Country music star Jason Aldean slams 'meritless' and 'dangerous' claims his new song 'Try That In A Small Town' supports lynching
Getty/Kevin Winter
- Jason Aldean has hit back at claims his song "Try That In A Small Town" is "pro-lynching."
- In the song, Aldean takes aim at perceived criminals and people who "stomp on the flag and light it up."
- "These references are not only meritless, but dangerous," he said.
Country music star Jason Aldean has hit back at "meritless" claims his song "Try That In A Small Town" supports lynching.
In the song, Aldean takes aim at perceived criminals, specifically those who carjack, assault strangers, and rob liquor stores. He also sings about people who "stomp on the flag and light it up."
"Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they're gonna round up / Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck," Aldean sings. "Try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won't take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don't."
According to Variety, the song's accompanying music video, which was released on July 14, was filmed at a courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where a Black man named Henry Choate was lynched in 1927.
The song and its video sparked outcry online, with many accusing Aldean of promoting violence and having racial undertones.
Aldean's fellow country music star Sheryl Crow called the lyrics "lame."
"I'm from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence," tweeted Crow. "There's nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting."
One TikTok user said they heard "racist dog whistles" and "references" to "sundown towns and lynch mobs" in the song.
—Sheryl Crow (@SherylCrow) July 19, 2023
Responding to the backlash in a lengthy message posted on Twitter Tuesday, Aldean called the accusations that his song promotes lynching "dangerous."
"In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests," the 46-year-old wrote on Twitter.
"There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn't a single video clip that isn't real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far," he continued.
Addressing claims that his song promotes gun violence, Aldean recalled his experience at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in 2017, where gunman Stephen Paddock killed 60 people and injured over 800 others during a mass shooting.
"I was present at Route 91—where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy," Aldean said. "NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart."
—Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) July 18, 2023
Explaining what he intended "Try That In A Small Town" to be about, Aldean added that it "refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up."
"My political views have never been something I've hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don't agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night," he said. "But the desire for it to- that's what this song is about."