony stands to become quite the rich man from his poor man anthem.

In a statement posted to Facebook after the viral success, Anthony said that he wasn’t rushing into a record deal. “People in the music industry give me blank stares when I brush off $8 million offers. I don’t want six tour buses, 15 tractor trailers and a jet.”

I want six tour buses. We all do. Anyway, because we’re in the midst of a non-stop culture war, the backlash songs are already on the way. Billy Bragg has penned Rich Men Earning North of a Million, which offers a direct counter to Anthony’s jibes about the obese.

“If you’re struggling with your health and you’re putting on the pounds / Doctor gives you opioids to help you get around,” Bragg sings. “Wouldn’t it be better for folks like you and me if medicine was subsidised and medicine was free?”