Lyrics from Jason Aldean’s latest track, “Try That in a Small Town,” in which he calls out leftist violence and lawlessness, have earned the country superstar two things: Outrage headlines accusing him of a “Modern Lynching” and the number one spot on the iTunes all genres chart.
The music video for “Try That in a Small Town” begins depicting footage of the fiery Black Lives Matter riots around the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, people spitting at and attacking police, and convenience stores being ransacked.
The song begins:
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 UPYEAH 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
WATCH BELOW:
Aldean also focuses on firearm ownership in “Try That in a Small Town,” suggesting that people in rural America own guns that they never plan on surrendering to a big city bureaucrat.
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 LUCKTRY 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
Indeed, the big city violence portrayed in Aldean’s music video has been a driving force behind rising gun sales in America in recent years.
In 2021, the year after COVID lockdowns and Black Lives Matter riots, a record number of 5.4 million first time gun buyers flooded into gun stores around the country, seeking a means to protect themselves.
A report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation made clear that 33.2 percent of those first-time gun buyers were women. Moreover, nearly 45 percent of retailers reported seeing an increase in the number of black Americans purchasing firearms in 2021 versus what they saw in 2020.
Aldean also paints a picture of small town people ready to stand up and “fight” against lawlessness and preserve their way of life.
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 TOWNTRY 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
Reactions to Aldean’s latest song have ranged from chart-topping support to screeching headlines accusing the Grammy-nominated singer of racism.
The Daily Beast responded to the “Try That In A Small Town” music video with a headline titled, “Jason Aldean Catches Heat for Racist, Pro-Gun Lyrics: ‘a Modern Lynching Song.’”
Newsweek reacted to Aldean’s video by running a piece titled, “Jason Aldean’s New Song Sparks Outrage Over Guns—’Very Scary Lyrics.’”
Late Tuesday, Variety reported that after airing Jason Aldean’s music video for “Try That in a Small Town,” the CMT network pulled the three-minute clip from the air on Monday.
The pro-gun control K-12 Shooting Database also took issue with Aldean’s pro-2A lyrics, but did so by attempting to slight him because he ran for cover while under fire during the October 1, 2017. (Aldean was headlining the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival when an attacker with legally purchased guns opened fire from an elevated position).
The K-12 Shooting Database tweeted.
While many country artists are rallying to support the Nashville school shooting victims, there is a new song about shooting people in a small town by the guy who ran off stage when 500 people were shot at his concern in Vegas. pic.twitter.com/492CVAsLDI
— K-12 School Shooting Database (@K12ssdb) July 17, 2023
However, sales of Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” are booming. The anthem hit No. 1 on the iTunes music charts as left-wing media raged.
Aldean is no stranger to controversy, and his support for Donald Trump has likewise driven the left crazy in recent years. Music Mayhem noted that Aldean met with Trump on April 30, 2022, and afterward referred to Trump as his “Ol Friend.”
He posted about the meeting on Instagram, noting, “I got to spend a couple of days with the G.O.A.T…… this man is unbelievable and I wish u all could see what he does behind the scenes. Class act.”
Moreover, his wife, Brittney, and sister launched a clothing line featuring shirts emblazoned with phrases like “Unapologetically Conservative,” “Military Lives Matter,” and “We the People.”
On September 30, 2021, Breitbart News reported that Brittney Aldean released a line of anti-Biden shirts, one of which said, “Anti-Biden Social Club.”
On August 14, 2021, Breitbart News quoted Brittney responding to criticism of her and Jason’s political views, saying, “I think it’s important now more than ever to stand for what you believe, even if it ‘goes against the grain,’”
“I personally don’t give a damn if people don’t agree with me,” she added.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010, a speaker at the 2023 Western Conservative Summit, and he holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
Jerome Hudson is Breitbart News Entertainment Editor and author of the book . Order your copy today. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter, instagram, and Parlor @jeromeehudson