Jason Aldean’s new song “Try That In A Small Town” reached #1 on US iTunes, according to Billboard Charts.
Jason Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town" has reached #1 on US iTunes. pic.twitter.com/PXZa31xpp4
— chart news (@chartnewspg) July 19, 2023
However, Country Music TV didn’t appear to like the lyrics or video of Aldean’s hit song and pulled the single from its airways.
Billboard first reported on CMT’s decision to pull the music video:
CMT has pulled Jason Aldean’s incendiary video for his new single, “Try That In a Small Town.”
The visual, which his label Broken Bow Records/BMG, released on Friday (July 14), was in rotation on CMT through Sunday (July 16), playing in the morning music video hours. It is unclear how many times CMT played the video before pulling it on Monday. Other than confirming the outlet had yanked the video, CMT declined to comment on the decision to cease playing the clip.
The video, which has received more than 346,000 views on YouTube since its release, features Aldean performing in front of courthouse with an American flag hanging from the entrance. The performance is interspersed with footage of a flag burning, protesters screaming and attacking police in various scenarios, and robbing a convenience store. It’s unclear where the footage was taken from, but at one point, a Fox News chyron appears with the words “state of emergency declared in Georgia.” Aldean is from Macon, Ga.
Toward the end, the violent scenes are juxtaposed against images of Americana such as a small girl playing hopscotch and a flag rising, as a news anchor’s voice comes on talking about farmers dropping their crops for the day to help a neighbor. A wizened male face comes on screen and earnestly says, “It’s what this community and a lot of farm communities stand for: Somebody needs some help, they’ll get it.”
“Jason Aldean's new song reached number one on the U.S. iTunes chart after Country Music TV decided to pull the song's music video from its airways” pic.twitter.com/93Kpi9dpD4
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) July 19, 2023
Newsweek shared some of the lyrics that have enraged mainstream media and leftists:
“Cuss out a cop, spit in his face. Stomp on the flag and light it up. Yeah, ya think you’re tough,” Aldean sings. “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.”
Other lyrics include: “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.”
Aldean faced accusations of releasing a ‘pro-lynching’ song.
“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,” Aldean tweeted Tuesday.
“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 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 continued.
“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,” Aldean wrote.
“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.”
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
Watch the official music video for “Try That In A Small Town” (lyrics below):
LYRICS:
SUCKER PUNCH SOMEBODY ON A SIDEWALK
CAR JACK 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
‘ROUND 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 S**T MIGHT FLY IN THE CITY GOOD LUCK
TRY THAT IN A SMALL TOWN
SEE HOW FAR YOU MAKE IT DOWN THE ROAD
‘ROUND 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 YOU MAKE IT DOWN THE ROAD
‘ROUND 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
TRY THAT IN A SMALL TOWN