Country singer Jason Aldean’s new music video is sparking outrage from liberals, who are criticizing it as a “sundown town song.”
The song, called “Try That in a Small Town,” is about growing up in a small town. The lyrics discuss what residents of those close-knit communities will and won’t permit to happen. The lyrics, for instance, talk about individuals who believe they can loot business owners and get away with it in other places or someone who disrespects the cops and tramples on the American flag.
“Well, try that in a small town; see how far you make it down the road,” the singer hums in the song.
Critics blasted Aldean for endorsing gun culture, as the lyrics reference the attendees at the Route 91 Festival in 2017, which was one of the bloodiest mass shootings in American history.
.@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.
— Sheryl Crow (@SherylCrow) July 19, 2023
This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame https://t.co/cuOtUO9xjr
“.@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,” Twitter user Sheryl Crow wrote. “This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
“I’ll paraphrase an old tweet of mine. That sundown town song that @Jason_Aldean is getting dragged to hell and back for, and the usual reactionary cockroaches that are defending it, is and are the reason NOFX made that “joke” in Vegas six years ago,” another user tweeted.
In response to the accusations, Aldean said that his song was nothing like what people were making it out to be about and reiterated that it wasn’t political.
“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,” the singer tweeted.
“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,” he continued.
