Jason Aldean Try That In A Small Town – It is the song titled “Try That In A Small Town” by Jason Aldean, an American country music singer. The song was released in May 2023 and quickly became controversial for its lyrics and accompanying music video. The song and its accompanying music video were met with criticism for their perceived glorification of gun violence and racism.
Country Music Television (CMT) declares it will no longer air the song video “Try That In a Small Town” by Jason Aldean after detractors of the video said it confined lyrics that glorified gun violence and took traditionally racist thoughts. A CMT representative confirmed the move to NPR but offered no comment on the reasoning. Since the video’s release, it’s emerged as a familiar political litmus test, with interpretations of its message often falling along voting divides.
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What “Try That in a Small Town” Song’s Lyrics Are About?
The song’s lyrics talk about gun ownership, community, and the idea that people in small towns “take care of their own.” The music video features footage of Black Lives Matter protests and robberies, interspersed with scenes of Aldean singing and playing guitar.
In an announcement released with the video, Aldean said the song signifies an “unspoken rule” for those growing up in small towns: “We all have each other’s backs and we look out for each other.” The lead singer is not attributed as a writer for the music, as he has been the case for a maximum of his 27 hit singles.
Threats to outsiders are present thru the song’s lyrics, which start with a list of crimes that might happen in urban locations. Thus, (“Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk/joy ride an old lady at a red light”) then upsurge into the titular response:
“Well, try that in a small town / See how far you 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.”
Jason Aldean ups the vigilante stake by linking the second refrain with an orientation to gun rights, singing:
“I’ve got a gun that my granddad gave me/they say one day they’re gonna round up. / Well that s*** might fly in the city / good luck / Try that in a small town”.
Explain Why Is The Video Of Try That in a Small Town So Divisive?
Spread between shots of Aldean singing are clips of destruction, riots, and police encounters, much of which are evocative of racial injustice protests. Some scenes bear a Fox News chyron, but others, as some TikTok investigators have pointed out. Seem to be stock footage in some situations of gatherings from different countries. But much of the disapproval around the video has less to do with these clips than its scenery: The Maury County Courthouse building in Columbia, Tenn. Hence, which serves as an American flag-draped backdrop for Aldean and his gang.
The location was the site of race riots in 1946 along with a 1927 lynching. Thus, in which a white mob dragged an 18-year-old black man, Henry Choate, from prison and dragged him over the city by car. Therefore, according to several media reports, including one comprehensive account from The Washington Post. Choate had confessed to attacking a 16-year-old white girl “to guard his life,” even though the girl “could not completely identify him as the assailant,” the Post reported.
What Is Aldean Saying?
Aldean pushed back hard against allegations he was “pro-lynching,” saying such a clarification “goes too far” and is “dangerous.” “There is not a solo lyric in the song that shows race or ideas to it,” he wrote on Twitter. “Try That In A Small Town, for me, mentions the feeling of a public that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, irrespective of differences of background or belief.” “NO ONE, counting me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or relatives ripped apart,” he wrote.
About Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean is a 46-year-old country singer from Macon, Ga. He first released that music in May, but it wasn’t until the publication of the video on July 14. Thus, as advancement for his 11th forthcoming album — that the discourse ratcheted up. He has five Grammy Award nominations (adding two for Best Country Album) for his two decades of song depicting rural, blue-collar life. And of that success, he’s rarely try to avoid away from distributing his right-leaning political opinions.
Jason’s wife, Brittany Aldean, and his sister, Kasi Rosa Wicks, launched a traditional clothing line dedicated to trolling liberals. Aldean protected dressing his children in anti-Joe-Biden attire and himself for wearing blackface as a chunk of a 2015 Halloween costume. He was speckled golfing alongside Donald Trump and delivered a spontaneous performance at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort. But, many times, the singer has tried to walk a more advanced line to politics. Thus, perhaps most memorably after enduring the 2017 mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival.
Conclusion
Hence, The controversy surrounding “Try That in a Small Town” by Jason Aldean highlights the deep divisions in American society over issues such as gun violence and race. The song’s lyrics and music video can be interpret in several ways. And there is no easy answer to the question of whether they are racist or glorify gun violence. Ultimately, it is up to each listener to decide what they think of the song and video. However, there is no doubt that “Try That in a Small Town” is a powerful and thought-provoking piece of music. Thus, that has sparked meaningful conversations about race, gun violence, and the role of country music in American society.