Sen. Ted Cruz reacts to viral country singer Oliver Anthony’s new song: ‘Singing the truth is powerful’
Fox News
Sen. Ted Cruz, R.-Tx., is the latest politician to praise Virginia farmer and musician Oliver Anthony’s newest song, “I Want To Go Home” which premiered on the viral singer’s YouTube channel Tuesday.
Anthony’s music video, which shows him singing in the wilderness, already has over a million views and claimed the number one spot for trending songs on YouTube. The song, which was originally uploaded to Spotify in April, also has over a million streams.
“Singing the truth is powerful,” Cruz posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Wednesday. “Congrats to @AintGottaDollar for coming out with another song for our time.”
COUNTRY SENSATION OLIVER ANTHONY MAKING AN ESTIMATED $40,000 A DAY FROM CHART-TOPPING MUSIC
Cruz joins a wave of conservative voices who praised Anthony—who first went viral after his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” earlier this month—including Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R.-GA.
“This is the anthem of the forgotten Americans who truly support this nation and unfortunately the world with their hard earned tax dollars and incredibly hard work,” Greene said on X of Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” hit. “This song represents my district and the people of America I know and love.”
Oliver begins his latest country tune with: “If it won’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.”
“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 for sure/ I’m just down on my knees,” he sings in the second verse.
VIRAL COUNTRY SENSATION OLIVER ANTHONY RELEASES NEW MUSIC VIDEO: ‘BRINK OF THE NEXT WORLD WAR’
The singer sprung to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart making him the first artist with no previous chart history to do so.
“People deal with depression and anxiety and misery and hopelessness no matter where they are at,” Anthony told Fox News correspondent Griff Jenkins.
“They don’t have to be blue-collar Americans. I mean I’ve gotten messages from people in countries that I don’t know how to pronounce. This is something that has touched people globally and there’s a reason for that,” he said.
The emerging singer-songwriter took the stage in front of around 4,000 attendees who gathered at Moyock, North Carolina’s Eagle Creek Golf Club & Grill on Aug. 19, treating them to a free performance.
OLIVER ANTHONY SAYS ‘RICH MEN’ HAS ‘TOUCHED PEOPLE GLOBALLY’: ‘DON’T HAVE TO BE BLUE-COLLAR’
Anthony is reportedly raking in $40,000 a day from streams and sales of his music, according to the trade journal Hits.
Anthony has not confirmed that claim, but according to a Facebook post on Aug. 17, he’s turning down million-dollar deals.
“People in the music industry give me blank stares when I brush off $8 million dollar offers,” Anthony stated. “I don’t want 6 tour buses, 15 tractor trailers and a jet. I don’t want to play stadium shows, I don’t want to be in the spotlight. I wrote the music I wrote because I was suffering with mental health and depression.”
Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.