WORDS OF WISDOM: Country Hit “Try That in a Small Town” Hits Home

EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s amazing the things nowdays that stir up controversy … seemingly innocuous social media posts, or country music songs are suddenly political and anti-this or pro-that. The artists are unfairly labeled and there’s a lot of people getting a lot of exercise jumping to conclusions about the “real meaning.” Thank you, Neal for your common sense evaluation. We live in a small town, and as several people have commented to me today, “I wasn’t really a Jason Aldean fan, but I am now.”

By Neal Lemery

Jason Aldean’s recently released single, Try That in a Small Town, has stirred controversy, with Country Music TV deciding to remove it from their programming, stating that the song promotes violence and is “pro lynching”.

The video with lyrics has been posted by Aldean on YouTube.

He also posted his official music video, without the printed lyrics. The song was released without controversy in May, but the official video was just released this week, and began to stir strong opinions.

The song is now #1 on the iTunes charts.

Along with his posted video on Facebook, Aldean added this comment: “When u grow up in a small town, it’s that unspoken rule of ‘we all have each other’s backs and we look out for each other.’ It feels like somewhere along the way, that sense of community and respect has gotten lost. Deep down we are all ready to get back to that. I hope my new music video helps y’all know that u are not alone in feeling that way. Check it out!”

The lyrics have been posted by a number of sources, including Musixmatch.

“Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk
Carjack an old lady at a red light
Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store
Ya think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like
Cuss out a cop, spit in his face
Stomp on the flag and light it up
Yeah, ya think you’re tough
Well, 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
Try that in a small town
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
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
Try that in a small town
Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right
If you’re looking for a fight
Try that in a small town
Try that in a small town
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
Try that in a small town
Try that in a small town
Ooh-ooh
Try that in a small town”

Songwriters: Kelley Lovelace / Neil Thrasher / Tully Kennedy / Kurt Michael Allison
Try That In A Small Town lyrics © Bmg Platinum Songs Us, Bmg Gold Songs, Makena Cove Music, Irishsonmusic, Spirit Vault Songs, Thrash Town Music, Spirit Nashville Two Crescendo, That’s Me!! Music Publishing, Songs Of Red Street Country, King Pen To Paper Songs

To this listener, the lyrics are a strong condemnation of violence and crime, that while apparently tolerated in urban settings, such violence would be strongly condemned and quickly dealt with in small town America. There’s a strong statement of support for gun ownership, and opposition to civil unrest, which is a popular theme in country music and much of American culture these days. In my view, the lyrics don’t advocate racial violence or bigotry, but instead seems to express fairly common themes of contemporary American country music.

Music, especially pop and folk music, has historically been a significant means to express political and social views in our culture, and is often the most effective at gaining a large audience for various viewpoints. Music is used at political rallies and in advertising to broadcast a particular theme and political ideology.

Parts of the videos were filmed at Tennessee’s Maury County courthouse, the scene of a 1927 lynching and a 1946 race riot. A number of other country music videos, non-controversial, have also been filmed there. Aldean did not pick the venue.

Country star Sheryl Crow responded to the song and video with a Twitter post: “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. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”

Crow said that Aldean is out of step with the public mood and should know better, as reported by Rolling Stone. Crow noted that Aldean was on stage in Las Vegas when one of the worst mass shootings broke out there in 2017 killing 60 people and wounding 417.

Public comments by others take a different view of the lyrics and the videos, which show clips of 2020 violence and demonstrations in American cities. Some commentators note that rap and rock lyrics often are supportive, or non-judgmental, about violence as an acceptable response to social situations.

Aldean has recently responded to the controversy: “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,” he told his social media followers.

“Try That in a Small Town” is simply a good standard country song that tells it like it is, that we take care of our own, and that we as a society shouldn’t stand for that kind of behavior.