This is a viewpoint editorial by Spencer Nichols, Product Marketing Associate at Bitcoin Magazine and host of The Cosmic Bitcoin Podcast.
Folk music artist Oliver Anthony took the web by storm with a video of his tune “Rich Men North of Richmond,” tape-recorded in the woods near his off-grid house in Virginia, and has actually developed something looking like the Bitcoin tune of the year. Anthony’s raw feeling and lamentation of the “new world” together with his observation that “the dollar ain’t shit” has actually definitely helped him in getting distinctions from the Bitscoins.netmunity.
It’s obviously no coincidence that Bitcoiners gravitated towards this tune provided its criticism of “rich men North of Richmond” — glares at the Washington uni-party — however what I discover crucial is Anthony’s cathartic, mourning tone. In my viewpoint, those who acknowledge the decay of trust and our fiat-induced cumulative failure to understand the world, feel loss, anger and discomfort over what might have been, and shock over the existing state of the world. Anthony’s blues-laden vocals record this all-too-well:
“For people like me and people like you
“Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
“But it is, oh, it is”
Rather than a highly-produced, pop-adjacent and specific niche event of Bitcoin or Satoshi Nakamoto — a la Gramtik’s 2016 tune “Satoshi Nakamoto” which admires “buying whips with cryptocurrency” — Anthony has actually provided the Bitscoins.netmunity something to acquire that regular, daily individuals can also. A confluence that has actually been … less than typical for Bitcoin culture. It’s worth keeping in mind that Anthony has actually caught a feeling that the Bitcoiner and blue collar disenfranchised can both value without requiring to have good understanding of cryptography, nodes or the appeal of permissionless cash. It’s just a message that talks to the issues that both of these associates can quickly acknowledge.
In sharp contrast to the cultural zeitgeist in Bitcoin post-2020 booming market, Anthony’s mashup of folk music and genuine Americana with a contemporary twist doesn’t feel contrived or developed on bullishness and moonboy buzz. I acknowledge this paints Bitcoiners with a broad brush, however the appeal of “Rich Men North of Richmond” goes to show that numerous beyond the Bitscoins.netmunity harbor convergent beliefs to our own: rely on this nation has actually been broken, and “it’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to.”
Of course, there are also parallels to CBDCs and digital panopticon worries that are tasty for Bitcoiners. Anthony composes, “These rich men north of Richmond. Lord knows they all just want to have total control. Wanna know what you think. Wanna know what you do.”
Is This Truly A Bitcoin Song?
I believe it is very important to keep in mind that while this tune has actually been popular by Bitcoiners, in part due to their normally right-leaning, anti-authoritarian political associations, we should take care not to call this a Bitcoin tune, per se, and not utilize this as a kind of “blue collar-washing.” While Bitcoin is definitely a useful tool for the financially disaffected provided its roots in the Great Financial Crisis/Occupy Wall Street motion, it would be disingenuous to hold Anthony up as agent of Bitcoiners, provided the tech-forward financialization of Bitcoin and the looming entry of market individuals like BlackRock and others of their ilk that stand to benefit.
Anthony’s music has actually definitely discovered a fanbase in Bitcoin circles and for excellent factor, and possibly this can act as a useful signpost to develop more bridges in between the Bitscoins.netmunity and those additional afield. But I do not believe it would be reasonable to claim Anthony or a caricature of the culture he represents (having a hard time men from Appalachia) as agent of Bitcoin. This is for 2 factors: 1) to not represent Bitcoin’s cultural motion as something it isn’t, and 2) to not permit Bitcoin affects from Wall Street, Silicon Valley and somewhere else to utilize his visual and appeal as a practical exterior.
I discovered Anthony’s tune exceptionally moving, and was really delighted to hear his point-blank criticism of the dollar resonate with many individuals. Admittedly his political ideology (as far as it is revealed) interest my own, however I don’t believe it real to hold Anthony or his tune up as being a Bitcoin anthem. As much as I’d like to LARP as a rustic mountain male with hard-earned complaints — shoutout my fellow Bay Area millennials — I’m going to go out on a limb here and state I don’t believe a lot of Bitcoiners are blue collar mountain men, either. I believe we must take care not to utilize Anthony or his message as a way of accomplishing our own interests, however we can still value his music and message for what they are.
“Rich Men North of Richmond” has actually certainly struck home. Its rawness, appearing absence of commercialization and homey nature have appeal for excellent factor in contrast to the music of “fiat land” today. Its positioning with numerous suitables in Bitcoin are not an abnormality, however its appeal among Bitcoiners might belie a desire to paint Bitcoin as something of a populist motion of impoverished, blue collar folks. I’d presume that, typically, this is not presently real for Bitcoin.
Those caveats aside, this tune may assist us comprehend how to break outside the echo chamber of market watchers, number-go-up maxis and techno-libertarians. There’s definitely a crucial lesson here in demonstrating how divergent the common Bitcoin elevator pitch is from what seemingly has real mass appeal. While we can discuss whether “mass adoption” is truly the video game to be playing, for the sake of argument let’s presume that is undoubtedly our goal. Thus, this must act as a crucial information point for how to customize our messaging.
This is plainly a crucial tune and cultural minute, however it is not a Bitcoin anthem no matter just how much we want it were. Kudos to Anthony for his newly found success and for brightening a crucial conversation through his art.
This is a visitor post by Spencer Nichols. Opinions revealed are completely their own and do not always show those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
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