Jason Aldean tries to explain away his threatening Small Town song

Jason Aldean sees nothing wrong with the lyrics or video for his song “Try That In A Small Town.” While the single has garnered serious backlash for seemingly promoting violence, Aldean argues that it’s just about promoting a sense of community. And who among us doesn’t feel the spirit of togetherness when hearing the words: “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 / 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.”

Right, so, it’s hard to argue that the sentiment expressed here isn’t explicitly threatening. The music video only compounds the issue: it features footage of some isolated crimes (“Carjack an old lady at a red light / Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store”), but also footage from protests, presumably ones held in response to racial violence in the U.S. Aldean dares anyone who would “cuss out a cop” or “stomp on the flag” to “try that in a small town” and see what happens.

Understandably, many people were appalled by the song (which was released in May) and the video (which debuted Friday, July 14). To make matters worse, Aldean performs in the video in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, the site of an infamous lynching in 1927 (per CNN). Combined with the threatening lyrics, it’s no wonder the enterprise left a bad taste in listeners’ mouths. Seemingly in response to the backlash, CMT pulled the visual from its music video rotation after just two days, according to Billboard.

Aldean responded on Tuesday with a lengthy message posted to social media, writing, “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. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it—and there is not 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.”

Aldean acknowledged the mass shooting that took place during his show in Las Vegas in 2017, saying that “NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.” However, he explained, “‘Try That In a Small Town,’ for me, refers 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. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.”

The statement concluded, “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 to—that’s what this song is about.”

Based on the actual lyrics to the song, it would seem Aldean is advocating to bring the country “back to a sense of normalcy” by force. There is also an undertone of conspiratorial thinking to the track: who says “one day they’re gonna round up” It echoes extreme right-wing talking points that suggest conservatives will be persecuted for their political beliefs.

Plenty of critics have spoken out against Aldean, including Sheryl Crow, who tweeted, “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.”

Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones also tweeted a condemnation on Tuesday, writing, “As Tennessee lawmakers, we have an obligation to condemn Jason Aldean’s heinous song calling for racist violence. What a shameful vision of gun extremism and vigilantism. We will continue to call for common sense gun laws, that protect ALL our children and communities.”