Oliver Anthony is sharing his first song since he announced he’s moving away from the music industry and focusing on ministry… well, kind of doing that.
Last week, Oliver Anthony announced that he would be stepping away from the music industry and focusing on developing his traveling ministry. But it was a roundabout way of informing fans that he’s only stepping away from the traditional business model that the music industry operates in and will still be making music, just under a ministry model, as he pushes the growth of his Rural Revival Project.
“I’m in the process of getting out of the music industry. It’s a big joke. The plan is to eventually change my entire focus to traveling ministry work. It’s all part of this Rural Revival thing. I just have to go at it in baby steps since it’s completely DIY…
No, I’ll still be releasing music just like normal. I’ll just be set up legally as a ministry.”
Following up on his statement that he was removing himself from Nashville and any type of music management, he shared plans that he hopes his Rural Revival Project will bring music and economic support to struggling small communities. He hopes that through this traveling event, fans will travel to these smaller towns to see live music rather than attend a show put on by Ticketmaster or Live Nation.
“I have this vision… I want to create a routing schedule that runs parallel to Nashville, circumvents the monopoly of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, and goes into towns that haven’t had music in them in a long time. It stimulates their economy, showcases their culture, it uses local vendors and local musicians. You’re not having to drive out to Pittsburgh to a concrete amphitheater to see a show. It’s done out on a farm or on a main street that desperately needs the economic impact.”
While he is still putting pen to paper to figure out how to make this all come to life, Anthony is still inspired by what is going on in the world and took to his YouTube to share a new tune he wrote, “It’s About Time.” Anthony recorded the song last night, November 4th, sharing that he’s “not sure what the outcome will be tomorrow” on Election Day but felt the need to share this ballad with his following.
Since Anthony became famous with “Rich Men North Of Richmond, a protest tune about how wealthy politicians do nothing for the blue-collar working man and often take advantage of this economic class, it feels on brand that he is releasing another song with political undertones on this important day. Taking it back like he used to record songs on his front phone camera, Anthony props up the phone and begins belting out the lyrics.
The track will give you chills vocally. Anthony’s powerful vocals captivate you from the first notes as he wails out the hard-hitting notes.
The song’s lyrical content talks about hoping for the world to turn around and how he feels he was born in the wrong generation. Anthony has often spoken about how he thinks the world needs to rewind the clock and return to rural ways. But he also sings about his home state and how the poverty and food shortages never get media attention. However, Robert E. Lee’s statute being torn down was the only coverage from surrounding the region, and he did not understand that’s what the media chose to pay attention to.
In the video’s description, he shares how this influenced the lyrics:
“There are statistics online showing that Virginia’s food insecurity rate is around 11%. That means one out of every seven children in my state has experienced some level of starvation. Out of the top 10 localities of food insecurity, 8 of them are rural. There are multiple different websites with various statistics, but this was the average I found of everywhere I checked. Meanwhile, all of Virginia’s farms are either struggling or already abandoned. Many are being subdivided into vinyl siding nightmares as people continually move further into rural Virginia to escape our poorly ran cities.
I’m sick of watching my state and my entire country deteriorate in front of my very eyes. But the only thing I can recall seeing a politician talk about in Virginia that gained any significant attention was the statue of Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue. It was on the news every day, with the intention of polarizing as many of us against each other as possible.
I hope we can bridge the gap between consumers and farms and cut out huge food engineering corporations and monopolies. I’m working on a system that can help connect all of us more effectively and start to starve out those who have been starving us.”
The hook on the song’s chorus truly keeps listeners coming back for more as he powerfully belts out words that make them wonder if he is the only one feeling this way.
“Am I going f**king crazy
Or is everyone else,
But I can feel this chill in my bones
I’m just a product of a simpler time
…
Lord, please don’t forget me
I see you on the other side
It’s been a long time coming
It’s about time…”
Fans of Oliver Anthony and his message quickly filled the comments, encouraging him to stay optimistic that the world will change and revert to the old ways and that his music is spreading a powerful message.
Check it out:
