July 19 (UPI) — Jason Aldean is defending “Try That in a Small Town” following claims the song is “pro-lynching.”
The 46-year-old country music singer responded Tuesday to criticism of the lyrics and music video for the track.
“Try That in a Small Town” includes such lyrics as “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that [expletive] might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / You cross that line, it won’t take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don’t / Try that in a small town.”
The music video, released Friday, was filmed at Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., the site of the 1927 lynching of Henry Choate, according to Entertainment Tonight.
The video features footage of a flag burning, protestors confronting police, and a robbery in a convenience store.
Aldean spoke out after critics called the song and its video pro-lynching, pro-gun and pro-violence.
“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. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous,” the singer wrote. “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.”
“As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91- where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart,” he added, referencing the 58 people killed in a mass shooting at the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas in 2018.
Aldean said he meant for “Try That in a Small Town” to refer “to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief.”
“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. But the desire for it too- that’s what this song is about,” he added.
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. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous….— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) July 18, 2023
CMT pulled the “Try That in a Small Town” video Tuesday amid the controversy, Billboard reported.
In addition, singer Sheryl Crow called out Aldean and the song on Twitter.
“@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting,” she wrote. “This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
